by: Lyndee Stairs, March 2012
Some First Barrel Problems
& Some Ideas On Solving Them: Part 2 of First Barrels
Now, if your horse stops working and suddenly begins doing bad things, check to see that he is not hurting anywhere or that your equipment is right and fitting properly. Or, was his training rushed? Are you asking him to do something before he is capable and confident? Sometimes a horse will work well for a while, then his lack of training will catch up with him.
Many things can happen, like running past the first barrel or even up the wall. What is sometimes happening here is that there is too much speed without the proper amount of rate. Does he have enough room and time to turn? Sometimes he is even trying to be good, but is slowing down too much and veering in and does not have enough room. Remember, 10x5x3x1 feet around the first barrel. Ten feet is the approach to the first, about two strides back from the imaginary line that runs between the first and second is where you should be about 10 feet to the inside of the first. Five feet is the amount of distance between your horse and the first barrel, when you are directly at the side of it. Three feet is the distance between the barrel and your horse when you are directly behind it (between barrel and wall or fence). One foot is the distance you should be from th barrel when leaving it. If this is hard for you to visualize, just go to a good barrel race and after every five runners or so, look at the rut around the first barrel, it will be 5x3x1 with a good arch and distance (about 10 feet on the approach up the arena.
When a horse repeatedly does not have enough room to get turned on the barrel, he will eventually give up on even trying to turn for you and go past or up the wall. If you are sure your horse is not hurting and his teeth are not bothering him, go back to basics. Coast up to the first barel and stop him. Continue stopping at the side of the barrel until when you sit down and say whoa... he is starting to slow down and think about stopping before you even pull on the reins.
You can stop at the side of the first barrel at the five foot spot or in the case where your horse is slicing in before you even get there, you can stop at the 10 foot spot. That is the place where you should be beginning to start your turn over to the side of the first barrel. Remember, the line between the first and second barrels and about two strides back.
Just ask your horse to stop straight with his hindquarters behind him. If he fights you and starts to turn without your cue or kicks his rear out and away from the barrel, just turn him the opposite way of your first barrel and go back to the beginning and repeat many times. Do this until he quits leaning on you. It may even take a couple of days of doing this. Maybe even repeat in some other arenas.
Some horses are spoiled and actually take their head away from you in your barrel run. These are the hardest to fix. This may have been caused by the rider holding the horse’s head away from the turn. Don’t ever, ever do this.
When I am running barrels, I like to have two hands on the reins and keep my horse balanced between these. As I start increasing my speed to the barrel I am in a forward position. As I get about a horse length or two from the barrel I tighten the reins evenly and smoothly. No bump, bump, jerk, jerk. Smooth is always faster than any other way. It is like driving a car. You don’t just stomp the brakes. You gradually apply the brakes.
By the time I have tightened both reins, I have sat deep in my saddle and said whoa! About a stride from the barrel I will drop the outside rein and then go for the turn. Timing is really important here.
You can have someone video you. Then you can see if you are sitting down and riding straight and square in your saddle. Never lean. Your horse will try to come under you and will then be too close to the barrel, causing problems all over again. Most of all, you have to know where you are going and what you are going to do when you get there.
Hope this helps with your first barrel troubles. Next month, second barrel. Until then, just enjoy the process.
