What exactly is Barrel Horse Racing and Common Problems Experienced
Originally a sport created by rodeos for their wives and girlfriends, barrel horse racing has become a sport event where everybody can join.
Barrel horse racing has been around for quite a while now. It is basically a game event that aims to showcase speed.
The race is pretty simple to watch. It is actually played upon an arena with three barrels arranged in an isosceles triangle pattern on which the intention of the racer is always to gain the fastest speed by circling the three barrels within a cloverleaf pattern. While there may be standards as to the distance of each barrel, governing bodies as a rule have various preferences on how far each barrel needs to be set from one another.
The typical distance is 90 feet from each barrel. However, some may also use 60 feet up to 100 plus feet. The setting is applicable to all competitors.
The action begins as soon as the racer enters the arena towards the first barrel. On this, the rider must enter at a slight angle since its much easier for the racer if he would not come straight onto it. A whole turn has to be accomplished on the first barrel before moving towards the second one.
A 2nd turn, but this time an opposite one, will need to be made around the second barrel. And again, the rider will have to race for the third barrel. The 3rd barrel then will need to be circled around in the same direction as the second one. After a complete loop, the rider will need to accelerate back to the starting line, which is also considered as the finish line.
Like a number of other horse racing events, horse barrel racing has its common problems too. We will enable you to distinguish many of the most common problems and would attempt to suggest a couple of things to discover a solution on it. Please read on.
The 1st barrel is generally termed to as being the “money barrel”. This makes the most difficult turn since the horse has got to approach it at full speed. Keep in mind that the main aim of this game is to take it as quickly as you possibly can. This is also probably the most tricky barrel because if you knock it away, you’re certain to be out of the game in no time and if you passed over it, you will get the opportunity to take a little cash with you.
The problem though comes with the horse that normally passes over this barrel due to not enough rate. Since the horse is charging at top speed, it has the tendency to become too aggressive. Thus, they may either knock the 1st barrel off or they could pass over it. This issue is usually resolved through conditioning your horse to perform the turn perfectly.
Some horses often have problems entering the arena. In this case, the horse is called “barrel sour” or “ring sour”. This is recognized to have rooted from running too much in the arena or during practice. Sometimes it is resolved through taking some time off the track and giving your horse a break in the barrel routines. One ideal method of accomplishing this is usually to do trail riding.
Some horses are apt to have no breaks whatsoever. In this case, you mustn’t allow your horse to run unless control is gained on it. Fix for your problem can start with running at slower gaits until progress is achieved. Run your horse on barrels only when you happen to be confident enough of its speed as well as its ability to halt.