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 now become a sport event where everyone can join.
Barrel horse racing has been in existence for many years now. It is basically a game event that aims to showcase speed.
The race is pretty simple to watch. It is actually played on an arena with three barrels arranged in an isosceles triangle pattern where the goal of the racer is to gain the quickest speed by circling the three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern. While there could be standards regarding the distance of each barrel, governing bodies as a rule have various preferences regarding how far each barrel should be set from one another.
The general distance is 90 feet from each barrel. However, some may 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. For this, the rider must enter at a slight angle since its much simpler for the racer if he would not come straight onto it. A whole turn must be accomplished on the first barrel before moving towards the second one.
A 2nd turn, but this time around an opposite one, will need to be made around the second barrel. And again, the rider will need to race towards the third barrel. The 3rd barrel then will need to be circled around in the same direction as the second one. Following a complete loop, the rider will have to accelerate to the starting line, which is also considered as the finish line. all horse racing reviews
Like a number of other horse racing events, horse barrel racing does have its common problems too. We shall enable you to distinguish some of the most common problems and would attempt to suggest a few things to discover a solution on it. Please keep reading.
The first barrel is generally termed to as being the “money barrel”. This makes by far the most difficult turn because the horse has got to approach it at full speed. Remember that the main purpose of the game is to take it as quickly as you can. This is also probably the most tricky barrel because if you knock it off, you are sure to be out from the game in no time and if you passed over it, you will get the opportunity to take a little money with you.
The challenge though comes with the horse that normally passes over this barrel on account of lack of rate. Since the horse is charging at top speed, it’s got the tendency to become too aggressive. Thus, they may either knock the first barrel off or they could pass over it. This issue can be 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 known to have rooted from running a lot in the arena or during practice. This can be resolved through a little time off the track and giving your horse a rest in the barrel routines. One ideal way of accomplishing this is usually to do trail riding.
Some horses tend to have no breaks whatsoever. In such a case, you must not allow your horse to run unless control is gained on it. Solution to this problem can start with running at slower gaits until progress is achieved. Run your horse on barrels only when you are confident enough of its speed and its ability to halt.