[sharps_74]

One of my students has ask me to let her use one of my horses to learn and compete in Barrel Racing. I know very little about the sport other than watching it. So I'm looking for anybody that can give me info. on it. I think that my student could really do well. She's light and quick on my Missouri Foxtrotter and can make tight fast turns. Anyhow, any of y'all got a link or know about some of the ins and outs of it please let me know.Thanks.

[Mike Weber]

Try thisa one there are several links there that might help.
http://barrelhorses.com/links/links3.shtml

[7.62mmFMJ]

I would have serious reservations with taking a gaited horse through that kind of tight turning/speed burst activity.

[Antlurz]

Whew. For a minute there, I thought Mike Weber might send him to Can Chaser Kate for help. :lol:

Ron

[Mike Weber]

Not a chance of that! I still see her occaisionally on the one CAS site left that hasn't yet banned her. She's even gotten weirder now than she was when she was here.

I agree on the comment regarding using a gaited horse for barrel racing or cutting activity.

[ExSniper]

http://www.nbha.com/districts/dixie/ar.shtml This is your district, click on your county to find someone local who can help!

[eljay]

In Texas, barrel racing is done solely with Quarter Horses. We had a mare recently who was a seasoned barrel racer. She was a handful for my wife, because she was used to sudden acceleration to full speed, and quick turns. To my knowledge, no other breed can cut, turn, and accelerate like a quarter horse. I, like others have said, would not recommend putting a gated horse through the rigors of barrel racing.

[38super]

Have you asked the horse if it'd mind having a 45 Colt capped by it's ear?

[Nathan C Lewis]

Seems to me it would be very hard on a Horse, I wouldn't let her use one of my good ones:D Nate

[2quads]

Quarter horse for sure.

[sharps_74]

Dove (my MFT) likes to move fast and turn tight. In addition to her wonderful trot she likes to run all out with a burst of blinding energy and is use to working cattle and moving around (or even jumping) things. She likes to show off. I thought about letting my student use Diamond Bit (my Mustang/Appaloosa). The only problem with that is that Diamond Bit is out of shape and will take a lot of work to get back, though she too likes to move tight and fast. She might be a bit large for the rider as she stands 16.2HH and weighs about 1500lbs.

[sharps_74]

Have you asked the horse if it'd mind having a 45 Colt capped by it's ear?

I haven't heard anything about gunfire at barrel racing events and I won't ask her something like that.:D

[2quads]

Have you asked the horse if it'd mind having a 45 Colt capped by it's ear?

:dunno: :psycho:

[Mike Weber]

Originally Posted by 38super
Have you asked the horse if it'd mind having a 45 Colt capped by it's ear?
Looks like someone got barrel racing mixed up with SASS Mounted Shooting?
Even with horses that are conditioned to the sound of gunfire touching off a firearm near the horses ears is a good way to get bucked off.
Sharps that Appaloosa sounds like a good horse, I always liked Appaloosa's for mountain horses.

[kaleidescope]

First commandment- never teach a novice rider on a green horse, both will suffer.

If you want to be able to use the horse again later for less 'hot' applications, do not loan any of them for barrel racing.

In over 40 years of training and riding I have rarely encountered a horse that is campaigned in 'speed' events that will ever again work quietly in an enclosed area. Most can never again be relied upon to not leap to a gallop unexpectedly even on cross-country work.

Speed training ties into the natural horse instinct of flight and is enormously difficult to ever 'unlearn' -- even after only one campaign season. While that response can be mitigated during speed training by a really seasoned trainer who truely understands the horse mind, it is a rare event for an amateur.

And the Quarter horse suggestions are good. Long backed horses have a very tough time coming under for tight speed work. A short coupled horse will beat them every time. It is a matter of horse anatomy and physics.

[2quads]

Good advice.