What is Barrel Horse Racing and Common Problems Experienced

Originally a sport created by rodeos for their wives and girlfriends, barrel horse racing has turned into a sport event where everyone can join.

Barrel horse racing has been in existence for many years now. It is basically a sport event that aims to showcase speed.

The race is pretty simple to watch. It is played upon an arena with three barrels arranged in an isosceles triangle pattern where the intention of the racer is to gain the fastest speed by circling the three barrels within a cloverleaf pattern. While there could be standards regarding the distance of each barrel, governing bodies normally have various preferences on how far each barrel should 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 game begins once the racer enters the arena for the first barrel. For this, the rider must enter at a slight angle since its much easier for that 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 second turn, but this time 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 third 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. horse racing odds percentage table

Like a number of other horse racing events, horse barrel racing has its common problems too. We shall help you distinguish some of the most common problems and would attempt to advise a couple of things to discover a solution on it. Please keep reading.

The 1st barrel is generally termed to as being the “money barrel”. This may cause by far the most difficult turn since the horse has got to approach it at full speed. Keep in mind that the primary aim of the game should be to take it as fast 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 chance to take some cash with you.

The challenge though comes with the horse that normally passes over this barrel on account of not enough rate. Since the horse is charging at top speed, it has the tendency for being too aggressive. Thus, they may either knock the 1st barrel off or they may pass over it. This issue is usually resolved through conditioning your horse to perform the turn perfectly.

Some horses generally have problems entering the arena. In this case, the horse is referred to as “barrel sour” or “ring sour”. This is known to have rooted from running a lot in the arena or during practice. Sometimes it is resolved through taking some time off the track and giving your horse a break from 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 let your horse to run unless control is gained upon it. Fix for your 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.