Barrel racers – both horse and rider – are first and foremost – athletes. So when choosing your barrel racing horse you have to consider first his or her athletic ability. Just take a look at what a barrel racer is expected to do – the horse enters the arena, the clock is tripped, a cloverleaf pattern is run around a series of three barrels – once the pattern is run the horse and rider head for home, again tripping the time clock.
Barrel racing is a timed event – there is no judge involved to make a subjective judgment – you’re racing against a clock.
Whoever has the fastest time wins. But you also need a horse that not only shows explosive speed – has the physical strength and structure to run the barrel pattern – to cut corners while maintaining balance, and yet to also have a temperament that is calm enough to be manageable yet displays that competitive spirit that’s critical in the arena.
The first thing to consider when looking at a barrel horse is whether or not this horse has the basics – the physical basics – meaning the ability to run a cloverleaf pattern day after day, week in and week out, without breaking down? Not that injuries don’t happen, but a horse that’s prone to shin splints, for example, isn’t a good candidate for a barrel racer.
So physical structure and soundness are the first things you look for – strong, straight legs, deep chest, powerful hindquarters, strong neck and well-balanced head – in other words, an overall appearance of a well-conditioned athlete.
The next consideration is temperament – and this quality is just as important as the physical ability – because temperament – or mindset or degree of mental aptitude – call it whatever you want – can determine whether or not you leave the barrel racing arena a winner or go home a distant second. Ideally, a barrel racer will display a calm and manageable temperament outside the arena, and yet turn on a fierce competitive spirit when they begin the actual barrel race .
I say “ideally” because that combination of calmness and intensely competitive spirit is a difficult mixture to find – horses typically show signs of one or the other, but not both. For example, you might find a barrel racer that is calm, cool and collected – both inside and outside the arena – perfect manners, perfect deportment – and slower than molasses in January.
On the other hand, you might find a horse that is insanely competitive – can’t wait to start the race and cream the competition – but you might as well be sitting on top of a runaway locomotive for all the control you have. No brakes, swings wide in every turn, posts great times, but you’re always afraid that he’ll cross the finish line without you – because you’ll have taken a header somewhere along the route.
If I have to make a choice between the two types, I’d personally prefer to ride the out-of-control locomotive – simply because you can always slow a juggernaut like that down – but you really can’t speed up a horse with perfect manners – at least, not to the speed it takes to win barrel racing championships.
So if you can’t find a horse with that perfect mixture of manners and a killer instinct to win – at least find one that does display a fierce competitive drive – you can always work on the manners, deportment and braking system. Jeez, sounds like I’m talking about a car, doesn’t it? But I’m not. I am, however, talking about a racing machine – of a sort. Keep that in mind when you’re appraising your next potential barrel racer.
Chapter 2 of Barrel Racing Secrets leads you step-by-step through exactly how to evaluate a barrel racing horse you might be considering purchasing.