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Barrel Racing Basics, Part 2

© Caryn A. Glaze

Last month we discussed the beginning basics for teaching your horse to barrel race. Now we'll continue from where we left off, at the point of beginning to trot your horse around the barrels in the cloverleaf pattern.

Your horse should be learning to stop at the edge of each of the barrels at a walk and trot. The point of this, at these speeds, is to teach him that at this point, he should be checking his speed. At a lope and then at a run, this is extremely valuable in a barrel horse. Horses that won't check their speed at the crucial turns lose those seconds in time that could cost you a win--not to mention how precious it is to have a horse who can stop and/or turn sharply at high speeds. This type of horse is more rare than it should be.

When you begin loping your horse in the cloverleaf pattern, one great way to make sure he's in the correct lead going into the first barrel is by doing this: lope him in a little circle before approaching the first barrel, in the lead that you want him to be in on that barrel. For example, if you're hitting the right barrel first and therefore want your horse to be in his right lead, lope him in a circle to the right to ensure that he's in his right lead. This isn't necessary, but it helps sometimes if you're unsure.

At this speed, don't stop your horse at the turns, but be sure that he slows down. After stopping him at that exact same point at the slower speeds, though, your horse will probably be very aware of that spot at a lope, as well, and that's great--that's what we were going for. If he's very aware of this spot, and this spot, and what he's supposed to do there, he'll be concentrating more on making a good run than running away with you or whatever the case may be. So, most horses will automatically slow down at this spot, or maybe even stop out of habit and what you've taught him at the slower speeds.

Allow him to slow down, since that is what you want him to do, but not to stop at a lope. Continue around each barrel at a trot, then urge him back into a lope between barrels. At any speed over a slow lope, you'll want your horse to continue loping around the barrel--no more trotting or walking. But at a slow lope, go ahead and trot around the barrels. As I said before, being careful at the beginning will give you and your horse lots of rewards as you go.