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Training a Great Barrel Horse

© Caryn A. Tate

In December I was watching the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) when something occurred to me. It is possible to train a really great barrel horse without ending up with a ringy, crazy horse underneath you who barely listens to a thing you try to tell him.

For me personally, this isn't the kind of horse that I want to end up with after I've trained him initially. For a horse to be competitive at a professional level, he does need to be cutting edge, high-energy, and always ready to go run some barrels. But this does NOT mean he has to turn into a machine. In this article I plan to explain ways to help you train your barrel horse this way.

Probably the most important thing I can stress in this situation is to do other things than barrels with your horse--at all times. For every day that you spend training on the barrels, take him on a trail ride. Do some roping on him. Just ride. Anything, as long as you're on his back and you're doing something other than barrels. This is essential because it reminds your horse (and you) that barrel racing is not all he has to do in this life. It shows him that he can focus his energy (if any) on other things--that he doesn't always have to be "on."

A good way to understand this is to apply it to your own life. How would you feel if you had to work every day of your life at your job, and never had a chance to do anything else? As we can see from people we may know, it makes us extremely stressed. The same thing applies with your horse.

Another extremely important thing to do with your horse is when you are practicing or training him on barrels, take time every now and then to simply face him towards the barrels and stop. Just stand there and look at the barrels and don't do a thing. This is a great exercise to do, because it shows your horse that he can see an arena and 3 barrels and he doesn't always have to run madly after them and do his pattern.

Always be sure and make time for you and your horse. Just spend time together being friends, or getting to know each other. The better you know each other, the more that will pay off in the arena.

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