Lesson 2: Caring for the Perfect Barrel Horse

Hoof Care and Shoeing

If a horse’s legs are his life, then his feet are an extension of that importance. It’s crucial to keep your horse shod well while running barrels. By saying “shod well,” I mean that a horse should be shod by a farrier who really knows what he/she is doing. A barrel horse (although any horse, really) should be shod very naturally—meaning the shoes should be put on in such a way as to keep the natural bend and curve of the horse’s leg. Once those shoes are on, you shouldn’t see the horse standing any differently than he does without shoes on, and you definitely shouldn’t see any unnatural curve to the horse’s pastern or his leg in general. If you do, call another farrier immediately and have him pull those shoes and do the job correctly.

If a horse is shod in a manner where his legs are set up differently than is natural to him, he’s being set up for injury. And when you’re dealing with a horse that’s being ridden often, he could just as easily injure you too. If you’re turning a barrel and he pulls a tendon or trips because of a bad shoeing job, would you want to be on top of that horse? When horses are shod correctly, and by someone who really knows their work, they very rarely lose shoes and should really never get an injury based on the shoeing job.

Find a farrier you like and stick with him. If you want to take barrel racing on the road and compete, it’s a different story—but once you gain the experience with a trusted farrier, you’ll be able to tell when a different one is doing the kind of job you want him to do. Another tip is that, when you’re traveling, look at other barrel horses’ shoeing jobs. When you see one you really like, ask the horse’s owner who shod him so you can get the same farrier and the same type of work. Whatever you do, though, don’t take chances with your horse’s feet.

There are shoes made specifically for barrel racing that most barrel racers use on their horses. These barrel shoes have a ridge around the bottom of the front of the shoe, so that it helps the horse to gain a grip on the ground, getting better footing as he runs barrels and makes those tight turns.

It’s not necessary, in my opinion, to use barrel shoes on your horse; but it can help, and it puts you more on a level playing field with other barrel racers who most likely have those shoes on their horses.

Before running or competing, and before you wrap his legs, be sure to pick up all four of your horse’s feet and inspect them. Clean them out with a hoof knife or hoof pick to make sure there aren’t any rocks or other matter inside that could lead to injury or bruising.

It’s also not a bad idea to slowly stretch his legs as you’re lifting them up. By stretching, I do not mean to bend his legs any other way, but to simply move his legs back and forth, slowly, to stretch the muscles. Pay attention to your horse and how he reacts to this. If he doesn’t like it, don’t worry; just warm him up on his back. Most horses do like this sort of stretching, though; they often seem to feel pampered!

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