Lesson 3: Training the Perfect Barrel Horse
This lesson contains the meat and potatoes of this course. We’ll delve into tack and equipment, then move into the actual training of the perfect barrel horse.
*NOTE: For the training section of this course, I am assuming that students have already begun to break their horses for general riding and have some knowledge of general training techniques or language.
Tack and Equipment
Besides the horse boots mentioned in the previous lesson, there are some tack and equipment that are necessary and some that are especially helpful for this sport.
Saddles, in addition to other pieces of essential tack, can make or break a horse’s performance. If the saddle doesn’t fit your horse, it can cause him discomfort that can lead to soreness or injury. The saddle you use should fit your horse first and foremost, and secondly it should be comfortable and fit for you.
To see how your saddle fits, when you have the saddle cinched on your horse in the correct position, see how many fingers you can slide under the gullet (the raised area of the saddle that is over your horse’s withers). The general rule of thumb is you should be able to slide one to two and a half fingers between your horse’s withers and the gullet.
Besides the gullet, make sure that the bars of the saddle sit down on your horse’s back, and sit down flat. If the bars don’t sit down on the horse’s back, the saddle isn’t actually fitting your horse and is sitting way up high on him; this causes several problems. One is that your horse won’t be able to feel you and your cues as well as if you were down on his back; secondly, since your saddle isn’t fitting him correctly, it can cause the movement of you and the saddle to rub the horse, causing soreness and injury.
If the bars sit down on his back but are not flat, it will cause obvious problems from the rubbing and soreness. If the bars are broken, your horse is going to be hurting. And if your horse is hurting, you can bet he’s not going to be running his best, no matter how much heart he has. The saddle must fit him first.
Moving on to saddle pads, if you can find it, natural fibers like wool are great next to your horse’s back. These types of pads or blankets cause less irritation to your horse’s back and also let his skin breathe much better than synthetic material. If you can’t find wool or other natural material, go with a pad that will have as much breathability as possible and is tampered with as little as possible. The pad should also have a good amount of padding to support your horse’s back from the saddle.
As far as bits, this can be a very subjective thing. The main factor is where your horse is at in his training and what he works with best. One important note on bits: I recommend always using a copper-mouthed bit. The copper in the mouthpiece helps keep your horse’s mouth moist and is extremely helpful when you’re performing at an event like barrel racing. Now, let’s cover some common types of bits and you can decide, after trying different bits with your horse, which are best for him and you.
Snaffle bits are what are commonly used in barrel racing, and are what I recommend. The term “snaffle” indicates that the mouthpiece on the bit has a “break” in it—a section (or more than one) where there are two or more pieces of the metal hooked together so that the bit is in two or more pieces, rather than just one long metal mouthpiece. There are snaffle bits that have shanks and some that don’t. Which type of snaffle you use is dependent on where your horse is in his training. With a ring snaffle (the type with no shank), you get more direct contact with your horse; these are generally better for green broke horses.
One more note on snaffle bits: I don’t recommend using one with more than one break in the mouthpiece, or a “two-piece” bit. If you get more breaks in the mouthpiece, or if you use a bit that is not a snaffle, you get more bite on the horse’s tongue and the bars of his mouth—and in my opinion, that is not necessary. If your horse is having a hard time listening to one bit, try one with a shank or without it—if he’s still having problems listening to your hands, he needs more conditioning or re-conditioning before continuing. You shouldn’t need a fierce, painful bit in order for your horse to listen to your hands.
Lastly, a lot of people use tie-downs in barrel racing. Personally, I don’t recommend the use of this piece of equipment; again, I don’t believe it’s necessary if the horse is trained correctly. When working with your horse, always keep your hands low and stay calm, and most horses will respond accordingly by usually being calm and keeping his head at a normal level. If you have a green horse that you’re trying to teach to tuck his nose in, for instance for backing up or spinning, I like a good martingale for that. But once he gets it, move on and remove the martingale. (Of course, the martingale wouldn’t be used on the barrels—this is just for a horse you may be working up to barrels.)
Another reason why a tie-down isn’t recommended here is because I personally feel that they restrict a horse’s natural movement. When a horse digs his feet into the dirt and really hauls himself around a barrel the way he’s supposed to, and when he opens up and runs full-speed, he needs to be able to lift his head a little bit. Granted, he shouldn’t be throwing his head up in the air necessarily, but he does need some leverage naturally.
