Tips on Training Barrel Racing Horses

Training a horse to barrel race requires patience and persistence. You will need to start with small steps and repeat them often so the horse masters the necessary skills. Barrel racing champions Julie Voigt and Kassie Mowry stress the importance of a horse's responsiveness to the rider's leg and rein cues. They recommend lots of practice having the horse create perfect circles before starting work with the barrels.

  1. Teach the Horse to Listen

    • Voigt begins much of her work with a prospective barrel racer by teaching it to listen to her requests from the end of a lead line. Standing beside the horse gives Voigt the opportunity to have the horse practice cues for backing and side-passing without a rider. To help a horse gain maximum response to the pressure required for the side-pass, Voigt recommends standing next to the horse and using a hand to apply the pressure you will give with your legs when riding. The trainer's other hand uses the lead line to direct the horse's head, which gives the horse the cue for which direction to travel.

    Keep the Horse Collected

    • Known as "collecting" the horse, teaching your potential barrel racer to respond to subtle leg and rein cues is a crucial first step to barrel racing success. As Mowry told barrelhorsenews.com, a horse must "do what I ask with no hesitation." Mowry emphasizes a combination of subtle rein cues combined with leg cues that seem to ask the young horse to move forward and remain still at the same time. With practice, a horse learns this request means to move with a "collected" gait. In this way, the rider develops a responsive, easily maneuvered animal underneath her, a necessity for the split-second changes required by barrel racing.

    Practice Perfect Circles

    • "Barrel racing is about circles," Voigt said in "Horse Illustrated Magazine." She stresses the importance of practicing circles at all gaits before moving to working with barrels. This practice is equally about making sure the horse's circle is perfect in both directions as it is keeping the animal's gait consistent throughout the maneuver. She advises beginning with a large circle, one about 50 feet in diameter, and working your way to smaller circles. Once your circles have decreased to 10 or 12 feet, you should widen them back out.

    Introduce One Barrel at a Time

    • Mowry and Voigt stress introducing barrels one at a time. Mowry pays special attention to the beginning horse's approach to the barrel. If the horse's gait changes in any way as it approaches the barrel, she will pull the horse away from the object. She will resume work with the barrel only when she is sure the horse is paying more attention to her commands than to the barrel. Voigt wants to familiarize her horse with the barrel, so she will have it approach the object and stand next to it, making sure the horse remains relaxed and receptive to her cues.