Maybe this is beating a dead horse.
When I see images like this, regularly, I just shake my head. Then when the inevitable comments excuses follow I'm heartbroken because these horses don't seem to stand a chance of being ridden in a more empathetic manner.
“If you train the horse properly they will not get insanely out of countably hot, but its next to impossible to have your horse if they truly love what they do to not have them get even a little hot.
“In my opinion when the horse rears bucks paws or bites before they run is not a refusal at all. I as a runner have to hold my horses back before we run our pattern. these horses have a job to do that they love. When they know they are about to run they get excited, they are not acting like this because they do not want to run because if you watch the rider they are all trying to calm the horse down and hold them back from running and doing this pattern. also every knowledgeable equestrian knows a horse will feed off of our energy, and i can speak for every barrel racer, we all get excited and nervous before we run, so the horses is acting off of our energy.
“I do not think barrel racing is in any way abuse. yes some riders can take pushing there horse to far but, its not like there starving the horse, the horses have amazing lives and love what they do!”
– Megan, commenter.
“Also, i would just like to point out, my mare has gel boots that she wears whenever shes in the trailer, in a stall, or has to stand on hard ground (soft rides…look them up).
“She also is getting a magnetic blanket to keep her from getting sore (which costs 435 dollars) and magnetic hock and tendon wraps.
She gets a 143 dollars joint supplement every month to PREVENT her from having joint problems.
“She gets sore no more clay put on her legs after every run and gets sprayed down with the liniment. She gets hand walked for at least 30 minutes after every run she makes at a race to ensure that she is cooled down well.
“She gets at least 5 big bags of shavings in her stall when we go to races, more if the stalls dont have rubber matting, and she still has her soft rides on.
“She gets chiropractored (if youve never had a horse have chiro work done you can not say it doesnt work, they slip and fall, not just while were riding them, but also out playing in the pasture, and can throw something out, chiro does wonders).”
– Corrie, commenter
“Horses fall all the time, whether they have a rider or not. Sometimes when horses are excited and playful they can buck and rear. if you are unfortunately sitting on them, when they decide to play, it can be accidental over correction to get them back on four feet, but that doesn't just happen in barrel racing. It happens in ever single discipline and in every paddock. so please spare me your words on how you have spent 17 years in and out with horses, yet you know nothing of this playful excited mannerism whether under saddle or not? If you have never felt that emotion with a horse you are no rider! Please”
– Michelle A, commenter
“It is ashame that your ignorance gives you a platform to stand on. To me, it looks more like the abuse is on the rider, not the horse. So if a NON barrel racer, were to loose their balance, do they too not instinctively balance on the only thing available? The reins?”
– Tiany, commenter
“Yes I have seen some barrel racers abuse their horses at shows, it happens.”
– Cory, commenter
Oh, but that's right, we must remember that barrel racers take the best care of their horses (when not riding them). We must excuse any bad examples of barrel racing because seeing abusive barrel racing doesn't mean there's an ounce of abuse happening in barrel racing… *facepalm*
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What to comment, dear Erica?
These images make you sick…
Your comment makes me sick y’all truly don’t understand the concept of barrel racing the horse loves it. Just remember they are allot bigger than the rider if they didn’t want to do it they wouldn’t
“…if they didn’t want to do it they wouldn’t” is about as asinine a statement as a person who has ever seen a horse can make. 2 ounces of pressure on your tongue, gums, or roof of your mouth from a soft object is enough to make you do a lot – it is enough to make you a slave. 4 ounces from a thin metal rod or a twisted wire is enough to make you beg to die, or if you are a prey flight animal, run, jump, or swim through fire. If it is attached to a long shank (leverage) it can cut your tongue in half – I have nursed back to health horses whose mouths and tongues were seriously damaged by abusive owners or trainers. They happened to have been reiners, and jumpers, but, the same physics apply. You are an idiot, or willfully blind.
You dont know what your talking about, you are right about what a long shanked bit is for, it does provide leverage. A 250 pound body builder isnt going to cut that horses tounge or damage his mouth drastically cause hes more then likely going to just pull the horse over backwards as long as hes using somthing crazy like a peice of wire, but I havnt noticed any barrel racers running around with a chunk of wire in their horses mouth, nor are they selling wire for that purpose. I agree pisses me off to when people are hard on a horses mouth, but all in all your the one with ignorant remarks
Ok first have you ever done Barrel Racing?… No? Thats what I thought. it is a speed event. Kicking is motivation to these horses. Remember they are Quarter Horses not your English pony. Not to be mean ive been riding both disciplines for 15 years. When you are riding a horse as fast as possible to win the only way to control them is pulling on the reins in a direction. Barrel Racers take better care of their horses them English riders. So lets talk about Dressage. People tie blocks on the bottom of Dressage horses hooves so they will lift their legs higher. You guys carry crops and use them as a source to move your horse. Lots of barrel racers dont uses whips. I dont whip my horses and i have 17. You wanna tell us we abuse our horses lets take a look at what you guys do. If you never have rode a horse or been near a horse, you dont understand horses. You cant read them like we can.
I suggest reading “Every Discipline Does It,” is a Pathetic Excuse of Horse Abuse… You can motivate a horse to run fast without flailing around in the saddle, yanking, cranking and spanking them.
Also, I think you’re getting your sports confused. It’s Tennesee Walking Horses’ Big Lick classes that use pads and soring to make their movement more animated.
There are issues with Dressage horse movement that isn’t correct to the sport, but not in the same context.
well I barrel race I take so much care of buck
Well if you HAVE to do all theses things to control the horse the maybe its a bad idea. Also you are confusing dressage and big lick. I ride hunter jumpers and I dont use spurs nor a crop or whip and my gelding gives me no issues. I also ride him in a nothing bit. Oh also I manage to take great care of him outside the ring and give him credit for all of the ribbons. The one time I grabbed him to hard after a jump which was completely my fault (still not half as hard as any of these girls) and on accident due to not going with him over a fence and he didnt like it so he stopped and shook and I was on the ground so I told him I was sorry and did not do it again and whenever he shows any signs of discomfort I dismount to see whats wrong and fix it or I can tell from in the saddle and correct it. If I need him to steer I apply a bit of leg pressure and lightly pressure (not pull) the bit in a certain way and if I want him slow down or stop I sit deep in my seat and half halt or apply even pressure to my reins calmly saying easy or ho. If I want him to pick up the pace I squeeze him with my legs and give a cluck or make kissy noises. No he is not dead broke I just keep my equitation in check an have a good bond with him. You should try it.
If you must take such extreme measures then dont do it. Saying well I have to whip him and kick him is no excuse.
You have no idea what you are talking about. Dressage riders do not ‘tie blocks to their horses hooves’, that would be Tennessee Walkers doing Big Lick. You should probably not make comments on things you know nothing about. Go to clinics, get educated.
PREACH !!!! I promise you my horse LOVES her job!! You’re right, there are some cruel barrel racers out there… but not all of them! I mean look at Fallon Taylor
not unless the rider doesnt give them a choice. if a barrel horse didnt want to do it they’d get beat the hell out by the rider
Fallon has shown that her horse BabyFlo starts to go crazy after a long time not competing. Fallon does NOT abuse her horse and a lot of barrel racers don’t.
It also helps if the rider helps the horse turn the barrel using shorter reins and also the horse can neck rein. You have to help your friend if you want to get somewhere because it takes two
Have you ever been I contact with a horse before
I agree. It’s a real shame, truly.
i agree with some of her statements i am a barrel racer i understand what you are “trying” to say… i use a hackamore on my red mare ( and by red i mean solid red and crazy) becase she hates the bit so i use a hack and she loves it no more puling no more fights just me and her. she is what we horse people call a free runner she runs all the time, in the pasture, in the fields, and she even runs when we are not barrel racing, just riding! i love this horse with all my heart and i know every other barrel racer out there does to. my horse was abused i could not touch hr for forever. but after GAINING HER TRUST i was ALLOWED by HER to ride her. i did not force myself on her i gave her her space and time and just loved her and talked to her. i know what barrel racing is i do it but not every barrel racer out there is the same. yes some barrel racers do go a little to hard or are just to harsh on there horses but not all of us are.
What to comment, dear Erica?
These images make you sick…
Your pathetic honestly these horses get better treatment then most people. So when you get on one and train them you’ll see it’s hard on the rider than the horse
I don’t even know anything about horseback riding, but I know an abused animal when I see it. That horse’s ears are pinned back, his eyes are rolling in terror and pain, his mouth is open and his tongue is hanging out. That doesn’t look like a happy horse, it looks like a horse that is suffering. It’s time to stop with the excuses. Abuse is NEVER acceptable. If you can’t train an animal without terrorizing and hurting it, then you can’t train animals.
I totally agree with your statements about abuse and yes, the ONE horse pictures is being ridden in an unacceptable manner with way too much bit. However, as in every equestrian sport and all other aspects of life if the rider is wise, gentle, and guides the horse with his or her body around the barrel with as little pressure as possible, (which is the goal) barrel racing done right is a beautiful communication between horse and rider. Of many years around or in the sport it is very rare I see this sort of thing go on and when it does it is an awful representation of the sport and makes me, like you, quite angry.
Yes ok these are a few examples of the idiots who abuse thier horse. I’m a teenager ok? Ive been training barrel horses for some years now and yes we do all find ourselves being harsh but in no way have I ever abused a horse. People please hear me out when I say our horses LOVE thier job when trained and treated correctly. I have seen some accounts of horse abuse and it hurts my heart but here it seems all of us who do this are being labeled as horse abusers. Listen if you really want the truth and honesty about barrel racing look at the professionals, watch some stories. Slick By Design is proof that PROFESSIONAL horses are not abused, dang horse is ridden in a hackamore.
Your pathetic honestly these horses get better treatment then most people. So when you get on one and train them you’ll see it’s hard on the rider than the horse
How come they have to be ridden in those hard core bits?
They don’t need to use those bits, Libby. Those riders are using those bits because on some level they don’t either trust themselves or their horses to understand what do to. It all comes down to training. If your horse and more importantly if YOU are trained properly, the entire course is smooth with your horse working off its rider’s seat and leg and knowledge of its job and not the reins. I ride in a snaffle. That’s all my guy needs.
The top Barrel racers in my country don’t use or need those bits (and in some case even nose bands aren’t worn). These horses look a LOT more relaxed to me than any of the pictures above…
Erica, Can you please tell me what discipline you do with your horses? Thank you.
Erica, Can you please tell me what discipline you do with your horses? Thank you.
I cringe for that horse in the first few pictures. You can tell he is clearly distraught, I mean the white of his eyes are all you can see!! And they don’t call that abuse? If a horse has that much white showing, it clearly is not enjoying itself or relaxed and loving what it is doing…
its true horses shouldnt have to go thru that kinda stuff !!! if you dont know how to ride a horse without hurting it you shouldnt ride one at all !!!!
I cringe for that horse in the first few pictures. You can tell he is clearly distraught, I mean the white of his eyes are all you can see!! And they don’t call that abuse? If a horse has that much white showing, it clearly is not enjoying itself or relaxed and loving what it is doing…
I have seen both the good and bad in barrel racing. I have witnessed horses refusing to even go into the arena to the point the rider had to get off and back the horse into the arena. It’s not just barrel racing all disciplines have abuse just others hide it more.
I have seen both the good and bad in barrel racing. I have witnessed horses refusing to even go into the arena to the point the rider had to get off and back the horse into the arena. It’s not just barrel racing all disciplines have abuse just others hide it more.
Congrats on finding a bunch of unskilled riders at a local jackpot! Do you also fish with dynamite?
OMG, how did you know? Fishing with dynamite is my favorite activity when I’m not pissing barrel racers off! 😀
OMG, how did you know? Fishing with dynamite is my favorite activity when I’m not pissing barrel racers off! 😀
And to think I just got done commenting on your older barrel racing post. Again, please stop generalizing. You can’t say something about everyone in a certain group of people. Do you think every single person of a certain ethnicity is the same?
Every single event has abuse. I’ve seen more abuse at pleasure shows than I have at barrel races, but then again, I compete at higher levels than the people shown here.
All right…. shut your mouth !!! I have been barrel racing for years now and I do not do anything to my horses like this and I have friends who don’t either and look at the pros the don’t do this either…… you are a true a pleasure rider I can say that much. And adding in I have seen people that ride pleasure ‘abuse’ there horses. If you got an issue with how some ride that’s that but u need to look at the actuall barrel racers that show respect to there horses in the ring and ain’t jerking on their mouths. I don’t !!! If my horse wants to,get hyper I take him away from everyone and let him move. I hate when people bash on barrel racing. Cuase we don’t abuse our horses I can say that.!!!!
really you like pissing of barrel racers !! you act like your some big thing !!! bitch you aint nothin !! fuck get real
I love it! I congratulate you for pointing out and calling it for what it is! I love horses and cats and dogs, and children and humanity. Am I aware of abuse? Am I aware of what non-abuse looks like? Yes and yes. Do I believe it is alright to abuse my horse? Absolutely not! Have I ever abuse or mistreated my horse? Absolutely. Intentionally? NO! Is there always room for me to look at myself and improve? Absolutely YES! Could I handle this or that differently? Almost every interaction I have, I could say YES to. Occasionally I am spot on perfection:-) Until I realize or see someone else in the same situation behave (in my opinion), better.
I think what you do here is give others a chance to ask themselves if they could behave better in any given situation than they donor, not than someone you are focusing on in your article. Can we take this attention getter and reflect inwardly and ask ourselves, “is there room for improvement, for me to become a better human being?” And hopefully our answer is YES!
I am both a barrel racer and an eventer. I agree with those who are saying that all disciplines have their fair share of abuse. Some dressage and jumping trainers are just as abusive, if not more so, than the riders in these pictures. You can’t just generalize about barrel racers. If you truly feel this way about these horses, you might as well generalize and say that all equestrian sports are abusive. Then see the kind of “excuses” you get.
I absolutely cringe at those gag bits in the pictures. But I must say that I rode a sweet little mare during 2012 and her owners were teaching me the basics of barrel racing. I hated it, but the mare really did seem to enjoy her job (she was never a hot horse though, and we never got past slow cantering of the clover-leaf pattern). Now though she’s been injured and is mine, so I’m very happy to be able to retire her from barrel racing and get more into a little western dressage (non-competitive), and some natural horsemanship via Rick Gore horsemanship (Think like a horse on YouTube). She was used in a Tom Thumb bit (which they assured me was a mild bit), but now that she’s mine I refuse to use a bridle on her at all. She does not need it. I also refuse to let anyone else ride her in a bridle, especially beginners. Also I have a much stronger english pleasure background and was always taught proper balance on a horse and never to use ‘reins’ for balance. Heels down! It really makes a difference and one thing I notice about barrel racers is that there toes point straight down, now to be fair I tried riding with my foot farther through the stirrup and my toes down a little on a few of our runs and it did give me a sense of balance. But I’m sure that wouldn’t have lasted long if she had gone down or reared!
its not the worry of the animal they will do what they will with them no matter what you say just spur and beat the heck out of them if you are a rider you get throwed that’s your fault the horse have feeling just like a humane they can get just as sick of doing that as a human and that is the reason you or anyone get throwed as well as with any other cpmpetion of any kind if they don’t make you any money then they are not worth a dime to the rider or anyone else that is the reason why there is so many in the slaughter house they are ruined beyond most uses for anyone else unless you can find a professional that knows what they are doing with the animal sincerely virginia
Wow! There is abuse in ALL sports involving horses. They inject snake venom into Arabian horses just so it gives them that “look” while they trot around in the show ring. I’ve seen Dressage trainers spur horses bloody and Eventers whip the shit out of their horse for refusing a jump. So judge the individual not the sport.
Obviously this was written with an extreme bias. Yes there are abusive riders in all disciplines. The photos above were obviously selected for one reason only. You have photos of the most inexperienced, unbalanced riders who decided to “jump on an go fast”! I have seen girls riding like this in barrel races, but I have seen more abuse in western pleasure, hunter under saddle, and even POA shows. Anytime people want to FORCE an animal to perform without the proper work it takes to communicate what you are asking of the horse there is the potential for poor horsemanship and poor training to lead to “abuse”. For the record I have been riding for 36 years and yes I do barrel race and I have never had issues like these with my horses! Gag bits are NOT a requirement to run barrels, for your information I raced my gelding in a treeless barrel saddle and a side-pull (bitless style bridle for those who are unaware). I know a woman who raced completely bridles and have seen ladies run bareback and in halters for fun! if the horse and rider a matched properly with a sport the HORSE ENJOYS there is no “abuse”. It is inexperienced riders who know nothing about riding but will claim to be experts who are the most dangerous, they think because they can hold on and go fast that makes them a barrel racer, no ladies, just because you have pretty tack and run fast doesn’t mean you are horsewoman. Educated yourself and approach it from the perspective of your horse.
Im no barrel racer ( I’m actually a roper) but i would like to comment about speed horses getting excited. It happens. My heel horse ( his name is Tucker) occasionaly gets excited in the box. He has no issues going into the box, in fact he’ll do it himself if you drop the reins. However, when my header takes a while to get straight he starts hopping, not rearing or bucking, he just takes his front feet and does what is slightly akin to a tapdance. Trust me, he loves his job, and even in his most excited moments he is always under control. He’s one of those horses that will refuse to do it if he doesn’t want too, and he’s never done that when roping. The point of this was to try and explain that some horses get excited because they like what they do. Also, there is a definate difference between excited and hot. My horse is very calm and quiet, I can have children rope with him, but every once in a blue moon when the energy is right, he dances, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. However, i do agree that some barrel racers abuse their horses more than they will ever realize, but not all of them are bad. I know a few that are excellent riders, but i also know a few that shouldn’t be riding.
Beautiful of you to have the guts to post this. People will make all sorts of justifications as to WHY their chosen discipline is OK for the horse. Choosing ignorance, tradition, “every one does it”, “he wouldn’t do it if he didn’t want to,” “all good horses get excited and show how hot they are – it’s a sign of desire to run.”
Sad, as they’re only justifying their actions.
If they truly, and honestly, stepped down, looked at these images, they would see something else. Something they simply wouldn’t want to recognize, as it would prevent them from continuing on…
The extreme panic and fear, pain, and desperation in the horses eyes, as their mouths are gaping, tongues twisting, spines bracing for the extreme twisting and crashing about they’re experiencing as their riders are flailing with absolutely NO balance on top.
Ignorance is bliss.
The uneducated eye and mind, relying on “it’s always been this way”, will always prevail.
It’s heartbreaking.
Personally attacking the publisher of this article, instead of simply accepting that they have chosen to ignore, truly, the despair they are causing to their horses.
It’s in all disciplines. Some sort of abuse.
Mostly, because we cannot hear these magnificent animals scream. As they don’t.
And it’s justified by the horse “wanting to do it, if he didn’t, he’d put up more resistance.”
A rape. On a child. Equivalent.
I’m sorry to be part of this culture. And sorry this post is so old, yet still hasn’t received more ruckus around it.
Vulture on dear riders.
Guts to post this?
This is an extremely biased opinion. Not to mention that those pictures are specifically chosen to make you cringe. Not all barrel racers ride like that. My mare runs the pattern in a simple grazing bit (softest curb bit you can get and is hardly ever touched during a pattern as I prefer to neck rein as much as I can) without the use of kicking, tie downs, spurs, whips, over and understand etc. You cannot take all barrel racers and throw them into a abuse category. My horse loves to run, runs most of the day in the field and never turns down a gallop when I ask with a peaceful kiss. Some horses are unsure and require a slightly firmer hand and steady leg to give the horse confidence and take him through the pattern. However no horse deserves to be bounced around on like a oversized jolly ball and ripped around when he doesn’t understand. Some people do not grasp this concept but there are many many barrel racers out there who do not deserve to be labeled as abusive because of their preferred event.
Agree, 100%. And if there is ‘abuse in every discipline’, why are we not all more concerned about it? Why are we not addressing the abuse of horses in every discipline? The abuse, whether willful or through ignorance, must be stopped and we must ALL have the courage to speak up….or this will never end. This type of tack should NOT be allowed, period. If you cannot control your horse without the use of tie downs, gag bits and other instruments of pain and torture, then you should not be riding or competing. All events should have ring stewards who check the tack before anyone enters an arena and if it does not conform, then they don’t ride. And now, the NRHA has approved the use of Sedivet within 30 minutes of competition!! No wonder they were ditched by the FEI. This is just unbelievable.. So you keep pointing out these types of abuse, Erica, and be proud to be standing up for the horses, when they cannot for themselves.
I do believe horse abuse happens in every discipline of horse riding, some people just take it too far. However, a lot of disciplines are working to stop this at least at competitions. Where i live in low level/pony club eventing you can get a verbal warning for yelling abuse at your horse and you are allowed three hits with a crop before each jump but the crop must not be lifted a certain height and impact is to only be on the horses side or rump i believe (not 100% sure) no hits with a crop allowed after or between jumps to gain speed. Maybe more rules similar to these are needed in barrel racing and other disciplines where this is a problem?
I’m pretty sure these photos are from a non-pro gymkhana or barrel race (although you can probably see this kind of uneducated riding at pro barrel races however, I doubt they win). What I’m looking at are uneducated riders who don’t understand how to sit a barrel or obstacle on horses that are not properly trained to rate a barrel/obstacle. These types of riders plunge into any discipline without properly training themselves or their horse and thus give that discipline a bad image. Being a gymkhana rider myself, I cringe at these photos because I’ve seen a lot of this myself. Poorly fitted tack, over-bitted horses, over-mounted riders, sour over- and improbably trained horses, yanking, spurring, whipping. It makes me sad because the gals who do it right are looked at with the same disgust. If you go on youtube and look at some of the top riders, you’ll see loose reins around the barrel, riders riding off seat and leg and properly trained horses rating the barrel and *knowing* what to do. Yes, some of the riders go for the whip which I wish they wouldn’t do, I’m not sure they need it. I don’t carry one and neither do I kick because my guy is giving his all when we run.
I’ve been a barrel race and speed eventer for 45 years… and fighting an uphill battle against whips and spurring in barrel racing for the past 30 years; both of which have become a common, if not standard practice over the decades. My best analogy I share to illustrate what riders who use whips and spurs (in any discipline) are setting a precedence for is to tell them, “If you ran track or cross country and your coach ran behind you with a stick and beat your legs and butt, you might want to run faster (or jump higher)… but how do you feel about that coach and running track?” Let that thought soak in. Whipping and spurring a horse –for doing what it is you want them to do!!– makes absolutely no sense at all. Do you want to do something you are made miserable doing??? You are asking your horse to run and “disciplining” them for running? (And surprised when they develop behavior problems??!!!) When you make the whole experience for the horse positive with both praise and reward afterward (and not over repetition in the beginning of the training) it is amazing; both the results and the attitude in which they are delivered!! My job is to hang on and keep myself balanced and centered in the saddle. My horses’ job is to get the pattern done with wings on their legs and whatever HELP rating the barrel or poles they need from me to successfully do it. When I compete I am also setting an example: look what I get out of my horses because I DON’T whip or spur or kick them!! My horses run their hearts out for me because they WANT to run for me. (Lots of petting and praise immediately on the other side of the timers are a must… and horse treats are always a plus, too!!) If you need more than two fingers on the reins in the speed arena to stop or turn, YOU need better training!!! Only you can take responsibility for yourself and your actions for the betterment of your horse: don’t hide behind pointing out others’ mistakes that are greater than your own to excuse yours. Own up to your mistakes and correct them. Happy horse= happy ride= happy rider!!!
honestly, if you arent part of the sport FIRSTHAND, you shouldnt post ignorant articles. Good job on finding an inexperianced barrel racer at a a local show. Not all barrel racers ride like this. ( i agree, some ppl do but no everyone) I ride all of my barrel horses in a snaffle. (in case you dont know what that is, its a simple, not harsh at all, bit. My horses literaly come before myself. most of the time i dont even eat at a barrel race all day bc im tending to my horses. so before you write nonsense like this against all barrel racers, READ UP.
Your snaffle, is it shanked? Cuz if it is, it ain’t ‘not harsh at all’. Twisted? Wire? All factors in how harsh it is.
If you’re a good rider and kind to your horse, you should welcome criticism of others in your sport giving whose poor horsemanship give gaming a bad name. Raise the bar, don’t give them a pass.
I don’t participate in showing Tennessee Walking Horses, but I sure am not going to stop criticizing some of their trainers techniques just because I don’t show with them.
Hello! I am an equestrian of many years and disciplines, and I’m here to add my 5 cents on this topic. I agree with the fact that there is some abusive barrel racers. I agree that horses are sometimes arena sour or just out and out hate barrel racing. But I also know that there are AMAZING barrel racers who would rather shoot there own foot then see any harm come to there horse IN OR OUT of the arena. They work very hard and spend more money than they make to get there horses in top shape, with the finest care and horse products available. They aren’t in barrel racing just to make a literal ‘quick buck’. They’re there bc they love there horses, and there horses LOVE the sport!! I’ve ridden barrel horses that if u enter an arena with barrels in it, even if there against the wall/rail, if the horse sees them, there ears perk up, there head lifts in excitement, there pace quicken, along with there pulse. Energy seems to suddenly swarm through there bodies. You can FEEL there hope, their excitement, their enthusiasm at the very SIGHT of a barrel. And that is how I know they love what they do. There are other barrel horses that hate it, and are abused, and it’s unfair, but that’s how it is in ALL EQUINE ACTIVITIES, not just barrel racing. To say that anyone who barrel races is careless in the arena and is ABUSIVE to these horses that they put there livelihood in, their passion, that’s more than an insult to them and what they do. That’s probably the most infuriating, offensive, unfair accusation that u could ever make. I’ve seen barrel racers who treat there horses better than they treat themselves. There are barrel racers who treat there horses like dirt, and are just in it for the money, but to say that they’re all like that, it’s wrong. And it would be absolutely unfair to those riders who do put their blood, sweat, money, tears, and heart into this to say that they are “abusive” and that this sport should be eliminated.
Before you put down barrel racing, go try it out yourself. Go spend three years training your horse only to have to spend three more years to get up to speed. Go train your horse six days a week, two hours a day at fourteen years old.
I was raised around horses. I’ve been speed eventing since I was nine. Yes, I’ve seen a lot of bad barrel racers. But posting articles like this isn’t helping anything. Instead of putting them down, why not show them how to do it right? Most kids I know that barrel race incorrectly do it because they don’t know any better. And another thing: tight reins to not mean yanking on the mouth. Pictures where you see the tie-downs tight and the horse’s head thrown way up in the air does not mean abusive tack.
When you’re barrel racing, you neck rein, which means you lay the reins over the top of the horse’s neck. If you want them to turn really fast, you lay it high and pull a little harder. That tightens the reins. As for tie downs, if adjusted correctly, a horse can hold his head at the normal position, but no higher. The reason it’s tight is because A.) the horse is bracing against it, or B.) he’s trying to get his head up instead of lifting his shoulders and rounding his back.
Not a barrel racer, but I’ve ridden some. Some are bred to be a bit…nuts, really. Forget warm blood. Try an extremely overactive toddler in a huge body. They’ll get annoyed on a trail ride at being behind an “inferior” and will think they can sneakily get away with mucking with the horse in font. They’ll bite you casually if you’re not being interesting enough, and they’ll keep testing you forever, with clever horse tricks like the power play body lean and the “accidental” foot smoosh, even if they like you a lot. They’ll freak out—in excitement—at the prospect of doing something they like. There’s bad riding, but I think you really don’t understand these horses. You’re someone who has raised nothing but terriers for agility saying that German Shepherd police dog work is abnormal. They barrel racers really temperamentally a whole lot like a difficult dog, which is very weird, and many are obnoxiously intelligent. None of those traits would work for horses bred for anything else.
“Quirks” like that aren’t limited to only horses bred for barrel racing.
I’m curious that you assume I have only experience with Warmbloods too, which is interesting.
The criticism isn’t on working a horse at speed, it’s about working a horse at speed when the rider clearly lacks the skill to do so in a safe, sane and non-abusive manner.
Obnoxiously intelligent is an odd description. I think the only case where intelligence would become obnoxious is if the horse is outsmarting the rider, which happens to every rider at various stages of their education, but still an odd description to me.
Really interesting reading the “feedback”. The dogma! I’ve never liked speed events because it’s so not about the riding or the horse and typically the horse is left entirely out of the “conversation”. It’s about the race and winning. People can run that statement down all they want to, but if that weren’t true then I’d love to see some examples of riding at speed, around barrels for instance, in such a way that it looks like the horse is catching a break. What I have discovered is that there actually IS a way to ride and speed and do it well. People will never find that way if they aren’t even looking.
Although some barrel racers don’t starfish and or yank on their horse’s mouths harshly, most do and that is what we are wanting to fix. This thread wasn’t made for INSULTING barrel racers, it was made to bring awareness to the abuse that takes place in this specific discipline. It might not apply to you, but it still happens hence why this post was made in the first place. A horse DOES NOT have thick skin, scientists have proved that a horse’s skin has more nerves than we think. How else is a well trained horse able to move from a slight nudge with your leg? If a horse really had the “thick skin” most people think they have then how do they feel us when we ask lightly? Therefore, when a barrel racer is LEAPING out of the tack kicking their horse with all their might thinking that “oh my horse wont be hurt” in fact, YES your horse IS being hurt and that is ABUSE. If you wont kick a dog, why kick a horse? because their larger? because they weigh more? does that in anyway change how they feel? I don’t fucking think so. Also, yes, a lot of people take AMAZING care of their horses when NOT riding them. they buy the best tack, best blankets and supplements but that does not make the horse any happier during the run. Why do you need such expensive supplements and horse items in the first place? because its a dangerous speed related sport. And many of you may say “well show jumping is also based on speed” yes, it is, but the jumps prevent the riders from full on GALLOPING in the ring because a non collected horse will definitely take rails down. but barrel racing is another story. Finally, when some barrel racers say their horses are excited to go into the barrel ring because they rear and buck and lunge forward have you ever thought that it might be the opposite? Horses are extremely smart creatures, although they are very forgiving and listen well its because they were broken in from a young age, listening to aids is all they were taught to do. But this doesnt stop them from KNOWING when they will get beat up by a whip and legs. Thats probably the reason why MOST of the horses get so jumpy before a run, because they’re scared. Because they KNOW that its going to hurt like fuck. Horses are fight or flight creatures, with the horses knowing that if they try to fight they will only get beat more, all they can to is flight. which causes the bucking, lunging forward and distorted turns before the run.
So, before you all start attacking me about “oh not ALL barrel racers do this” I am not attacking the RIDERS. I am ADDRESSING the abuse present in this discipline in hopes of making barrel racing a funner experience for both rider AND horses. Horseback riding isn’t like any other sport with an OBJECT. You are on another ANIMAL. a big animal with just as much feelings and thoughts. You work as a team, not as a dictatorship.
If any of what I am saying is something you strongly disagree with, then reply to me and give me a good reason why. and not “oh so and so doesnt do this” because like i’ve stated in my comment specific examples doesnt account for the rest of the community. 1 person picking up trash when 99 others are littering doesn’t do shit
Ok so i train horses and i don’t use long bits like that if you cant ride your horse with out a bit you need to go back to fundamentals because your horse should be soft and supple and you should be able to ride your horse anything and your horse should be responsive all my horses can ride with just leg no bit no bridle see people use bits with long shanks because they afraid of what the horse could do because they dont put the time and effort onto the horse the horse should not be trained through fear should be trained through trust and respect see horses are the best judge of a true rider
Just because that some barrel racers doesn’t mean that all barrel racers are the same. Iff you really want to criticize barrel racing lets look at the English world too. First dressage the horses are forced to wear multiple bits on some occasions and arch their neck in a non natural way and are even to made to walk in unnatural and even uncomfortable looking gait. Then the race horses that everyone adores are sometimes forced to race at 1 or 2 years of age on MUDDY and UNSTABLE ground. Let me remind you that a horses joint don’t fully develop until 4-5 years old. Even the cross country horses are on uneven ground with slippery ground with a unnatural head set. Every time I have seen a race horse before they run they get uncontrollably hot and sometimes even refuse the gait. So next time you want to criticize barrel racing and the western riding discipline look at your own disipline.
Honestly, I never comment on anything horse related, due to the fact that it’s almost a one sided conversation and people tend to become offended and snarky. But this was actually a good read. I did junior and high school rodeo, barrels and poles and the sort. And I was young and didn’t know any better. I wasn’t a good rider, my horse was older but
wasn’t broke, and we looked like this. But my trainers, and their kids and everyone who
rode looked like this, so nothing was really
said. It was considered “normal”. Some years went by after high school, and I finally got to work for a professional cutting horse trainer. Blew my mind how broke these horses were. It was awesome, and totally changed how I rode and think in the saddle. I look back and I’m ashamed of how I was, and granted I’ll never go back, but I think a lot of people just really don’t know. They don’t know how they ride, and what a nice horse feels like. I would encourage people to go to a professional and feel what a solid, broke horse is like, and how they ride. Otherwise you’re stuck in that awful loop of ‘I love my horse but am so frustrated and sometimes afraid of riding but I don’t want to give up cause we can make our dreams come true.’ I used to be that way, but it’s a world of difference when you admit you don’t know what you’re doing and want to learn how to ride properly. And I think people need to realize it’s okay to not know anything, and go seek help from someone who does! Equestrians have huge egos. And it’s usually the ego that gets in the way of learning.
So I’m a 14 year old barrel racer and WE TREAT OUR HORSES BETTER THAN OUR SELVES they are very spoiled and not every barrel racer uses a bad bit hell sometimes they use no bit ! But a bit is just used for control and not everyone pulls ferociously on their bit and I don’t even wear spurs and ALSO NOT ALL SPURS HURT A HORSE!.
Wow. Some of these comments disgust me. No discipline is bad, and no one was saying that. Its the particular riders who seem to think that abusing an animal for their own gain, and excuse it by saying that “that’s just the way it is”. We all know in speed events that the way you get them to move is kicking. However doing air splits is unnecessary. To mane such tight turns at high speeds you will be steering with the reins. Using an excessively harsh bit and yanking without sympathy is unnecessary. Excited horses who love their sports will get hot. However people fail to distinguish between being excited and a horse employing their flight response. Imagine how many more people could enjoy equestrian sports if we taught instead of berated…
Forgive me for, er, beating a dead horse by resurrecting such an old post, but I couldn’t resist. After reading through most (admittedly not all; I just couldn’t read any more) of the comments below this article, I see 3 types of barrel racers in the responses:
-the first, the ones I think whose company I could enjoy, who are horsepeople (read, love horses and consider the horse’s well-being) who agree that the images shown are not as rare as they should be and not a good representation of what good barrel racing should look like.
-the second, who are secretly sociopathic horse abusers but who are very angry that anyone might have the audacity to call them out on it, because that would force them to take a long, hard look in the mirror, These I wish would take up ATVing or dirt bike or better yet BMX racing.
-and the third, who I suspect are just not quite ready to have their eyes open, who defend their sport, well, blindly, because deep down they know that what they are seeing is not right, but they haven’t seen yet how to reconcile their love for their horse with the sport they have chosen. These are the ones who I hope will have an epiphany and start cleaning up the sport by sanctioning bad horsemanship, disqualifying abusive racers, and seeking out trainers who truly respect the horse.
Oh golly, this could apply to ANY competitive discipline! And I daresay, more trail riders and even therapeutic riding (to the fault of the handlers/trainers, not the riders, in this case) than I would like to admit. And I won’t leave myself out of this. From the way I learned things and the way I have sometimes managed my horses in the past to the horseperson I wish to be, there is a large divide.