award winning programs in a warm family setting for horses, adults, and children of all ages
Conditioning your Equine Athlete
Unless your horse is a Pasture-Potato or a Lawn-Ornament, your horse is an athlete just like any other athlete.
Your horse needs a constant, continuous, caring program of proper feed and exercise. (A couple of riding lessons a week plus some turnout and hot-walking does not count!)
A horse that is not properly conditioned or prepared to compete will likely become lame, injured, or worse.
Conditioning for the Gymkhana or Barrel horse
At this year's Equine Affaire , 11 time World Champion Barrel Racer, Charmayne James talked about her conditioning program. An outline is below:
- Walk
- Ride your horse at the walk for 30 minutes ... around the barn, on trail, just to loosen up and warm up. (try to stay out of the arena, this is too much like work.)
- Trot
- Now, go into the arena and long trot (extended jog) for about 5 laps.
- Circles
- Lope (not gallop) a few large circles in each direction. Ensure the correct lead!
- Figure-Eights
- Lope (not gallop) some figure-8 patterns. Nice large figure eights. Break to a trot to change leads until you can do comfortable flying lead changes. (That would be comfortable for the horse!)
- Rest
- Hop off and give your horse a short rest. Hand walk your horse a bit. Let you horse relax and catch it's breath.
HEY what about the Barrel and Pole part?
NOW it's time to work your barrel and pole patterns!
- Walk
- Here we go again ... slow work is where you really improve your runs and your times. Walk the pattern a few times working on Position and Balance.
- Trot
- Same as above ... trot the pattern a few times working on Position and Balance.
- Lope
- NOTE: we did not say gallop! Lope the pattern a maximum of 4-5 times working on Position and Balance.
- Relax
- Now, thank your horse for a good job and relax with your horse ... walk around, hand walk, un-tack, you and your horse unwind. If all your horse does is run patterns, it's going to get mighty boring and tiresome for you and your horse!
What are the three most important things in Barrel Racing and Gymkhana?
- Position
- Position
- Position
Let's talk about Position and Balance
- Position is everything in Barrel Racing and Gymkhana.
- If you or your horse are out of position it will take you longer to stop the clock.
- If you or your horse are out of postion you will be out of balance and that is how horses (and riders) get hurt!
A few examples
- The shortest distance between two points (like two barrels) is a straight line. If you deviate just three feet from a straight line it will take you one-tenth of a second longer to stop the clock.
- If you run too close to the barrel your horse will have to move the hind end away from the barrel. This causes the horse to start cross-firing which can lame your horse. This also forces the horse to bend away from the barrel which slows you down, throws everything out of balance and position and can lame your horse (or knock over a barrel).
- Going around a barrel or pole on the wrong lead can pull muscles and tendons and cause your horse to go lame.
- Running full out on the pattern burns out your horse .. wears out the joints and can cause arthritis and lameness.
- Being out of position going around a barrel can easily cause you to take two-tenths of a second longer to stop the clock. (With three barrels that can cost you close to a full second!
Remember ...
- Working a perfect pattern at the walk, trot, and lope will keep your horse sound and help you focus on stopping the clock just a little sooner each time and keeping a happy healthy horse who likes to work.
- Screaming around the pattern all the time will burn out your horse, rip up your horses joints, and do very little to improve your performance and give you a sour horse who dreads being yanked around the pattern.
Who says this will work?
Go to Charmayne James' web site and find out why she won the world championship a record eleven times and and why she has won more world championships than any other woman in any professional sport!
Some web sites to check out
Send your favorite Barrel Racing, Pole Bending, Gymkhana web site address the the webmaster .
come ride with us
Located in beautiful San Juan Capistrano, Pierce Farms is a friendly comfortable place for horses, adults, and children of all ages.
Specializing in Barrel Racing and Gymkhana, Pierce Farms also teaches Western Pleasure, Trail and basic English riding.
For beginner or advanced, for competition, showing, or just riding around, Pierce Farms is a warm, loving place that many horses and people call “home.”