Katiean
Well-Known Member
Hey I was just thinking how much I loved Barrel raceing. I was wondering if you could barrel race minis in either a sulki or smart cart. I mean without getting killed. Has anyone ever tried it?
Barrel Raceing
- Thread starter Katiean
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jjnov
Well-Known Member
I have never done it, BUT I was at a show and there was a little girl maybe 5 years old on a very well trained mini and ran the barrels, it was sooooo cute and fun to watch her and that mini.
We've done barrels and the stakes races up here for years it's a lot of fun to do and watch. The barrels are timed and done in the roadster cart wearing your silks. We've been lucky most of our horses that drive are fast at it and do well every year winning. Hopefully my fave guy will follow suit next year he seems to like those classes and his time lately is really good without breaking stride..
targetsmom
Well-Known Member
Our New England Pinto shows offered 5 mini gymkhana classes last year - all for driving. Any type cart (I think) but you had to stay in a trot or lose time. The classes only ran at one show - most likely because they ran so late.
Now if you like that kind of action, you might check out the new driving forum and look into cones and hazards/obstacles (e.g. American Driving Society events such as Combined Driving Events). A key difference from barrels is that you don't know what the exact "pattern" will be ahead of time!
Now if you like that kind of action, you might check out the new driving forum and look into cones and hazards/obstacles (e.g. American Driving Society events such as Combined Driving Events). A key difference from barrels is that you don't know what the exact "pattern" will be ahead of time!
Katiean
Well-Known Member
Relic, That really looks fun. I have one mare that would do the pattern at a trot in good time but she is not registered. I don't think she would like the show hubbub either. She is very shy. A solid driver but people shy. She wouldn't like being stabled away from home. If AMHA drops the mare fee to 1/2 price like I was told they are doing for the geldings She would be registered in a hartbeat. Still most likely wouldn't show her. But, she would have papers. The rest of my horses are lazy.
osu_barrelracer
Well-Known Member
Lol...As it is, my wife already hates dealing with the antics of my high-strung barrel horses. I don't think she would be too thrilled if we patterned a mini.
georgiegirl
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At everyone of the mini shows, in this area, they have barrel racing and pole bending. Believe it or not, it is very competitive. There are a couple of people that go flying around. Of late, they have limited it to trot only, for safety, and so that more people would have a chance. Most use easy entry carts and a couple of sulkys.
At the National Little Britches Rodeo Finals, in Pueblo,CO this year there were several large size minis. The little barrel horse could really scoot and was ridden by a tiny little girl. There were also a couple of large size minis being used in the Little Wranglers goat tail untying. I waanted to get a video of the little bay barrel horse, but didnt manage. He was an amazing little horse.
osu_barrelracer
Well-Known Member
Oh yea...way way back in the day when we used to haul to the high school rodeos, in between off weekends, or if they were on the way, we would stop at youth rodeos. Those kids can't get after it on those ponys. We used to pick up a few from the sale every now and then and break them to rope on. I'll tell you what, nothing sells as fast as a good kid sized roping pony.
mydaddysjag
Well-Known Member
Ive never seen them in cart, but when I still ran barrel horses it wasn't that un common to see small kids running big barrel minis. I know we used to haul to a place galled Grizzle Ridge Arena in Jerusalem Ohio, and there was a little girl who consistently won the 3D in open barrel racing against adults riding large horses. She rode a 37" mini gelding. He was pretty cool looking, true black and all white legs, with a neat blaze. She had him all decked out in hot pink, lol. She was a really good rider for her age, and that was an AMAZING mini. Heck, she had even beat me on what was normally my 2D horse.
If we hadn't sold Midas we were toying with the idea of having him broke to ride, then patterning him for the baby to have as a barrel horse when it was old enough.
If we hadn't sold Midas we were toying with the idea of having him broke to ride, then patterning him for the baby to have as a barrel horse when it was old enough.
I have long thought this a great event.
I tried like crazy to get some video of this a couple of years ago at a beach get together and had no takers to even try it. I even had an empty, drug arena and barrels ready! We wanted so bad to feature this video on our site as I happen to know of a cart that would "excell" at this sport.
Bb
Graham Carriage Works
www.grahamcarriageworks.com
I tried like crazy to get some video of this a couple of years ago at a beach get together and had no takers to even try it. I even had an empty, drug arena and barrels ready! We wanted so bad to feature this video on our site as I happen to know of a cart that would "excell" at this sport.
Bb
Graham Carriage Works
www.grahamcarriageworks.com
Sue_C.
Well-Known Member
We have barrels, and pole bending at all of our shows. What FUN!
What really amazes me are the times our horses will do them. Generally, the times are just a bit more than twice the times of "real" racers. I figure that if a good run for a riding horse is 15-16 seconds; for my 31.50 mare to be able to do the same pattern in 32-33 seconds...at a TROT...pulling me and a cart around th cones...it is nothing short of phenominal.
(Not only do we use cones for both barrels and poles...we have balls on them, so to knock one off, is an automatic 15 second penalty.)
What really amazes me are the times our horses will do them. Generally, the times are just a bit more than twice the times of "real" racers. I figure that if a good run for a riding horse is 15-16 seconds; for my 31.50 mare to be able to do the same pattern in 32-33 seconds...at a TROT...pulling me and a cart around th cones...it is nothing short of phenominal.
It quite depends on the horse; all of our horses must go pleasure and games. My horses will stand there half asleep waiting for the class...then go in, zip around the course like crazy, then calmly come to a walk after making the exit timer...and walk out of the ring with a relaxed rein. One mare in particular, will be so relaxed before the class she will actually snore if I don't keep her awake.
osu_barrelracer
Well-Known Member
We have barrels, and pole bending at all of our shows. What FUN!
What really amazes me are the times our horses will do them. Generally, the times are just a bit more than twice the times of "real" racers. I figure that if a good run for a riding horse is 15-16 seconds; for my 31.50 mare to be able to do the same pattern in 32-33 seconds...at a TROT...pulling me and a cart around th cones...it is nothing short of phenominal.(Not only do we use cones for both barrels and poles...we have balls on them, so to knock one off, is an automatic 15 second penalty.)
It quite depends on the horse; all of our horses must go pleasure and games. My horses will stand there half asleep waiting for the class...then go in, zip around the course like crazy, then calmly come to a walk after making the exit timer...and walk out of the ring with a relaxed rein. One mare in particular, will be so relaxed before the class she will actually snore if I don't keep her awake.
Oh my guys are the best behaved horses for the most part, but I do have a couple of rodeo horses that are breed to be hot, and they know they rule the world. They know they are good and their ego shows it. lol. I'm looking forward for my Dash for Perks and Chasin Firewater babys to grow up...Now those will be some laid back babies. My DFP weanling is already more broke then most four year olds
Sue_C.
Well-Known Member
Marty, that is so unfair.
I still have dial-up, and my server has to be THE s-l-o-w-e-s-t in the world...it takes me 40-50 minutes to download ONE u-tube video, so just don't do it.
I still have dial-up, and my server has to be THE s-l-o-w-e-s-t in the world...it takes me 40-50 minutes to download ONE u-tube video, so just don't do it.
Katiean
Well-Known Member
I had a tiny 14.2 arab that I barrel raced. He would jump into the back of my truck to go to a rodeo. I made him walk into the arena like he was going into a pleasure class. He had the stuff to be a barrel racer. When I sold him, the person that gave me the most greef about riding an arab, bought him. His first show he came in the middle of the pack, was running bare foot, had only been in for training and conditioning for 2 weeks, and had a cut on his chest where he hit my tailgate when I kicked him back in the butt (he kicked me first). He was a good horse. I want to do a bit more with my minis other than Pleasure and halter. I have never tried it because our local arenas have way too deep of footing. I don't know maybe now that it is getting a bit rainy, the arenas might be a bit packed. It could be fun to try. I think they should require a hyperbike or smartcart. That way you are more "one" with the horse.
Sue_C.
Well-Known Member
In the AMHA rulebook, it says you use a roadster cart. Here, we prefer roadsters, but any cart will do; nobody is excluded from trying. I just use my "convertable" show cart with the basket removed.
mydaddysjag
Well-Known Member
That first tiny little girl ran an 18.036 on that mini. Most of the kids in youth rodeo running big horses run that time, and shes so young.
georgiegirl
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If you are speaking of the little bay mini and the little girl at NLBRA finals, that is very good time for the age group she was in. The older girls on the big horses were running in the mid 15 to mid 16 range. for the most part.
The little mini was definitely competitive and ran beautiful patterns.
