My Mission
“To help barrel racers WIN in the arena and out with resources for developing educated, confident, high-achieving equine athletes.”
“To help barrel racers WIN in the arena and out with resources for developing educated, confident, high-achieving equine athletes.”
Start Your Summer Barrel Racing Season Right
in Be a Better Competitor/by Heather SmithListen to this article in audio form! It’s #284 on the Barrel Racing Tips podcast.
For the latest episodes subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.
I’ve never believed in doing things half way. Whether it’s barrel racing, business or relationships, when I commit to something, I give my all.
I figure if I’m going to invest my time and energy in something, that something must be important.
Otherwise, why do it at all?
It’s interesting that such a large percentage of people walk through life just hoping to make it through with as little effort as possible. Sometimes these people actually achieve some success in the barrel racing arena. However, their success is sporadic at best.
So how can you gain a definite edge?
How can you set yourself up to achieve barrel racing success and stay competitive?
One word – PREPARATION
This may seem obvious, or even simple, but it’s easier said than done!
Now is the time to analyze where you’re going, and if you are really prepared to go there.
Have you set yourself up to succeed and come out on top of any situation that comes your way, no matter how unexpected?
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Ride Your Barrel Horse Better with the Power Seat
in Be a Better Competitor/by Guest Contributorby Certified Centered Riding Instructor, Cathy Mahon
I don’t know if you’re old enough to remember the days when in order to get all of the items on your grocery list, you had to go to at least three, if not four different stores. There was the butcher shop, where you bought your meat, a bakery for your bread and donuts, a produce stand where you would buy your fruits and vegetables and if you needed anything for your medicine cabinet, you had to go to the “drugstore.” It was time consuming, inconvenient and frustrating if you’d forget something and have to make another trip across town.
Well, now there’s a simple solution for shopping – the superstore or supermarket! And just as remarkable, is a simple straightforward way to find your POWER SEAT when you ride. By engaging the supportive, powerful CORE muscles (no, I mean the REAL core muscles) of the psoas and iliopsoas, located deep inside the body, you’ll be able to sit deep in the saddle, wrap your legs snugly around your horse’s barrel and keep your feet exactly where they need to be: grounded with equal weight in the stirrups.
You will breathe softly and maintain your balance, and your joints will flex and absorb the motion of your horse. You’ll notice your horse immediately rate underneath you when you deepen your contact with a simple exhale allowing your weight to drop back and down. You can move through the barrel pattern with simple upper body rotation, avoiding the tendency to lean into the turns. You’ll be stable no matter what you do.
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A Barrel Racer’s Guide to Understanding and Creating Impulsion
in Develop a Barrel Racing Champion/by Heather SmithListen to this article in audio form! It’s #4 on the Barrel Racing Tips podcast.
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IMPULSION.
Next to collection, it could very possibly be one of the most misunderstood and often missing, but critical pieces to any performance endeavor with horses.
I went in-depth to cover the subject of collection in another post (see link below), but make no mistake, these two go hand in hand. Although they are equally important when it comes to developing a winning barrel horse, impulsion is at the top of the priority list.
One definition I came across states that impulsion is the “the powerful thrust from the hindquarters that propels the horse forward. Impulsion is the surge that occurs when the horse’s hindquarters push off the ground.”
Another describes impulsion as the “pushing power (thrust) of a horse, which comes from his desire to move powerfully forward with energy.”
However, there is one similarity and one difference in the above definitions that I would like to call attention to.
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No More Feeding Mystery – How to Balance Your Barrel Horse’s Diet with Confidence
in Barrel Horse Health/by Guest ContributorListen to this article in audio form! It’s #2 on the Barrel Racing Tips podcast.
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by Carol Layton, B.Sc M.Ed
It is often recommended by vets and nutritionists to feed your horses a balanced diet. A horse needs the right amount of nutrients; carbohydrates, protein and fats, as well as vitamins and minerals for proper digestive function. A balanced diet is essential for optimum performance and in avoiding health issues. Symptoms like a dull coat, poor hoof quality or topline, less than optimal performance and a weak immune system are the more obvious signs. So what is a balanced diet?
To determine whether nutrient levels are sufficient and balanced in a horse’s diet, the amounts consumed from forage, feeds and supplements can be compared with the amounts recommended in the Nutrient Requirements of Horses, published in 2007 by the National Research Council (NRC), the reference for equine nutritionists. Providing an insurance buffer by using at least 150% of NRC target minimums and keeping mineral ratios in a tight range will protect the horse from suboptimal intakes of minerals.
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