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I’m no David Letterman, but am sharing a Top 10 list that’s even better than any Late Show countdown!

As you can imagine, as the creator of BarrelRacingTips.com, I’m asked quite often for “barrel racing tips.” 

Although that very phrase is this web site’s namesake, I admit to being at somewhat of a loss when posed this question.  In fact, I can’t help but immediately think “Where do I start?” or be tempted to ask “How much time do you have?” 

So finally, I’ve taken some time to develop my “Top 10 Barrel Racing Tips” and have shared them below.  These tips are based on the lesser known, but critically important areas that I have found to contribute most to barrel racing success. 

If you’ve been part of the BarrelRacingTips.com community long enough, you’d know that this web site, and my book Secrets to Barrel Racing Success are not your average barrel racing resources. 

I learned many lessons the hard way, and over time I began to notice that others were misled and mistaken, as I was.  Many barrel racers struggle to find barrel racing success because they are looking for it in the wrong places. If you are ready for real, lasting positive results, these tips will get you started…

Number 10 – Put Education before Specialization

When you put horsemanship first, you are on a path to developing ALL the tools, skills and knowledge you will ever need to accomplish anything you can dream of with horses.  There may be some people out there who have achieved some success without good horsemanship, but truly, if you are serious about achieving barrel racing success, and you put horsemanship first, this path is as close to a “sure thing” you can get!

Consider making the development of your own horsemanship and your horse’s education a priority over learning about barrel racing.  It’s OK to focus on things specific to barrel racing too, but it’s real difficult to be successful at barrel racing, without a solid educational foundation in yourself and your horse!  Seek out resources to learn more about horse psychology, training, riding, etc.  Read books, go to horsemanship clinics, watch DVD’s, seek out resources, etc.  Just because you’re technically not in school anymore (or even if you are), doesn’t mean that you stop learning outside of the school environment.  Be progressive, keep climbing the ladder, set your sights on becoming a better barrel racer, rider, and person than you were yesterday! Read more