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Discover and Develop the Horse Power You Need to Succeed!

Listen to this article in audio form! It’s #39 on the Barrel Racing Tips podcast.
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The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo serves as a source of inspiration for many barrel racers. After all, who hasn’t dreamed of blasting down the alley at the Thomas & Mack?

Qualifying for the NFR is never as easy as it looks, however. The competition is tough and the standards are high – only the top 15 earnings leaders among over 3,000 WPRA members qualify each year for what is known as “the greatest show on dirt!”

The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo - Where Dreams Come True
The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo – Where Dreams Come True

With the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo now in our rear view mirror, it’s a good time to look ahead to the New Year and write/talk barrel horses; after all it takes a very special equine partner to rise to top of professional rodeo.

There has ever been a point in history when the equine athlete has been a more important part of the barrel racing equation. Every year the number of horses who have been genetically engineered for barrel racing grows. Although many of the elements necessary to win (hard work, determination, positive attitude, etc.) will remain the same as we go forward, at the same time what it takes to be competitive today is different than it was a few years ago.
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Top 10 Barrel Racing Tips Countdown

Barrel Racing Show

Listen to this article in audio form! It’s #19 on the Barrel Racing Tips podcast.
For the latest episodes subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn or Google Play.


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…

Heather Letterman

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