Paying attention to details can really help you win. Try to barrel race SMART!

            There are a lot of things that can make a difference when it comes to seasoning and hauling a horse. Sometimes being aware of all the little things can make the difference between a successful trip and wishing you had never hooked up the trailer!

            Before you go off to put your hard-earned money up to compete, make sure you have worked your horse in different arenas. Make sure he can handle…

            Different sized patterns – things happen faster on shorter patterns

            Noise- take him some places and get him used to the sounds of competition. Play a radio for him at home to acquaint him with the sound of amplified music. Its better to get him used to the music in his stall at home rather than at his first rodeo.

            Other horses – if he is so involved with watching the other horses that he can’t concentrate on running barrels, you have a problem. Also, if he has gotten “buddied up” with another horse and doesn’t want to be out of his sight, that is a problem that must be corrected before he can pay attention to making a run for you.

            Side entrances – this includes running across the arena, having to set up inside to start your run and different approaches to the first barrel, etc.

            Short or long; wide or narrow alleyways - learn how to study this before your runs.

            Running in the light – your horse should run the same in broad daylight as he does at night; you might need to adjust your warm-up schedule, though, as the daytime runs in hotter summer weather can be harder on your horse.

            Running from the sunshine into a lighted indoor pen – your horse should LOOK for those barrels; and count on you to guide him to them.

            Light or dark colored barrels- a strange or oddly painted barrel should have no effect on the horse’s run.

            Small space to stop in- for safety’s sake, and for winning’s sake, be in control of your horse so that you can run HARD off the third barrel with confidence because you know you have enough control to stop him. Teach him the "WHOA" word!

            These are some of the variables that we all run up against in barrel racing, but they are things that we can prepare for and avoid being beaten by.
            Horses also have to learn about ground. If the only place he has run is at home, he may not know how to look out for himself in different types of ground. There are some ground rules that you should keep in mind, too.
            Usually, a good turning horse needs a little more pushing in deep ground. Likewise, a horse that really needs a lot of “set” requires less rating from you when the going is deep.
            When the ground is hard you can count on the horse running harder, so you’ll need to prepare him and rate him for each barrel a little more than you would otherwise. Before you run you might warm him up while emphasizing “set”.
            By the way, it’s a good idea to have a pair of mud boots, and a mud hat for that every now and then when you run in the rain and sloppy arenas. That way, when it’s all over, your good hat and boots won’t take two days to dry out! The same thing applies to leg protection for your horse. You sure need it when you run in the mud, but it’s going to be muddy, wet, and soggy after your run. It’s sure handy to have a backup set.
            Speaking of ground, watch it. There are events that mark the score line with a line of lime; and some horses jump over it. Take the time to examine the ground even if you can’t get into the arena to ride. Go check it out so you can prepare for it.
            You can run into all sorts of things when you start seasoning a horse at rodeos. Expect the unexpected, but try to protect your horse’s sensibilities as much as possible until he becomes a seasoned campaigner.

Rodeo Clowns are great, but some of their acts (which can take place right before the barrel race) are terrifying to horses. Loud booms, fireworks, strange contraptions and animals are just some of the possible “spooks” for your horse. If an act is scheduled for right before the barrel race, make sure your horse is not in a location where he will be spooked by explosions or frightening looking gadgets.

Where you park your rig can have an effect on some horses. If so, try to park at the entrance end of the arena at first until this stops being a problem. Likewise, going in and out of the wrong gate while you are warming up in the arena can cause some horses to head for the wrong gate when you make your run.

Warm-up areas are sometimes very cramped or even non-existent at some rodeos. Do whatever you can to get your horse warmed up the best you can in the space you have to work. If space is cramped, try to at least do a lot of bending and stretching exercises for your horse.

Watch out for quick fixes. Quick fixes are what happens when you get to the rodeo and tell someone else about a problem you have been having. They know someone else who had just the same problem who fixed it by…..

             Whoa--- watch it. DON’T EVER TRY ANYTHING AT A RODEO OR JACKPOT THAT YOU HAVEN’T TRIED AT HOME!

*That includes:

              *Changing headgear
              *Changing tie-down
              *Changing equipment-these may all three be perfectly legitimate things to try, but try them at home first to see how your horse   responds to them. 
             *Putting cotton in the horse’s ears if the announcer bothers him, this too, can be a good idea but don’t try it for the first time at the event. Some horses get so involved in trying to shake the cotton out that they get a little crazy. If this is the case for your horse, you want to know it ahead of time so you don’t put on a show at the show.
*Putting on spurs, using a bat, or using an over and under if you haven’t used one before. Just how fast do you want to go?
Some horses work well with the speed enhancers, but try them at home first to gauge your horse’s response and to make sure you use them effectively.

 Remember to THINK and PAY ATTENTION to what you are doing.
          Don’t get so caught up in the event or visiting with friends that you forget you are there with a job to do, and your job is to make a winning run in the barrel race. If that is your goal, make sure you take care of business. Adhere to your warm-up schedule. Do what you need to do to prepare yourself to compete successfully. I like to focus myself on my preparation and my run. I put 50% on the preparation before the run and 50% on the run. I feel I have always had a good routine before a run. I feel right, I exercise correctly, and I have my horse in the best shape possible. I feel this is why I have had very few crippled or sore horse in my career. Most barrel racers make the best run they can but what about before the run? Do we do our homework?

Martha Josey and Gotta's famous bridleless run at the Houston Equus America!