Historically speaking, criticism of barrel racing (and associated riders) has been met with widespread denial of abusive riding, excuses and dismissals of such behaviour from riders, and of course let's not forget the name-calling, insults and personal attacks.
Often it resembles the Amy's Baking Company debacle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uPOGxUtZvk
If you have a problem in your sport you should be willing to look at resolving it and improving the situation for the horses you claim to care about.
Instead, we see denial which can only perpetuate abuse and.. well, barrel racing images like these aren't uncommon.
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Yes all these inverted horses with people cranking on harsh bits ? I don’t understand why folks think this is good horsemanship ?
Oh but the “reins over the browband with a leverage bit” move is under rated,under used and frankly miss represented by your article. This use of rein is highly recommended by many trainers from around the world as is; toes down, yank the reins with all your body weight, stand in the saddle, look down and don’t leave out the positive reinforcement of screaming at the top of your lungs at your horse.
Joking a side, I got to watch a women with 3 horses put a hard core smack down at a barrel meet once. All 3 of her horses were in regular eggbutt snaffles, moved around like pleasure horses (pre-limp, I mean trope era) and would ground tie next to her trailer. In contrast the woman at the next trailer had gag bits, twisted wire, bike chain noseband type “big stop” bridles bloody mouthed horses and the holy cross all over every piece of her tack.
I went up to the first woman, shook her hand and said “Nice job, thank you for being good to them.”
It can be done.
I hate this sport. It is for human gratification only and has nothing to do with the health, happiness or well being of the horse (it is sad how often I say that). It is an embarrassment of abuse. Those that defend it do so because they want to continue to do what they want without question.
I’m going to be brutally honest because, well, I’m semi anonymous and so I will be. I both love and hate gymkhana. I know I’m going to be bashed for this, but really, it’s like the elephant in the room.
I hate it because it’s like the white trash sport. People grab their backyard horse or pony and show up one weekend, unload from a poorly maintained trailer, throw on improperly fitted tack, and run, doesn’t matter they or their horse isn’t properly trained. It’s YEE HAW time! WooHoo! I’ve never seen so many poorly trained and prepared riders and horses in an equestrian sport.
I ride English as well, don’t see this as much at English shows. I do see some problems/issues, but usually people are there with their trainers. In all my years I’ve never seen a rider with no training at an English show hop on an untrained horse and ride it over a jump course (maybe it happens but I would think it’s rare). Why is that the case at gymkhanas? Why would a gymkhana horse and rider need any less instruction? SO many riders think *learning* to ride at speed is optional, why bother when you can yank, spur and kick, right? Yank yank yank, spur spur spur, kick kick kick. And then there are the girls (I know a few) who spend hours at the stable running their horses into the ground until they are sweating, panting messes thinking they were “training” their horses. One of the horses tied up and went down in the stall and the vet had to be called. The other horse later blew out tendons in three legs and at the age of 7 is “retired” and stands neglected and ignored in its paddock all day. It breaks my heart to see this once vibrate and cute little quarter horse with a rough coat and sad eyes.
What I also find sad is that people like that overshadow those riders who take lessons, learn to communicate with their horse, take the time to train their horse. (I’ve been riding for several decades and I still take lessons!) I can’t control what other people do with their horses, but i can control what I do with mine. I carry no whip. I ride with no spurs. My horse has a snaffle. I spend about a half hour to forty minutes four days a week practicing gymkhana patterns at either a trot or a slow lope with emphasis on my seat and hands. Look a my pocket, sit for the turn, press my seat down in the saddle with my outside hand on the saddle horn, inside hand on the rein pulling to my hip, tipping my horse’s nose in, Loose rein out of the turn, up in my saddle, balanced, not pulling on his mouth, look for the next pocket. I tried to tell these girls “No speed until it’s correct”. My horse is willing, soft and is actually a bit lazy until I ask him to go. Then’s he’s like “Oh heck yes!” and he turns into a little rocket! I take lessons with a hunter/jumper trainer once a week where we work mostly on me and my seat, lots of circles, stops, rollbacks, spiral circles at a lope, moving his shoulder, moving his haunches. A few times a week I’ll trailer my horse out and hit the trail with friends. Yet, when I tell people I’m a gymkhana rider, they look at me like I just confessed that I like to abuse my horse.
The perception of horse abuse in gymkhana and barrel racing is there. Instead of saying “OMG, I never abuse my horse” maybe you don’t, but there is that general perception and we need to stop being defensive about it and ask WHY there is that perception.
Now for the love part. I love it because of gymkhana’s technical nature. To truly excel at poles, keyhole, polebending, etc… is to me a feat of horsemanship and a partnership between you and your horse. True communication. And it’s HARD. It’s not easy. It takes a lot of time. But anything worth and doing well is usually not easy.
I read a quote that stuck with me, I can’t remember who said it: “Your horse only has so many runs in it, make sure they count”. So brilliant.
Backyard sport ? I don’t think you could buy any of the top 10 placing horses where i run for less than $40,000. And the typical truck and trailers are freight liners new duallys and very few don’t have a party trailer! I’m not sure where you have been!
LiBackyard sport ? I don’t think you could buy any of the top 10 placing horilivi g quarters not party trailerses where i run for less than $40,000. And the typical truck and trailers are freight liners new duallys and very few don’t have a party trailer! I’m not sure where you have been!
LiBackyard sport ? I don’t think you could buy any of the top 10 placing horilivi g quarters not party trailerses where i run for less than $40,000. And the typical truck and trailers are freight liners new duallys and very few don’t have a lq trailer! I’m not sure where you have been!