Barrel Racing-Resolving Alley Issues from the Horse’s Perspective

Welcome Of Horse Audience, my name is Until I kissed You, better known as Baby Sweets. I am here to give all you persons some hints on how to handle us equines in the alley of a barrel race. Since I am a barrel racing equine with past alley issues, I know my stuff. First of all they are not equine alley issues all the time, most times it’s the persons. First and foremost to remember I am a prey animal and I must feel safe. Feeling safe comes from a leader, and lets face it, that leader is persons. Stay relaxed and confident. It is as simple as that. Do not, and I repeat, do not, yank up my reins, clamp your legs, stop breathing, and fidget your way to the gate-NOT HAPPENING- YOU ARE NERVOUS-and I am now panicked. Bad combination. Here is how I like it-Number One-have a good relationship with me in everything we do. If I have ground issues, I will have alley issues. Second-let me sit in the barrel ring quietly with you and enjoy our waiting time together and third, when it is our turn-stay quiet and trust me to get in there-really important is this trust-I need to feel it completely from my person and they must feel it too. Our relationship takes time to build up to the point where it all works out-remember this-it’s one step at a time way before we get in the alley. Do the flat work, slow pattern work, and build up trust. And haul me to those barrel shows! Practice, practice, practice, but make it fun. As long as us equines love our job, we will gladly go do it. The second it takes for us to feel insecure leads to our issues.