As I was picking out terms and writing this I had to remind myself multiple times to make the definitions short. They are oversimplified, and there is still a lot to learn. However, this will give folks new to the sport of barrel racing a place to start on these definitions.
I could write an entire blog post on each of these, but then I reminded myself to just KISS (keep it simple stupid), and so here we are!
I remember when I was super young (like 12), and I had started hitting barrels with the horse I was riding. A lady told me he was "dropping his shoulder" and "cheating me on the backside" and that if I resolved those issues I'd go back to running a clean pattern. I had no freaking clue what she meant by that and because I'm old I couldn't even take to the internet to google what she meant because google literally did not exist. I hope that these definitions help someone just starting out in the sport. And some of these definitions are just general ones used in riding.
Barrel Racing Terms
- The D System: developed by the National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA) as a handicapping system for more fair competition. The fastest time sets the brackets and is the 1st Division (1D). Then half a second after the fastest time sets the 2nd Division (2D). A full second after the fastest time sets the 3rd Division (3D), and two full seconds after the fastest tee sets the 4th Division (4D). Some producers choose to do a 5D and make them all half second splits, so make sure to read the rules of entry as they can vary slightly at different races.
- Producer: person or people who oversees the event
- Bottom of the ground: last to go before the drag
- Crying Hole: one out of the money (if an event pays to 10 places this would be 11th place)
- Drag: when the tractor goes around the arena to make the dirt nice again
- Drug his butt around the barrel: the horse got really low around the barrel and close to the ground using his hindquarters well
- Free Runner: a naturally running horse that does not need to be encouraged to open up. May have issues with rating.
- Hot: horse is excited, wound up
- Legged up: in good physical condition
- Performance (perf): a rodeo run with the crowds
- Pocket: the amount of space left between the horse and the barrel coming into the turn to give them room to turn it without knocking it over
- Push Style: opposite of free runner, this type of horse needs to be pushed to run, and rates well. Also sometimes referred to as "ratey"
- Rate: the slowing of speed approaching the barrel
- Slack: a rodeo run without the crowd, typically in the early morning or late evening
- Sound: healthy horse that is not lame
- Standard Pattern: the distance between the barrel and from the timer to the barrels is the same. A standard pattern measures 60 feet from the timer to the first and second barrels, 90 feet between the first and second barrel, and 105 feet between both the first and second barrel and the third barrel.
- Exhibitions/Time Onlies: paid time slot to get in the arena with the barrels up at an event, usually limited to 60 seconds, this is the time to practice
- Cheating: horse cuts in on the barrels to make incomplete turns - "cheats" to take less steps
- Dropping the shoulder/shouldering: horse leaves the desired path of travel cutting to the inside, there is a fall in elevation of the front end and a desire to turn too soon
- Inside/Outside: the inside is towards the flexion, and the outside is the opposite of that. For example, in a left bend the inside would the left of the horse/rider and the outside would be the right of the horse/rider. If a trainer said to use inside rein/outside leg you would use the left rein and the right leg in the left turn or bend.
If there are any terms you still want defined or would like more information on or videos of please contact me on social media and I would be glad to find those for you!
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