Racing barrels is a physically demanding sport. It requires the horse to be in good physical shape and be able to withstand running at it's fastest speed for several minutes. This requires the rider/trainer to condition the horse for running. This is done by walking and running the horse around an arena or other area where there is room for the horse to run. Before starting a running exercise, the trainer will do stretching exercises consisting of pulling and rubbing the horses legs just like you would if a person was stretching before starting a run or jog. Once the horse has stretched, then they are walked and ran around at intervals to get them used to …show more content…
For this training, the rider will use a headstall or bridle worn on the horses head to help communicate which direction to move. Pulling on the reins to the right is telling the horse to turn to the right. When pressure is released, the horse will stop turning and move straight ahead. If the reins are pulled back, this means the horse should stop. By working with the horse and slowly teaching him these commands, the rider is teaching the horse how to obey their commands. The rider also uses the presure of their legs and feet to communicate to the horse what to do. For example, by pressing or applying presure to the sides of the horse, this will translate to the horse to mean it should run faster. Teaching a horse all of these commands can take weeks or