Essay On Barrel Racing

Sports play a big role in many peoples’ lives. In fact, according to a 2014 poll by TV show "60 Minutes" and Vanity Fair magazine, 90 percent of Americans watch sports. Many of those people have participated in some sort of sport, sometime in their life. Chances are, those 90 percent of people are watching sports like football, baseball, soccer, and golf. What many people don’t know is that there are many different sports that include horses.
Barrel racing and show jumping are two very different sports. They do share some similarities, though. The obvious one is that they both involve a horse, but there are many more similarities than just that. The most important similarities and differences between barrel racing and show jumping are the training, the speed, and the apparel of the rider and the tack of the horse.
Barrel racing is an extremely thrilling sport for both rider and spectators. It takes more than just talent to be a successful barrel racer. The training that is needed plays a big role in the …show more content…
What even is tack? Why is that important? Tack is the fancy word for the saddle and bridle on a horse. You don’t want to be barrel racing in an English saddle because then you have a better chance of falling off. A barrel racing saddle has a tall, skinny horn to hold on to. The back of the saddle is usually taller than normal western saddles, so it can help keep the rider in place. Along with the right saddle, you also want to make sure you have the correct leg protection on your horse. For barrel racing, it is common for people to use sport boots and bell boots to protect their horse’s legs. These kinds of protective boots go all the way around the horse’s leg and hock. Barrel horses also typically have shoes on their hooves. This helps them get better traction when going around the barrel, so they don’t slip as easy. These are just some of the many important aspects that go along with barrel