The Ideal Barrel Horse

[misspiggytheberk]

I just got my first horse a little under a year ago, and I want to train her to be a barrel horse. So far we are gaming and she's been doing really good at that, making nice turns and has good speed, but there is one factor I need help on: does she have good conformation? Please help me out by telling me the more-than-basic parts of the ideal barrel horse's conformation

[christybell]

Can you post a pic?

[misspiggytheberk]

Jun 28, 2017 11:10:38 GMT -5 christybell said:

Can you post a pic?

I was trying to but don't know how

[bigredcow]

I put tapatalk on my phone and upload pics through that. Its a pain for checking the forum but great for pics

[jerseyrose]

I use tinypic.com.

[stamperfarms]

I'm no expert but I have been riding horses for 12 years, since I was three. When I'm looking at conformation I like to start from the "foundation up". I will list in most important to least.

On a barrel horse the hooves need to be large, round, and sturdy. The hooves are the foundation, they take a lot of weight and force with every stride. The bigger circumference of the hoof the more surface area there is to absorb concussion and allow energy to leave the limbs.

Next is the legs. They need to be straight and strong. If you draw two imaginary lines from either side of the horses chest to the ground it should be in the center of the leg all the way down. If the legs aren't straight the horse is more likely to get injured.

The neck is next. The neck provides most of the balance. It needs to be long and sleek. The neck can also indicate stride short neck means good stop but short stride. The neck also needs to be average thickness. An overly thick neck means limited flexibility. But a neck that is to thin allows the horse to arch it's neck back strangely and often ends in a high headed horse.

Then there's size. A horse that is overly tall will have a harder time sprinting for short distances. A large horse is also heavier which means more weight and concussion on the hooves and legs. The horse also needs to be proper size for you. A 14.2 hand horse would be about right size for a 100lbs rider.

Next shoulders. The shoulders need to be wide, long, and sloped. There needs to be a good width between the front legs. The scapula bone needs to be about a 45% angle.

Eyes. The eyes need to be large, open, and placed a far distance apart to allow maximum field of vision.

Hindquarters (powerhouse). The hindquarters need to be 30% of the overall length of the horse. They should match the shoulder in angle and length. When looking at them from the side you should be able to draw a line from the rump to the ground and it should touch the hock and fetlock for a straight leg.

Withers. Short flat withers decrease the motion and also cause poor saddle fit which can cause discomfort. The withers should go into the neck and back smoothly but be noticible.

Back and underline. The length of the back should be less than one third of the horses overall length. From peck of withers to the peck of the croup. A long back makes it hard to straighten, collect, and control. Shorter back is desired. Also a long underline. The underline should be at least three inches longer than the back measured from elbow to flank.

Rib. A horse with a deep rib and girth and a wide chest is desired. This provides for easier breathing.

Middle. I like a short thin muzzle. This allows for better efficiency with the bit. Large nostrils are desired for easy breathing.

Head. Short broad head, wide between the eyes and nasal passages is ideal.

Ears. They need to be able to move freely.

It's okay if your horse has some flaws. No horse is perfect but these are the guide lines I use. I hope this helps. If you need any other help I would be happy to. As I said I'm no expert but I've worked with a far share of performance horses.
(I will add picture tomorrow to show you a little better.)