Barrel Racing in the UK

EventingMum

EventingMum

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I'm looking for some information about barrel racing as my knowledge is non existent bar the usual videos most people have seen.

I have been approached by a school that have some potential boarding pupils from the US enquiring about bringing their "high flying" (?) barrel racing horses over with them and therefore the school wishes to know about livery packages etc. I do know the school as my son went there and also the teacher behind the request so from that perspective it is genuine. However, I have no idea of an specific management needed for these horses, and was wondering if they require different shoeing etc. Also, I am assuming they may require a certain type of arena surface like western horses need for sliding stops in which case neither of my arenas may be suitable. I don't know if there are many barrel racing events over here, especially in Scotland, a quick Google showed me there was something at Netherton in June this year but nothing else came up.

As you can see I am totally out of my depth here so any information would be helpful! Obviously I would need a lot more information from the school and the family before committing to anything. I have zero western riding knowledge so my best bet might be to convince them to become show jumpers or eventers which would be within my comfort zone!
 
Are they quarter horses they are bringing over and what climate are they coming from? I have had a couple of quarter horses and they are thin skinned and hate the cold at the best of times.
 
I think there is an organisation called Strides that runs barrel racing in the UK. Possibly a man named Luke at the helm.

I can't help much as I think it's awful 🙈 I've blocked the pages on fb to stop it appearing on my newsfeed so can't even offer to look..

From what I've seen on fb it's done on normal surfaces with little regard for legs/tendons (, the horses). I'd assume normal shoeing, not sliders like reining.

I can't imagine it being worth the airfare to bring horses with the aim of competing in barrel racing. I think that possibly some people went to France to compete in it as there is a bigger western scene here.

There's a bit of western riding up here not very, very few ride st a high level. They'd be looking to travel to Oakridge in Nottingham, Sovereign in March or Bodiam in Kent for busier shows but they don't do barrel racing. BR doesn't fall under Western Equestrian Society events and I highly doubt American Quarter Horse UK would entertain it.

@Alibear Might know more
 
I've messaged Liv @ Sovereign, as she's from Scotland. She started western riding in a group/club up there. However, I'm aware Scotland is a big place, so it might not be close enough, and I don't think they had a Western surface.
While you can do low-level barrels on any surface, for fully trained QHs, which these will be, a waxed surface is 100% a NO, and that's for any riding. Really, it needs to be at least sand with nothing else, so no fibre, etc.
Sand and rubber crumb are ok over here for general western riding but not stops, etc, as you'd hit the membrane and could do a tendon, as well as damage your surface.
As TPO said, Oakridge Arena, Sovereign Quarter Horses, and Bodium have full western surfaces. Vallery View Ranch and I think The Crescent Arena also have them, but they're Somerset/Hampshire Way, so they're nowhere near you.
I really can't see it being worth the expense, time and risk to ship them over, but you never know.
 
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Liv started at Blackford Glen Western riders, that's where Red is loaned from.

They definitely don't do barrel racing, they're horsemanship focused. They're also Edinburgh so pretty far away from EventingMum, although nothing compared to distances that Americans have to travel to some stuff.

There used to be an annual AQHA show and an annual WES show. AQHA show hasn't run for ~4 years and WES didn't run this year and doesn't get a good turnout usually. I don't know if it will run again, I think the rep is standing down.

Scotland definitely isn't the place for established western events. There are a few clinics; Joe Midgley, Clive Johnson, Liv and Bernd Hackl are pretty regular staples, the former to Kinross and the rest to Edinburgh. Andrew Plant goes to Aberdeen. Thr Aberdeen lot (area 1) tend to do more competition stuff (not barrel racing) and the rest are more clinics focused on horsemanship.

If they're bringing their horses just to have their horses with them, fair enough. If they are bringing them specifically to do barrel racing I think it would be a waste of time and money
 
Send them over the hill to my way, hopefully it may encourage a new arena surface on my yard 🤣 Aside, I have no information but it sound really interesting.
 
some very touchy feely, emotional horsemanship type people seem to also do barrel racing in the US.

I am not sure at low level it is bad, though I wince watching.
 
Tack Farm in Herefordshire do Western Riding, I don't know what organisation they are affiliated to and don't know if they do barrel racing.

An innocent question - how is barrel racing different to the old bending races that we used to do at gymkhanas?
 
Thank you everyone! The responses pretty much reiterated what I was thinking. I'm meeting the teacher tomorrow so will hopefully be able to ask some more questions then. I'm slightly bemused by it TBH, if you were thinking of flying horses over here you must have a large disposable income and by extension I would have thought you'd be looking at a prestigious school for your offspring. The school in question does have international boarders as well as day pupils but is not a top tier boarding school compared to many. I'm also wary of having unknown young people on the yard without parents around, the younger liveries I have are mid teens and really nice, respectful girls who get on well with my adult liveries and I wouldn't want to upset the balance there.
 
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Orangehorse said:
An innocent question - how is barrel racing different to the old bending races that we used to do at gymkhanas?
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Unsurprisingly also not a fan of gymkhana games, at least the way I see them ridden at Blair

To answer your questions I'd say tack and equipment. It's bad enough seeing snaffles, flashes and martingales along with pony club kicks. Barrel racing is curbs, shanked bits, tie downs, spurs and whips (for all ages).
 
TPO said:
Unsurprisingly also not a fan of gymkhana games, at least the way I see them ridden at Blair

To answer your questions I'd say tack and equipment. It's bad enough seeing snaffles, flashes and martingales along with pony club kicks. Barrel racing is curbs, shanked bits, tie downs, spurs and whips (for all ages).
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Cripes.
 
They don't need any specific management 😊
Barrel horses are usually running bred QH so a bit taller and leggier than the cow ponies. All of my QH lived out unrugged down to -40 in Canada so I wouldn't call them particularly thin skinned!

I'd just be let them know what your surfaces are and then they can make their own decision.
It might simply be they want to bring their horses to keep them in work rather than leave them behind. The opportunity for a bit of cross training might be a positive!

If it goes any further I'd suggest getting more info about their usual environment. There are lots of different ways of keeping horses, so if they've been corralled etc it might be a bit of an adjustment for them to be on a uk, stable and turnout regime. Not insurmountable but worth bearing in mind.

And as to roaming teenagers, I think you should be fine as long as the school provides a chaperone and you have clear rules and a code of conduct, etiquette can be very different, and they might err unknowingly unless it's communicated clearly.
 
Can't help on the barrel racing, but on the school contract side, you'd absolutely need to set out rules and expecations in writing, from chaperoning to hat policies etc. I managed a few school contracts (lessons only, not livery) and they're ok as long as everything is (overly) explained properly.

One wonders whether the horses are truly high flying, or just what the kids have said they are.
 
Thanks again everyone. As yet, I have no further information but I'm meeting the teacher who contacted me tomorrow so may know more then. I currently have no idea of the number of pupils or their ages and, TBH two horses are all I could accommodate at present. There is also things like contracts with vets and farriers etc as I don't want to be responsible for those costs going through my business as I don't want my turnover being pushed towards the VAT threshold. I'm quite happy dealing with the livery side of things as we do have a very detailed contract in place but would need to firm up on things like transport to and from school and reiterate the expectations on behaviour etc. As far as the riding is concerned I coach numerous young people both as private clients and through Pony Club but obviously English style but this also involves parental contact not a non horsey teacher/house parent. Also I am not and have no intention of being a licensed transporter so getting out and about would need to be outsourced and that would mean suitable chaperones etc for safeguarding.

I'm aware things are very different in the US apart from just terminology. From what I have read many barns seem to do complete livery and training packages which include organising everything from lessons, competition entries, transport and more.

I suspect the school in question is probably very interested in attracting wealthy parents as it's finances have been the subject of speculation lately even prior to the VAT changes. The one school I am aware of with equestrian facilities in Scotland closed in the summer so they may well be looking at alternative options now. I feel there must be boarding schools in England far more geared up for this type of scenario - I'm thinking places similar to the flyers for Queen Ethelburga's that used to be in every horsey magazine.

All in all there is a lot to be discussed and I won't be agreeing to anything without getting the full picture of their expectations v what I can comfortably offer.
 
No barrel racing here, as far as I know.

Met a person who rides Western, though. I mean, it's like meeting someone from Gallifrey. I didn't think they existed. She was working as a groom at my barn but I don't know if she is permanent staff or was just on a temporary placement thing via the vet school (they do that). All I know was that she walked past Hermosa and said, "It's so nice to see a horse in a bosal," and I said, "What? You know what that piece of equipment is? No one knows what is it." She told me she rode Western. Scottish lass. If I see her about, I can try to see where she rode.
 
Bizarrely I just read a pony book with this exact scenario (except it's Yorkshire based).
Two US kids come to boarding school in the UK bringing their barrel racing QHs with them.
As mentioned above the wearing of hard hats was an issue!
 
I now have a little more information. From what I've been told the enquiry is from a group of families who are looking to expand their teen childrens experiences both educationally and in the equestrian world and are potentially looking at learning English style equitation. The idea is they would be over here for their remaining schooling and potentially uni. It now sounds a bit more feasible if anything comes of it but TBH I'm a bit skeptical. Thanks for all the info!
 
EventingMum said:
I'm looking for some information about barrel racing as my knowledge is non existent bar the usual videos most people have seen.

I have been approached by a school that have some potential boarding pupils from the US enquiring about bringing their "high flying" (?) barrel racing horses over with them and therefore the school wishes to know about livery packages etc. I do know the school as my son went there and also the teacher behind the request so from that perspective it is genuine. However, I have no idea of an specific management needed for these horses, and was wondering if they require different shoeing etc. Also, I am assuming they may require a certain type of arena surface like western horses need for sliding stops in which case neither of my arenas may be suitable. I don't know if there are many barrel racing events over here, especially in Scotland, a quick Google showed me there was something at Netherton in June this year but nothing else came up.

As you can see I am totally out of my depth here so any information would be helpful! Obviously I would need a lot more information from the school and the family before committing to anything. I have zero western riding knowledge so my best bet might be to convince them to become show jumpers or eventers which would be within my comfort zone!
Click to expand...
following this!
 
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