Kristian Beverly

Poles

January 12, 2014December 28, 2024Kristian BeverlyLeave a comment

Pole bending is very similar to barrel racing. It is a timed event, so the fastest horse wins. If a pole falls, there is a five second penalty added to the completed time.

The course pattern looks like this.

Source

The horse and rider take off to the last pole,

and takes a turn.

They maneuver through the six poles and hope to not hit one. The horse switches leads at every pole.

Then the pair turns at the last pole,

and gallops home.

Model horse wise, the same ones listed in barrels could be used (Scamper, Ruffian, Smarty Jones, Flash). Walking/trotting models also could be used (John Henry, Giselle, and other walking/trotting models). Those models would be entered into the walk/trot poles. Same pattern, slower speed.

This is another good beginner performance entry. You only need a saddle, bridle, and at least one pole. The poles are easy to make, but slightly harder than the barrel. This is a nice link showing you how. To make the bottom of the pole, you can use a filled in milk cap, or go to a craft store and buy the wooden circles with a hole in the middle (Sorry! The actual name has completely left my mind).

The horses I saw wore boots on at least the front legs. Because of the rapid movement, a breast collar was also worn. Tie downs and nosebands can be used. The only rule is no bare metal on the horse’s head.

For the riders, the dress code is basically the same as for Barrel Racing. The rider should have a long sleeved shirt and cowboy hat or a helmet.

Barrels

January 11, 2014December 28, 2024Kristian Beverly2 Comments

Barrel Racing. A sport where if you blink your eyes at the wrong time, you’ll miss horse and rider breezing together around barrels, hooves digging into the footing, horse and rider morphed as one. The runs can be a mere 16 seconds long. With model horses, you capture a split second of the run, freezing it.

When stripped down, you may only notice a horse, barrel, saddle and bridle. But there’s other parts. Since this is a timed event, the fastest horse wins. If a barrel is knocked over, a five second penalty is added to the completed time, which can make or break a placing.
The pattern is pretty basic.

Source

Horse and rider gallop from the start line towards the first barrel. They may go right or left.

Then the team gallops to the second barrel,

turns, and moves to the last barrel.

Then it’s a dash to the finish line!

To me, Barrel racing is an excellent beginner performance entry. Mostly because the props can be found around the house and different gaited models can be used. You can make the entry as elaborate as you want. The tack that the horses at the rodeo had ranged from plain to blinged out. A barrel can be made from a soup can that has been cleaned and painted, but should be two different colors. At the higher levels, the horses will be seen galloping or at least loping. The saddle will be a western one and is lighter so no more weight is added than what is needed.

While Smarty Jones, Scamper, The Nakota Mustang, Cigar, and Flash may be the first obvious choices, they are not the only models that can be used for a Barrel Racing entry.
Walking and trotting models such as Strapless, the Cleveland Bay, Giselle, John Henry and the Indian Pony can be used. Walk/Trot barrels is the name of the event for slower models. Same exact pattern, just a different pace. Since they are moving at a slower pace, the model does not have to have the breastcollar or boots that the faster moving models will most likely have on. A standing horse could be used, standing and waiting for the run to begin.

Actually, barrel racing is pretty lax in terms of equipment for horses. There are not specific bits that are required, tie-downs and nosebands can be used, and the bridle can be any western kind. The reins can be split or closed, like gaming reins which are short. Now most, if not all of the horses I watched had some type of leg protection on their legs, whether it was on the front legs or the back legs. Since the horses are moving at such high speeds and taking such tight and sudden turns, the legs take a toll and it is better for the legs to be protected. If using a doll and following the NBRA(National Barrel Racing Association) , it should have a long sleeved western shirt, jean or western pants, western hat and boots. I believe that a rider can have a helmet if he or she chooses so.