By Charmayne James with Bonnie Wheatley 
Taking pride in your horse means investing time to ensure his comfort on the road and at home. Photo by Ty Stockton
Taking pride of ownership in your horse, your equipment and your rig might seem inconsequential, but it’s an important element of getting you in the right mindset to set yourself up for success. When you learn to invest time and attention to all the little details, it’s these little things that make the biggest difference in winning and losing. A laundry list of those seemingly small details might include cleaning stalls, getting your horse out each day, providing clean, fresh water at all times or adding equine therapies to help keep your horse comfortable and happy. It sounds so simple, but you’d be amazed how often I see horses without adequate water or standing in dirty, smelly stalls. Horses that haven’t been washed or groomed that don’t get turned out or hand walked aren’t usually the ones you see in the winner’s circle. There’s a difference in a horse that is immaculately cared for and has a bond with his rider versus one that is less comfortable and viewed more as a tool.
Conveying your pride in the privilege of horse ownership means taking care of all these seemingly little things. Add to that list taking great care of your tack. Checking and cleaning your equipment regularly and adjusting it properly not only keeps everything in good working order for safety reasons, but also helps it last.
I think it’s especially important for young people who are getting into the sport of barrel racing to learn the importance of taking good care of things because so many people would love to have the opportunity to own and ride horses. It’s so important to keep a grateful attitude because running barrels is a unique privilege. Everything isn’t always about winning and that’s important to remember, too. Pride of ownership and maintaining a gracious, positive attitude is just as important. Plus, when you’re showing up at an event on a well conditioned, groomed and shiny horse, it makes you feel good about yourself. I’ve found that there’s a cycle of what you put into barrel racing that directly effects what you get out. When you win, I think it’s important to remember to invest what you earn back into keeping your horse comfortable and content.
Comfort versus convenience
Sometimes you need to go out of your way or pick a different route based upon the individual needs of your horse. Those who make it rodeoing are generally the ones willing to go the extra mile for their horses. For instance, I learned when hauling Cruiser that he did so much better if I could get somewhere to let him out to graze and refresh between runs. When I could do that, he just felt so much better mentally and physically that is became critical to keeping him sharp in competition. I traveled out of my way or took extra time in order to make that happen. On the other hand, if Scamper got turned out to run and play a lot, he might not fire quite as hard. Scamper’s exercise needed to be a more controlled, such as hand walking, for him to be his best. You learn to pick your routes and take extra time and care in order to make those things happen for your horse.
Other simple details to take care of are hanging your water buckets so they don’t get knocked over. I’m amazed how often I see buckets on the ground that are knocked over when it’s so simple to just hang them from a bucket strap. Another easy one is don’t leave your horse cinched up tight for too long before or after you run. Haul enough shavings with you that you can provide a place for your horse to lie down if the accommodations at the rodeo grounds aren’t perfect (which they often aren’t). After you run, give your horse a chance to relax and roll. Let them decompress rather than just loading up or throwing them in the stall. Things like fans or running cold water on their legs when it’s hot—these are the little details that elevate your game. I can’t emphasize how important it is to take the time to make sure your horses are in shape. Two days a week of riding is not really enough if you’re expecting to get out there and compete at a high level against other great equine athletes. It’s necessary to ride on a consistent basis in order to build up to those really fast, solid runs. Along those same lines, I don’t recommend taking a horse to a barrel race that hasn’t had time to get in condition and ask it for its life. You’ve got to be fair to the horse.
Pride of ownership also means developing your horsemanship. It means investing time to learn from others. I’m a proponent of learning from experts in other disciplines like reining because there’s a lot of great information out there these days that can benefit our barrel horses if we study and stay open minded.
Mental preparation
The bottom line is that when you’re trying to get better, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Likewise, a winning mindset requires the same level of discipline. I don’t hear people like Trevor Brazile or Lisa Lockhart out there making mean-spirited, negative comments about others because they are committed to keeping a good attitude. To be a winner I think presenting yourself in a positive way is necessary and this means having pride in yourself and your horses. Take care of yourself physically and chances are you’re going to feel more prepared mentally, as well. Anytime you can make yourself feel better, even if it takes a little sacrifice, it makes you tougher and you will do better. When you’re expectation line up with what you are putting in to your barrel racing, it’s a lot easier to improve and achieve your goals.
For more information on Charmayne James, and her books, videos and clinics, visit www.charmaynejames11.com. Email comments or questions to [email protected].
