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How long should a barrel racing horse compete for2007-11-24 21:15:42

My dad thinks its time for me to retire my horse but I think she can go till the end of the rodeo season. She is 5 and a half years old and has been racing for almost three years.

I have a younger horse in training right now, do you think I should compete on the new mare or the old one?

Answers:

Most horses competing in the NFR and the WPRA are over 7 and usually compete until about 18. Your horse is still considered a futurity horse. Also, several people will not start a horse on barrels until they are about four since the cartilage is usually not developed fully until around four. Tell your dad to check out some of the big barrel racing sites http://www.barrelhorseworld.com...

Barrel horses that are 10+ are selling for well over $30,000 because they horses are generally more seasoned and have learned their sport to a T. Your mare has a ton more time unless she has some sort of medical issue! Age has nothing to with the longevity of a horse in barrel racing it all has to do with soundness and mental capability. Hope that helps!

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a five yr old horse is not old at all. i have been to the rodeo in Vian Oklahoma called the wild west stampeed . its the best rodeo in the area and alot of the horses are as old as 15 and still compeat and do very well. i have seen a lot of older horses win in barrel racing. make sure your horse keeps training working out on a regular basis to keep him/her toned and in shape. it wouldnt hurt to train on both but dont retire the 5 yr old till the end of the season if thats what you want to do. you are the only one that knows what she can handle and if she isnt performing to her max and you feel she is tired then her health may be a factor. i had a horse i bought just to get him out of a bad situation he was in at the time. i paid way to much for him but it was worth it to try and save him. he was starving sickly and malnurished and in a few months i brought him out of it and he was dubbed healthly again by our vet. 1 week after the vet gave him a clean bill of health i started riding him just iin the paduct 5-10 min a day and within a few days i found him behind my barn dead. the vet said that all he could think of was storm had been taken such good care of for that few months his heart couldnt handle it as he had never gotten that kind of treat ment before. i was so sad he died but i was happy too cause he didnt starve to death but died with dignity and looking good. storm was so beautiful i burried him only a few yards from where he died and left him a great head stone so everyone who saw it would know he was a great and beautiful animal. the point is that if you think just a bit that your horse may be tired then retire her, but again i do know that horses that are well taken care of and in training on a regular basis can compete for a long time.