Sharon Camarillo - Barrel Racing for Fun and Fast Times: Winning Tips for Horse and Rider

Copyright 2010, 2014 Sharon Camarillo

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Paperback ISBN: 978-1-62873-788-2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Camarillo, Sharon.

Barrel racing for fun and fast times: winning tips for the horse and rider / Sharon Camarillo.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-60239-784-2

1. Barrel racing. I. Title.

GV1834.45.B35C38 2009

791.84--dc22

2009039630

All photographs and rendering copyright 2010 by ProSportsPix except for the following:

Photographs on pages (top) copyright 2010 by Cyndy Smith.

Photographs on pages , copyright 2010 by Robin Hayes.

Photograph on page copyright 2010 by Cindy Chaffin.

Printed in China

I dedicate this book to

Bob and Avril Meffan, my parents, and Wade, my son, who remain my biggest fans;

Donna Irvin, Cheryl Price, and Susan Van Rein, my coinstructors and fellow cowgirls, who share my passion for lifelong learning and equine education;

David Hayes, my friend and consulting veterinarian, who possesses the courage to defend the horse while developing our understanding of equine behavior;

Denise Calef, ProSportsPix, for her artistic design, technical advice, and guidance;

Debbie Wood, my friend and business associate, who shared her insight and guidance in the development of the Clinic and Classic programs;

The horses I have ridden, and my students and friends, who for the past thirty five years have allowed me to pursue my passion of building the horserider relationship through education and awareness.

Contents

Chapter One:
Conformation Characteristics for Athletic Performance

Chapter Two:
Care and Conditioning of the Barrel Horse

Chapter Three:
Training, Tune-Up, and Competition Equipment

Chapter Four:
Training Tips for a Better Foundation

Chapter Five:
Balanced RiderBalanced Horse

Chapter Six:
Simple Exercises for Better Barrel Racing

Chapter Seven:
Strategies for Making a Competition Run

Chapter Eight:
Problem-Specific Corrections for Better Barrel Racing

Chapter Nine:
Building Confidence and Gaining the Winning Edge

Chapter Ten:
The Training Pyramid

A CKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Denise and Ron Calef for their tireless efforts to design and develop the artistic concept behind this book, including its chapter and cover artwork.

Cyndy Smith, for her photography and her contribution to the organization at Camp Camarillo.

Dorothy Peth, for her support and illustrations.

Erica Friedman; Tres Amigas, for her friendship and support of the Sharon Camarillo programs.

My Black Hawk College interns, Carly Hagey and Katie Chaffin, for their organization of tack and conditioning of horses. Many thanks and happy trails!

Cheryl Price, for her inspiration; wisdom and wit; technical advice; and editing skills. Her efforts ensured that this book became a reality. Cheryl, you are my champion and I thank you.

Catherine Frazier, the island in the sun who radiates brightness and lends her superior intellect and wholehearted support to every project that I dream up!

THANKS TO YOU ALL!

I NTRODUCTION

B arrel Racing for Fun and Fast Times is a collection of motivational essays and tips designed to enlighten and inspire, not only barrel racers, but also all equine enthusiasts who wish to follow this path of success and personal satisfaction. As an accomplished horsewoman and National Finals Rodeo Qualifier many times over, Sharon is one of only a few women to be recognized by both the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame for her advocacy of the equine and western lifestyle. Sharon has been a saddle and tack designer for over thirty years, and the Sharon Camarillo Collection logo has established itself as a highly coveted retail item.

A business graduate of California State Polytechnic University, Sharon believes in the power of education and encourages her students to enjoy the daily process that is necessary to develop trusting and rewarding relationships with their horses.

Sharon has established herself as a world-renowned equine clinician. Her program has been taught in forty states, Canada, Europe, Australia, and South America. Sharon is an American Quarter Horse Association Professional Horseman and has collaborated with her accomplished performance team to compile proven tips to help every horse owner achieve success in equine management, training, and rewarding competition. The team states: Our collective goal is to share winning formulas that help inspire riders to establish working relationships with their equine partners and provide horsemanship techniques that contribute to safe, successful, and rewarding influences on the horses they ride in whatever disciplines they choose.

The following is a list of her traveling team of professional horsemen and educators that contribute to the success of her equine programs.

David Hayes, DVM , equine veterinarian, educator, certified journeyman farrier, equine chiropractor, and equine dentist, has been Sharons consulting veterinarian for the last thirty-five years. He has been an invited speaker for both the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the American Farriers Associations Annual Conventions, where he presented his One-Step Horsemanship Program. An American Quarter Horse Association Breeder and Professional Horseman, Dr. Hayess passion and understanding of equine physiology and behavior have helped thousands of rider and horses lives.