Hunter/Jumper/Barrel Horse
- February 15, 2025
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- Jan Swan Wood
Posted in: Barrel Racing, Featured, Horse Training, Ranch Life, Rodeo
Back in the olden days when I was young and single, I had a very high powered gelding that I was trying to make a barrel horse out of. Back then you had to just go get some runs on a horse, somewhere, as it was before there were anything like 4D barrel races and small jackpots like that. So, I was entering some SDRA/NRCA rodeos to get those runs on my horse. His name was Rebel. He had run AAA on the track and had the speed for sure. But, getting the turns perfected was taking quite a bit of work. Of course, I didn’t know anything about how to do it right, I just did the best I could. I used him regularly as a cowboy’s horse as I was riding on cattle, as usual, and he was sure legged up and hard as a rock. He also had endurance, both from the big circles we made and his breeding. He had a ton of potential and it was coming along, but it was going to take some time and experience.
At the time, I was kind of dating a guy who team roped at the same rodeos. It made sense when he asked me if I wanted to just load up with him and his brother to go to a rodeo that was quite a ways away.
So, I met them partway, after waiting for their late arrival for an hour or two. We were really running late
by the time we hit the road for the 100 plus mile drive to the rodeo. I absolutely hated being late, as I knew that I needed to air that gelding out pretty good before my run and it wasn’t looking like I would get the required loping and warm up to tone him down a bit.
The two happy team ropers couldn’t imagine why I was so aggravated with them, and tried all the way to get me to be happy about being late. They didn’t. As we came through the gate into the grounds I heard the announcer say that I was “in the hole”, and I knew the two before me wouldn’t take very long either.
I baled out of the pickup, unloaded Rebel, and the two ropers helped me get my cinch tightened while I put the bridle and boots on my horse. As I swung on, I heard my name called and I was up next.
Good grief! Neither one of us had ever so much as been at the arena, much less in it, and he was gawking around trying to decide whether he was at a horse race or a rodeo. I loped him a little as I neared the gate and then I got the second (and last call) for my turn, so I had to go!
My intention was to just breeze him through the pattern, not try to make anything for time, just try to keep him from messing up too badly. Not having the miles of loping prior to the start was worrying me
and I wondered why I hadn’t just ridden him to the rodeo instead of waiting for the ropers. But, too late
for regrets, we went through the gate.
To say he was on the muscle would be a gross understatement. He was barely touching the ground! I was sure hoping he’d spotted that first barrel as I let the throttle out a little bit to make our approach.
The knob flat fell off of that throttle and we were off to the races at AAA speed! He went by that first
barrel without ever seeing it and headed straight for the terrible looking woven wire fence that was about five feet high. The brake cable had also snapped apparently, as I had nothing for whoa and no turning either, as we roared toward that fence!
We were flying with the fence looming and I was already imagining the screeching of wire and snapping of posts as we hit it, but at the last moment, he saw it and raised up and cleared it like a real hunter/jumper horse would. He hit the ground perfectly and threaded his way between some vehicles and a shack and then we were out on grassy little pasture at warp speed.
Out away from the arena I finally got him talked down to a lope, then a trot and a walk. My heart was
still pounding as we walked around. I very nearly stepped off and kissed the ground.
Ever after I made up my mind to travel alone so that I could be there when I needed to be, not when
someone else got around to it. It wasn’t Rebel’s fault. Truthfully, I should have just drawn out instead of
trying to just use my entry fee on a practice run. That 20/20 hindsight is so clear. Experience was lacking in both of us.
My team roper friends were pretty amazed at my “run” and assured me that even though I didn’t win the barrels, I definitely won the jumping for the day, as none of the broncs or bulls cleared the arena fence and my horse did. I think they were still trying to make me happy about it, but to say the least, they weren’t succeeding. The only happy thing about it is that we jumped the fence and didn’t hit it.
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Posted in: Barrel Racing, Featured, Horse Training, Ranch Life, Rodeo
About Jan Swan Wood
Jan was raised on a ranch in far western South Dakota. She grew up horseback working all descriptions of cattle, plus sheep and horses. After leaving home she pursued a post-graduate study of cowboying and dayworking in Nebraska, New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota....