Barrel racing is an exhilarating sport that requires a unique blend of speed, agility, and precision from both horse and rider. For years, trainers have relied on traditional methods to prepare horses for the demanding patterns. However, Paul Humphrey, a seasoned barrel horse trainer and 10-time European barrel racing champion, recognized the potential for a different approach. By integrating principles from working cow horse training, Humphrey developed his renowned “Breaking the Mold” program, a series of 10 horsemanship drills designed to cultivate horses that are not only fast but also consistently agile and responsive around the barrels. This program emphasizes teaching horses to move their bodies correctly, fostering confidence and building the necessary musculature for successful and enduring barrel racing careers. Humphrey’s method is particularly effective for starting young colts, allowing them to learn the pattern correctly from the outset, thereby preventing the development of common bad habits that can hinder performance.
Establishing a Solid Foundation
Humphrey’s “Breaking the Mold” program begins by ensuring the horse has a strong fundamental understanding of cues and body control. Before introducing the specific barrel drills, he assesses the horse’s readiness based on several key criteria. The horse should yield to pressure in the face without resisting or hiding behind the bit, and be responsive to cues that encourage movement of all body parts. Furthermore, the horse needs to demonstrate the ability to lope collected circles, maintain straight lines and diagonals on the correct lead, lope off smoothly from a standstill, and transition effectively from a lope to a collected trot. According to Humphrey, if a horse struggles with these basic exercises, it may indicate that the horse isn’t yet prepared for pattern work or that the trainer’s execution of the drills needs refinement.
Drill 1: Approaching the Barrel with Collection
The first drill in Humphrey’s “Breaking the Mold” program focuses on teaching the horse how to approach and maneuver around a barrel with proper collection and upright body position. This drill starts at a collected trot, emphasizing control and balance. The sequence involves trotting a circle around the first barrel, then transitioning to a lope towards designated poles. For two large, even circles on the outside of these poles, the horse must maintain collection, ensuring the inside hind leg drives underneath its body, with the rider controlling both hips and shoulders to prevent leaning in or drifting out. After completing the lope circles, the horse transitions back to a collected trot to circle the barrel. This process is then repeated for the remaining barrels, with the lope circles performed in the opposite lead. This drill instills in the horse the importance of maintaining forward motion while keeping its shoulders elevated and collecting its body correctly through the turn.
Implementing Drill 1
The execution of Drill 1 involves a rhythmic progression of gaits and turns. After trotting an even circle around the initial barrel, the rider guides the horse to the first pole, where a transition to a lope on the right lead is initiated. Two expansive, collected circles are then loped around the outside of the poles. The collected lope is crucial, requiring the horse to engage its hindquarters and maintain an upright posture, avoiding any inclination to lean into the turn or drift outwards. Upon reaching the second pole for the second time, the horse is guided back into a collected trot to complete an even circle around the barrel. This entire sequence is then replicated for barrels two and three, alternating the lead for the lope circles to the left. This structured approach ensures the horse learns to control its body through various turns at different gaits.
Drill 2: Enhancing Uprightness and Control
Building upon the foundation established in Drill 1, Humphrey’s second drill is designed to teach the horse to remain upright and maintain control of its entire body, from nose to tail, even as the speed of the approach to the barrel increases. This drill begins with the horse loping two large circles around the outside of the first two poles. After passing the second pole for the second time, the rider transitions the horse down to a collected trot and proceeds to trot the barrel completely. Following a full circle at the trot, the horse is stopped. The rider then cues the horse to move its shoulders over, positioning it diagonally towards the first pole at the second barrel. Once aligned with the pole, the horse is cued to lope off on the left lead. This exercise is then repeated at barrels two and three.
The Benefits of Drill 2
Drill 2 is instrumental in preventing the horse from anticipating the turn, keeping it engaged and moving across the arena with its shoulders elevated and hind leg actively engaged underneath. This drill also teaches the horse the correct moment to switch leads as it exits the first barrel. Essentially, Drill 2 is a reversal of Drill 1, requiring the horse to perform similar maneuvers but with a different sequence and focus on lead changes. Humphrey typically spends two to four weeks working colts on these two drills in conjunction before introducing the subsequent drills in his program. These exercises not only teach the horse how to move correctly around a barrel but also build the necessary musculature for effective turns, strengthening the horse’s hindquarters, core, and shoulders, and making the sport more enjoyable for them.
Equipment and Training Progression
Humphrey’s approach to training also extends to the equipment used. He begins by starting all his colts in snaffle bits, gradually transitioning them to a draw bit. The gag-action of this bit assists in developing the horse’s lateral movement before the barrel drills commence. He prefers split reins to facilitate clear communication with each side of the horse. Once the horse masters lateral movement, it progresses to a working bridle. Humphrey favors a “soft correction” bit, which he designed with short shanks and a properly positioned curb strap. Unlike many barrel racing bits where the curb strap is placed high on the jaw, Humphrey ensures it rests on the horse’s chin. This precise placement encourages the horse to become soft in the face and yield to pressure, crucial for a responsive and well-balanced barrel horse.
Mastery Before Competition
Humphrey emphasizes that true success in barrel racing comes not just from speed, but from a horse’s ability to execute precise turns. He utilizes his 10 horsemanship drills to ensure horses learn to move their bodies correctly around the barrel, rather than simply turning it. Simple, well-executed drills build confidence, and Humphrey requires his horses to master at least five of the 10 drills before attempting exhibition runs. These exhibitions serve as tests, revealing the horse’s specific struggles and weaknesses, which can then be addressed through targeted practice of the drills. This methodical approach empowers horses, making barrel racing a more engaging and confident experience, and enabling them to increase their speed while maintaining correct turns.
