Trainers Pen

The Need For Speed

Closing the Distance, A Far Better Tactic

 

Horses and speed seem to go together like “mounted” and “shooting.”  It doesn’t matter if the sport is thoroughbred racing, cutting, or barrel racing. The fastest time wins, pure and simple.

 

But speed isn’t the end all and be all in competition.  Take the Kentucky Derby. Observers usually give the advantage to the horse that is on the inside, as opposed to one that breaks from the last gate.  Why?  Because the inside horse has a shorter distance to cover to get to the finish line.  It doesn’t need as much speed as an animal that has to run from the outside.

 

That’s hard to remember for those of us with a “go, go, go” mindset, who hear folks yelling “kick, kick, kick” as we hit the rundown. Yet it’s every bit as true in mounted shooting as it is at the racetrack.

 

Speed has a tendency to emphasize the holes in someone’s horse and their horsemanship. For example, if you’ve got a problem turning the horse at a nice slow lope, it’s logical to assume that you’ll have trouble with the turn when you increase speed.  And if you miss the turn, you’re going to have to travel a farther distance during the run. With more distance to cover, what do you need to make the time equal to your competitor’s?   More speed!   It’s a terrible predicament!

 

Think about it. Basically a horse that makes all the turns doesn’t need as much speed as a horse blowing out the turns, to achieve an equal time. It’s the horse that covers the least ground, and that takes the least number of steps, that will be faster. You’ve watched runs where the competitor didn’t look like they were going that fast—but the times were great.  The first thought that hits your head: how’d they do that?   Simple—they were smooth and in control, and that makes fast.   Looks can be deceiving, so a smooth run may not seem as fast as another where the horse is bouncing off the arena walls and using the fence to turn.

 

Great horsemanship leads to better shooting. By running smooth patterns, you can focus more on hitting the targets.  Obviously, a horse that is hard to control will take the rider’s focus off the balloons, and that increases the chances of missing a target.  

 

Nowadays, it’s tough to win a shoot if you leave balloons standing; it’s tough to make up the penalty time. Most of the times a shooter fails to win competitions, it’s because they missed targets—it wasn’t that they got “outran.” That’s probably true for you, too. A shooter is better off to be with a slower horse, with a great handle, over a super fast horse that blows out of all the turns.

 

Don’t be mistaken though; the World Championships in a Pro-Class or Colt Eliminator are speed events. When you are fighting it out for a class win, and there’s someone right behind you, it’s a speed event.  But in order to achieve a great time you need to run smart, and not just fast. Great horsemanship.   Great control.   Only then does it come down to “who’s the fastest.” Speed should only be added to a rider who is in control, and to a horse that has an educated “handle.”

 

The bottom line: to be a better shooter, you have to be a smarter rider.  That will put you in the winner’s circle, as sure as shootin’.

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