Read about the most common questions that were asked at Dena Kirkpatrick’s Q&A clinic session from the 2025 Ruby Buckle Central barrel race.
"There are so many ways to train a barrel horse. If you go fast and don't fall off, you'll win. But, the one thing I teach people in this industry is the "why."
Q: can you explain your hand Placement during a barrel run?
A: As she guides riders through her approach, Dena emphasizes starting with her hands spread shoulder-width apart. This positioning isn’t just about balance—it’s about creating instant access to inside rein control. When it’s time to transition to one hand, that width allows her to lift the horse’s shoulder.
One of the key takeaways? Dena avoids pulling hard across the horse’s neck. Why? Because, as she explains, horses don’t respond well to that kind of pressure. Instead, practice just walking in a circle, go to one rein, put the other hand on the saddle horn, elbow in and let the horse come around the turn on its own. Then, go into figure eights.
Q: "what are you doing with your body when you go into the turn on second?"
A: Horses have a natural tendency to cheat their riders on the second barrel, often anticipating the turn too early. Dena Kirkpatrick addresses this common issue by emphasizing the importance of riding into the turn with two hands and sitting deep in the saddle as you enter the pocket. As soon as she reaches that spot, she switches to one hand to guide the horse through the turn. Keeping the phrase “straighter longer” in mind helps her maintain proper positioning.
"Your body has a massive effect on your horse's body. When you sit deep and square up, you help keep his hind-end up underneath him."
When tuning on a horse that’s cheating the second barrel at home, Dena Kirkpatrick is intentional about always getting the barrel past her leg before allowing the turn. Whether she’s trotting, loping, or even walking the pattern, she emphasizes this concept to reinforce correct positioning and timing. By consistently making the horse wait and stay straight until her leg clears the barrel, she helps eliminate anticipation and creates better, more honest turns.
Q: How do you switch from trainer mode to jockey mode?
A: Switching from trainer mode to jockey mode is all about one key mindset: trust your training. According to Dena Kirkpatrick, the ability to trust your horse is one of the hardest yet most important transitions a rider must make. Once you’ve shown the horse what you want and put in the necessary foundation work, you have to let go and allow the horse to do their job. Give them the opportunity to make the turn on their own—and if they don’t do it correctly, that’s when you go back, retrain, and reinforce.
"Let them turn the barrel instead of making them turn it."
Q: How did you Fix Gracie's first barrel?
Dena Kirkpatrick shared that her mare, Gracie, began running past the first barrel when she turned nine years old—a frustrating issue that led Dena to reassess her training program. She realized she had skipped a few key steps and needed to go back to the basics, reinstalling foundational work into Gracie’s routine. To help troubleshoot, Dena turned to her friend Sherry Cervi, who advised her to slow lope and focus on maintaining control into the first barrel.
"It's ok to go slow to go fast."
Dena also explained that when a horse struggles with the first barrel, she makes sure they aren’t fading into the turn or getting too close to the barrel, which can force them to take extra steps and causes them to go wide coming out. By addressing these details, she helped Gracie with her first barrel.
Want more from Dena Kirkpatrick's Q&A Clinic from the Ruby buckle?
Watch the whole clinic over on Ride TV!
