Past World Champion Barrel Racers Sherry Cervi knows what it takes to get a barrel horse working and keep him working.  Check out these two videos that show some of the moves and exercises she uses to make champion barrel horses.

In this first video she is working Harley.  At first she shows us how to take a little go out of a horse and get them paying attention.  She sets Harley on his butt once on the way to first to remind him to listen to her.  She demonstrates the 360 drill she does on the backside of the barrel.  She does this to take any drift away (she says sometimes he fades out the barrel)  from a horse and to emphasize the sharpness she wants on the backside of the barrel.

In this second video Sherry Cervi is still riding her 6 year old barrel horse Harley.  She demonstrates rollbacks on the fence.  If you haven’t done them before you might want to start at a walk and get the moves down at that speed first. You can eventually increase your speed.  Harley is really experienced at this drill so this is what you want your finished product to look like.  Soft, sharp and supple all while putting his feet in the right places at the right time!  Notice Sherry’s body positioning and how he follows her very subtle cues.    She makes a good point near the end that it is important that after putting some speed to a horse we go back and get them soft in the mind again by doing slow work.

Check out Sherry Cervi and her good horse Stingray making a round winning run in the barrel racing at the 2009 NFR! Click here for that site.

For more information about Sherry go to her website www.SherryCervi.com