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BEHIND THE BARRELS

Molly Powell says that riding a taught her how to quiet herself, both mentally and physically, and not to get in her horse’s way.

44 Barrel Horse News | NovemberNovember 2009

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WHAT I LEARNED FROM

In this three-part series,utt champion trainer and jockeyi Molly Powelln shares Cthe riding techniques she learned in cutting, roping and jumping that she says made her a better barrel racer. g Article by Molly Powell • Photos by John Brasseaux

any times during our competitive travels, we see I’ll never forget that feeling at my first cutting of having my stomach horsemen and women from other equine disciplines drop out from underneath me like I was riding a rollercoaster. What an and quickly separate ourselves from “them.” We are eye opener. I could ride a barrel horse to a first place finish, but I could barrel racers. They are not. hardly stay on that cutting horse, much less help him out with the cut. Well, in 20-plus years of profession- Many times, I actually got in his way, and nearly fell off of him, when ally,M I have had the chance to participate in many other types of riding he was working for me. Because he was such a well-trained, responsive besides my chosen sport. In my mind, there is no doubt that my experi- horse, he was confused by all of my very unintentional “cues.” ences riding with “them,” those who participate in other disciplines, has The more I cut, the more I became aware of how much my horse felt influenced my horsemanship and barrel racing success in every way. my leg pressure and responded according to how much I squeezed with I always preach “horsemanship” as the key to winning—especially my legs. From my perspective, I was just trying to stay on his back any on different horses. If I had only one year to train a “city slicker” to run way I could, and so I would “knee up” to stay on him. But the leg pres- barrels and win, I would spend 11 months training on horsemanship, and sure, coupled with my nerves, made my horse leak forward toward the one month on the actual barrel pattern. and took us out of position to do well. During the next three months, I am excited to share with you what I learned from three of my favorite non-barrel racing disciplines— cutting, roping and jumping. The riding techniques I picked up from these sports helped improve the way I ride barrel horses, and I believe they can help you, too. The Cutting Seat Cutting is an amazing sport. The true instinct of a working horse is portrayed in this competition. It’s horse versus cow. I get shivers down my spine and sometimes a tear in my eye when I watch a great horse work a cow; the intensity and emotion are so dramatic! But I’m always appreciative of great horses doing what they love. I first got involved in cutting when I was a freshman in high school in Montana. I had just entered the high school scene and was blood thirsty for an “all around” buckle. Cutting was an event that I felt I wanted to try, as my parents had several friends who came to our indoor arena to practice. I was able to borrow an Open cutting horse, and after By pushing herself down into the saddle, as she would on a cutting horse, a few practice lessons, I was off to the rodeo. Powell says she has achieved a more secure and effective seat.

Barrel Horse News | November 2009 45

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Powell likens the back-and-forth turnng motion of a cutting horse to the turn of a barrel horse. But, she says, riding a cutting horse makes you more aware of where you should be balanced on your horse’s back.

With more cutting practice, I learned that if I got a good seat by push- Before I rode the cutting horses, I just thought I could ride well. ing myself way down into the saddle and pushing the heel of my hand on However, with the riding skills that I learned from cutting, I gained a the backside of the saddle horn and locking my elbow into my hips, I was much better seat. That good seat has helped me to have the confidence in a much better position to cut a cow successfully. I also learned how to to ride horses with different styles of turning. That confidence in my get a “slouch” in my back on a nervous horse when I needed him to relax. riding skills enabled me to keep up with stronger horses and urge them By slouching, I was able to relax my whole body, including my legs. Now, to go for the win and not worry about me staying on them! every time I step up on a nervous horse, I instinctively slouch in my seat I refer back to riding Shali Lord’s SX Docs Slider often because he and work on relaxing him. has such a unique turning style. I would say that the confidence and

46 Barrel Horse News | November 2009

MMollyPowell_1109.inddollyPowell_1109.indd 4466 110/14/090/14/09 11:48:52:48:52 PPMM BEHIND THE BARRELS experience in getting a good seat and locking my rear end down in seat that I knew I needed. This put my body in a very quiet, focused state the saddle was the only way I could have had the guts to ride “Slider” and allowed my horse to work and think on his own. down the alley at the National Finals Rodeo. Thank God for those Every time I ride down the alley on a nervous horse, just before cutting lessons! he launches toward our first barrel, I try to take that deep breath and exhale into my run. It’s one of the keys to riding a nervous or sensitive Achieving Balance horse for me. Another thing that I learned from cutting was balance—and I mean awareness of my balance on my horse’s back. I realized that I needed to Take the Challenge be in the middle of my horse, so that I wouldn’t distract his performance. These days, I see lots of young riders focusing mainly on barrel racing On an Open horse, that was one of my few jobs as his rider. A cutting and not working much on their horsemanship education. I don’t think horse comes back through himself with a lot of force when he cuts a cow, that I would have had as much success if I hadn’t had the opportunity to much like a barrel horse will when he finishes a turn on a barrel. I used gain that invaluable horsemanship experience that I did through other this similarity to my advantage and applied my cutting horse balance to types of riding. my barrel horse balance. Sometimes, I look back at all the opportunities that my parents pro- Competing at cutting added to my preparation skills, as well. I would vided for me by helping me with my barrel racing career. They always always try to take a deep breath and slowly exhale right before I com- encouraged me to try out different types of riding, and now I’m so thank- peted at a cutting. While I was riding through the herd, searching for that ful. If you are interested in becoming a stronger competitor than you perfect cow to cut, I was also trying to quiet myself both mentally and already are, challenge your horsemanship skills. You’ll be glad you did! physically. I knew that my horse could feel me relaxing, and that would help him to focus and relax also. I tried to relax my legs and get that deep For more information on Molly Powell, visit mollypowell.com. The Secret to Molly’s Success

Molly Powell has completed work on the third installment of her popular DVD series, The Secret to My Success. The Secret to My Success Volume III: The Inner Game of Barrel Racing is intended to help barrel racers deal with what Powell calls “the final step to becoming a champion”—mastering mental toughness. To help pinpoint the champion mindset for her DVDs, Powell enlisted the help of world champion bull rider Gary Leffew, two-time Association Trainer of the Year Donna McArther and All American Futurity champion jockey and two-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Tami Purcell. “I went to work [on these DVDs] with my friends and heros—the people who have inspired me,” says Powell, “and they have shared their own stories and techniques for success. “I hope this DVD will inspire viewers as it has inspired me.” For ordering informtion on this new DVD set, as well as the entire Secret to My Success series, visit mollypowell.com or amazon.com.

Powell is a 10-time NFR qualifier who took home the championship in 2004 and the reserve championship in 2005. Her career earnings total more than $895,000.

48 Barrel Horse NewsNews | NovemberNovember 20092009

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