Hailey Kinsel: Timing is Everything

How to Condition, School and Care for A Barrel Horse with World Champion Hailey Kinsel

For four-time Women’s Professional Rodeo (WPRA) World Champion barrel racer, Hailey Kinsel, winning happens when preparation meets talent. She wants her powerhouse yellow mare, Sister, who is the highest-earning Quarter Horse mare of all time with over $2.8 million in career earnings, in perfect condition when they enter the arena. “The biggest thing is I want her physically fit (lung, muscle and bone) before even considering going to a rodeo,” she says. This calls for detailed scheduling as she plans out what rodeos to attend. “I plan her exercise around every competition, so no run made is without a purpose. Everything's very strategic,” Kinsel explains. “There are some runs I'm making that are more about preparation for the next rodeo. Of course, you always want to win something, but a lot of times I'm making runs thinking ahead as to what the next rodeo is going to be like and how to best get her ready for that.”

Just like Kinsel’s rodeo schedule, Sister’s exercise program is purposely executed based on what their calendar looks like. “I plan out when I'm going to a rodeo and then work backward in terms of when I need her to be ready,” she says. “I want her to peak at the right time, both physically and mentally, so she’s working good and also craving it.” While the ultimate goal of winning rodeos stays the same, the preparation changes slightly based on the time of year. Each season comes with its own set of challenges that horses and riders must learn to navigate. While the fall and winter draw a limited number of small indoor venues, the spring and summer bring on a demanding schedule packed full of large outdoor courses. After competing on Sister for seven years, Kinsel knows how to tell when the mare is ready to hit the road. “I have a time threshold on how quick I want her to recover from interval training,” she explains. “We do three minutes walking, two minutes trotting, repeat that twice, and then lope for one minute with a two-minute walk in between each lead. If she does that with a very quick recovery time (after 30 seconds to a minute, she’s done breathing), then that's when I know lung-wise she’s in shape.” As far as bone and muscle condition is concerned, Kinsel relies on how Sister looks and feels in the saddle.

To keep her mare craving the sport, Kinsel keeps pattern work to a minimum and focuses more on practicing turning maneuvers without a barrel. “Before I go to a race, I am going to work the pattern at least one day but leading up to that, it is going to be a lot of dry work,” she explains. “It's more like strength training — working on the feel and the circles as a form of conditioning. I want to have that feel down, away from the barrels so that when I go to the pattern, it's very clear to me whether she's ready or not.” Depending on the rodeo that she’s prepping for, Kinsel may also focus her schooling on different aspects of the mare’s performance. For a smaller arena, she will school her on quickness in footwork and body shape while the bigger runs require focus on length of stride and reach around the turn. The type of arena footing also plays a role in how they can perform, and Kinsel prepares accordingly. On shallow ground, she wants her a little more squared up in the turn while deeper ground allows her to be much more round and fluent around the barrels. It’s this preparation that has helped Sister adapt to the variable conditions at any given rodeo and reach the winner’s circle time and time again.

Fueling a Champion

The quality, amount and timing of an athlete’s feeding regimen is important for success. Kinsel makes sure to feed Sister at least three hours before she runs. This can be especially important during night performances when her normal feeding time may fall right when she is scheduled to run. She says, “I may split up my feedings and give a smaller portion before the run so that when her time clock goes off for her normal feeding hour, her belly is already full and she doesn’t get a nervous stomach.” Then, once she’s finished making her run, she can get a second feeding to make up her entire meal. Kinsel also supplements daily with Platinum Performance® Equine, Platinum Balance™, Platinum Gastric Support, Healthy Weight and Platinum Joint Care Competition + HA. While she’s traveling, she increases Platinum Gastric Support to two scoops per day to support her hindgut health out on the road.

Contestant Parking Ahead

The Cool Down Period

The most important part of Kinsel’s routine is her post run care. She explains, “I learned a long time ago from a racehorse guy that the after run care is not only something that gets forgotten, but it's something that your horse is going to remember the next time you go to make a run.” While horses may not recall their last race, they will remember how they felt physically post-run and how they were taken care of or rewarded for their hard work. “I have a pretty decent 30-minute cool out routine,” Kinsel says. “I'm going to get off and pull her girth, preferably at the back of the alley or wherever the excitement just happened. Then, I’m going to walk out for about 10 minutes.” During this time, she will head back to the trailer, put Sister’s halter on and remove her protective boots and saddle. She goes on, “Of course water is the first thing I'll offer when I get back to the trailer because sometimes when she's the most worked up is when she wants to drink.” Kinsel will keep water in front of her for the next few hours to ensure she hydrates herself adequately. Once the mare has drank and her breathing is back to normal, Kinsel will spray her legs off with cold water or use ice boots if there’s no water available. Kinsel concludes, “When she's quiet, I'll give her cookies and put either a poultice or cold alcohol on her legs to keep them cold and tight.”

With all of this articulate planning and detailed care, it’s no wonder that Hailey Kinsel and Sister have been unstoppable for nearly a decade. Kinsel has found the ultimate routine to keep her speedy palomino at the top of their game and she has no plans of slowing down anytime soon. As we watch this duo light the rodeo trail on fire this Cowboy Christmas, just remember all the planning, care and conditioning that has gone into making this team a success.