Sadie Miller Professional Barrel Racer

❤️‍🩹2014-2026❤️‍🩹
Had to say goodbye to my favorite little billionaire yesterday. Time is a thief. He lived a very full, very long life. The vet said she hadn't really seen any 12 year old raccoons. She said if they live to be 12 they were very loved and very cared for. He definitely was. He was with me for over half my life and I will miss him for the rest of my it. I hope he's found him another private chef to boss around until we meet again 🩶

Stages of a 4 and a half hour drive with a raccoon 😅

I'm not sure if they will make great barrel racing prospects but time will tell..

My biggest advice to beginners is that you don't have to be the fastest.

You are not behind. Your journey is your own.

Don't rush!

I see a lot of beginners get into binds because they want to go too fast too quick. Parents throwing children on horses that are out of their child's skill level. I rode my first barrel horse for 5 years before I got a step up horse. I didn't try to ride several different horses, I stayed focused and learned how to ride my one horse to the absolute best of my abilities. We started loping 20 second patterns in 2015 and we actually ended up being the state reserve champions in 2019! He was the best first horse I could have ever asked for and set me up for success. He never knocked my confidence and took amazing care of me.

I'm thankful that there wasn't Tik Tok or other social medias pressuring me back in 2015 when I was just starting.

Tune out all the noise. Focus on competing with yourself. Just try to be a little better than you were the last race. Small improvements lead to big victories.

Knot Reins vs. Split Reins?

Split Reins - If you want to improve your hands split reins during the week for training and slow work are a great option. They give you a ton of adjustability while training and that same adjustment works your hand-eye coordination as you adjust your rein length. However, we do not recommend split reins for a run.

Knot Reins - These are your running reins! The knots give you reference points for feel and won't slip in your hands the same way leather can. If you prefer them over split reins for training get a pair that's just for runs and set your length, them get a second pair to make longer for training.

You can find all our favorites ➡ https://barrelracers.com/collections/reins