Barrel Racing Horse Training in Jacksboro, Texas.
Expert Horse Training and Rider Instruction in North Texas
How We Train
Located on our working 110-acre ranch near Jacksboro, Texas, we offer focused, honest, results-driven barrel horse work. We train horses and riders with a priority on safe, repeatable speed. Our programs range from tune-ups for seasoned horses to starting a colt for the barrel pattern and everything in between. We use straightforward, feel-based methods that produce horses who run square, handle setups, and leave a pattern with confidence.
We work horses to perform under pressure while protecting health and soundness. That means conditioning that supports quickness without compromising longevity, simple pattern practice that emphasizes rhythm and pivot, and consistent, measured progressions. Our ranch is set up to handle individual needs: a short, focused tune session, a multi-week colt starter plan, or a corrective plan for a horse that needs reset and simple drills to fix habits.
Meet Your Horse Trainer: Lexi Rankin
Professional Barrel Racing Champion
Lexi Rankin is a hands-on trainer and rider who focuses on clean runs and reliable horse behavior. Her approach is plain and direct: she sets clear goals, breaks work into short focused sessions, and measures progress by the horse’s attitude and repeatability in the pattern. She emphasizes correct fundamentals, balanced canter, proper engagement into the turn, and a soft, steady hand, so horses can handle speed without losing rhythm.
Lexi works both green prospects and seasoned performers. Whether you bring a colt ready for first exposure to the pattern or a seasoned mare that needs a tune-up, Lexi sets work plans tailored to the animal’s physical and mental stage. As a barrel horse trainer North Texas clients trust, she focuses on muscle building, developing a horse’s feel for the pattern, and the small, consistent improvements that win runs.
Horse Training
Programs for horses are built around the horse’s current level, soundness, and career goals. We offer short tune-up sessions for horses that need a refresher before a weekend run, step-by-step plans for starting a colt for the barrel pattern, and structured retraining for horses that need behavior resetting.
Typical horse work includes groundwork to improve respect and manners, long trotting and conditioning work to build stamina and quickness, controlled pattern repetition to build confidence and accuracy, and turn drills to improve lead changes and hip control. For a tune-up we focus on entry points, gate timing, and a short series of focused pattern runs that sharpen reaction and improve the horse's balance. For a young prospect we introduce poles, gradual pattern exposure, and careful speed development, never rushed and always measured to the horse’s capability.
If a horse is a problem barrel horse, hesitant at the first barrel, flat in the turn, or inconsistent out of the box, we troubleshoot objectively. We check basics (fit of tack, soundness, balance), simplify the plan, and rebuild the habit through short, repetitive, confidence-building exercises. We do not chase quick fixes, we fix the cause so the result sticks.
Rider Lessons
Rider work focuses on seat, timing, and pattern management. We offer private sessions and small group clinics that cover the fundamentals and the fine points. Our barrel racing lessons teach riders how to read a setup, control speed to the turn, manage a run between barrels, and finish straight to the gate. Lessons are practical and pace-based: short, focused drills that isolate a single skill, like gate timing or hip control, followed by pattern runs to apply the skill under pressure.
Beginners receive a foundation plan that builds balance and basics before adding speed. Intermediate and advanced riders work on fine-tuning entries, improving the horse’s ability to manage speed between barrels, and balancing aggression with control. For riders whose horse has hesitation or inconsistency, lessons pair trainer-led horse work with rider drills so both horse and rider reset to a reliable pattern together.
Professional Facility
Our 110-acre ranch near Jacksboro, Texas provides the space, footing, and setup to train horses the right way. Facilities include full-size practice patterns, controlled warm-up areas, and turnout paddocks so horses can recover properly between workouts. We maintain footing to support quick turns without undue strain on joints and tendons and keep a schedule that balances training and rest.
To contact us: call or message to schedule a visit, set a training plan, or arrange barrel racing lessons. We keep work practical and purpose-driven—efficient, measurable, and centered on producing horses and riders that win with consistency and soundness.
Faster, Straighter, Safer Runs.
Free 7-Day Barrel Horse Tune-Up Checklist: practical trainer drills and long trotting and conditioning work for starting a colt for the barrel pattern.
Let's Talk About Your Horse
The best way we can help you is to have a chat about your specific situation and what you are looking for.