Barrel Racing with Newton

  Whenever I think of physics around me, I often think of horseback riding. I have grown up around horses and have spent many hours of my life riding. While I currently no longer compete, I still enjoy watching my friends compete in various areas of the sport whether it be show jumping, cross country, or even barrel racing. I have never competed in barrel racing, as I do not ride western, but one of my friends travels around the country (pre-covid) following the rodeo circuit and competing in barrel racing. 

    Barrel racing is one of the events seen at a rodeo. In this high speed event, a horse and rider attempt to run a cloverleaf pattern around barrels in the fastest time.  The video below shows Chayni Chamberlain, a 10 year old girl from Texas, competing with her horse. 

    All three of Newton's Laws of Motion are present when barrel racing. Newton's First Law of Motion is observed when the horse takes off out of the gate. When a horse moves forward, the rider is thrown backward slightly. Newton's First Law states that an object at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. In this case, the horse is an outside force to the human. If the rider does not continually adjust her balance to stay with the horse, she will be left behind. Newton's Second Law, F=ma, describes the effort needed to come to a stop. Heavier horses require more force to stop as do horses traveling at faster speeds. I find it remarkable how quickly horses can stop or change direction based on their size and speed. Newton's Third Law of Motion states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The horse exerts a force on the ground which exerts a force back on to horse. Additionally, as the rider sits in the saddle, she (and the saddle) exerts a force on the horse's back which exerts a force back on the rider. If the horse hits one of the barrels, it applies a force to the barrel that applies an equal and opposite force on the horse. 

    Other concepts in physics found in barrel racing include friction and centripetal force. Friction exists between the horse's hoofs and the sand. Without friction, the horse would slip and fall. Friction is also present between the rider and the saddle and between the rider's legs and the side of the horse. When the horse travels around the barrel, the centripetal force can be calculated by multiplying the horse's mass by its squared velocity and dividing it by the radius of the path. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE4Nvvacbnw