Although many different breeds of horses could ultimately run the barrel pattern, it takes a certain type of horse to do it the fastest. Thoroughbreds are generally the fastest horses on earth, but generally lack the body composition to stop and turn on a dime. A quarter horse is the ideal horse used for barrel racing. Their conformation generally follows these guidelines:
A good shoulder angle - 45° is the ideal, if the shoulder is too vertical then the horse's strides will be too short and choppy.
A short/compact back: Horses with longer backs have weaker backs as it is more difficult to support the length.
Clean legs: Being over, under or tied in at the knee weakens the front legs and makes it harder for a horse to absorb the shock created from running. Being sickle-hocked or cow-hocked causes the footfalls of the hind feet to be less efficient and that can slow a horse down.
Strong hindquarters: All of the power in a good barrel horse comes from it's back end, so it needs to have a strong hip, a proper croup and can't have "post legs".
Being either level or slightly uphill (rear end shorter than shoulder): Being uphill makes it easier for a horse to collect themselves during turns since conformationally, they're already carrying much of their weight on their back legs.
And of course, more than anything, a big heart that WANTS to ruN!
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