SADDL: The New Digital Tool Helping Barrel Racers Compete Smarter

Barrel racing is more than just a high-speed competition—it’s a time-honored tradition in the horse world.

From the dusty rodeo arenas of Texas to the carefully groomed indoor pens of the Midwest, the sport has been passed down through generations. It combines athleticism, horsemanship, split-second timing, and, more recently, technology.

A new digital platform called SADDL is gaining traction among riders by doing something few tools have done before: bringing event discovery, run tracking, and performance analytics together into one streamlined app. And while it may be early in its journey, SADDL is already proving that modern technology has a very meaningful role to play in preserving and enhancing western sports.

A Look Back: The Origins of Barrel Racing

Barrel racing traces its roots to the 1930s, where women in Texas first showcased their horsemanship skills by weaving through a pattern of barrels for style points. Over time, the sport evolved into a timed competition, eventually becoming a staple at rodeos and standalone jackpots alike. By the 1940s, the Girls Rodeo Association, which is now known as the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), helped formalize the rules and structure that guide the sport today.

Fast forward nearly a century, and barrel racing has become one of the most popular timed events in the equine world. According to statistics compiled by EquiStat, there are well over 300,000 competitive entries annually in barrel racing events, ranging from local jackpots to pro circuits, youth rodeos, and everything in between.

Purse earnings exceed $30–50 million per year, and participation continues to grow across all age brackets.

What Makes SADDL Different

The world of competitive barrel racing is fast-paced, but its tools haven’t always kept up. Riders often rely on Facebook groups, word-of-mouth, or regional websites to track down events. Many still use paper notebooks or spreadsheet apps to log their run times, track placings, or set goals.

That’s where SADDL comes in—not just as a tool, but as a community-driven platform. Right now, early users are helping shape its future by offering real feedback that directly influences updates and new features.

It’s a collaborative effort to build something that truly serves the barrel racing world. Built specifically for barrel racers, the platform allows users to:

• Search and Add Upcoming Events: Riders can quickly find and filter events by date range or locations. Or add details for races they know!

  
  

• Log Run Details: Users can record their run times, earnings, horses used, and notes about the race conditions, footing, or setup.

  
  

• Track Performance Over Time: Through visual analytics, riders will be able to view trends, compare runs at different arenas, and monitor their individual progress.

  
  

And more...

In its first week live, SADDL already had over 300 events searchable and users from 13 different U.S. states - a sign that the platform is filling a gap riders have long navigated around. Today, SADDL has well over 450 events and users from 18 different states across the U.S.!

Technology in the Saddle

The horse world has sometimes been slow to adopt modern digital tools, but that’s changing rapidly. Today’s riders are balancing traditional horsemanship with smartphones, GPS, digital entry systems, wearable tech for horses, and now platforms like SADDL.

What makes SADDL stand out is its commitment to simplicity and purpose-built design. It’s not a social media site. It’s not a bloated all-in-one equestrian planner.

It’s designed with one focus: helping timed-event riders train, compete, and progress more effectively.

And while SADDL is currently focused on barrel racing only, there has already been growing interest from riders in breakaway roping, team roping, and other timed events looking for similar tools.

The Future of Western Sports Is Digital

The rise of tools like SADDL underscores a larger trend: technology is no longer a foreign concept in the western world - it’s really becoming a vital companion. Riders who have grown up around phones and apps expect modern tools to help them train, organize, and perform better. And platforms that respect the history of the sport while solving real problems are earning their place in tack rooms and trailers alike.

Barrel racing isn’t going anywhere.

And as the sport grows, so does the need for tools - like SADDL - that can match its pace.

If you’re wanting to check it out for yourself and share with your friends, you can join for FREE at https://saddl.app/.

Written by Kait Lindner, CEO and Founder of SADDL

Kait Lindner is a lifelong horsewoman and competitive barrel racer based in Indiana. With over a decade of experience in the technology and product management space, Kait bridges the gap between the western world and digital innovation. She created SADDL out of a personal need for a smarter way to find events, log runs, and track progress—offering modern tools to riders who are as passionate about performance as they are about tradition.

This article is from the October issue of Equine Business Magazine