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Expert
Posts: 1561
  
Location: North of where I want to be | Does anyone else out there feel that they do not need to put a horse thru the pattern on a test ride?
Please xplain your reasoning as to why you do or why you do not. |
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 The Worst Seller Ever
Posts: 4138
 
Location: Oklahoma | A test ride to purchase? Is that what you are asking about? |
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Expert
Posts: 1561
Location: North of where I want to be | Yes, sorry I guess I should have clarified
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas | If I plan on buying a started or finished barrel horse.....I'm going to want to put the horse through it's paces....and through the pattern. |
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The Worst Seller Ever
Posts: 4138
Location: Oklahoma | If I am going to spend my money on a horse I will take him through the pattern at least at a lope. I want to feel how they react to me and the pattern.
If I can't I will move on, and it would make me think there is something to hide. |
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Expert
Posts: 1561
Location: North of where I want to be | I test rode a horse yesterday & saw all I needed by the way this horse worked in the pen.....he lost his mind when asked to canter, therefore no pattern. I like him & I know he can get past this. I was just wondering if anyone else would do this
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  Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4553
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | I just ask for wtc. If I can't do that chances are were not going to do much different on the barrel. It is what it is. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | KRJ1791 - 2015-04-27 6:19 PM I test rode a horse yesterday & saw all I needed by the way this horse worked in the pen.....he lost his mind when asked to canter, therefore no pattern. I like him & I know he can get past this. I was just wondering if anyone else would do this
I would be afraid to deal with the health issues that could possibly be causing him to do this at only a canter... Ulcers, kidneys, sore back, hurt joints, etc... Be very careful. Ask for a vet check. |
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 How freakish is that?
Posts: 3927
Location: Oregon | Better yet, ask the owner to w/t/c. Don't get on if it's dangerous. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Sounds like this horse had his legs run off. |
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 Chicken Chick
Posts: 3562
Location: Texas | crapshooter - 2015-04-28 3:56 PM Better yet, ask the owner to w/t/c. Don't get on if it's dangerous.
I ALWAYS ask the owner to get on and do the things with the horse that I will do with the horse when I get on.
For instance I went to look at a horse for my child and husband as a good gentle beginner horse. They claimed that this horse was the horse for me. So I went and looked at him. Couldn't ride in the arena that day (I think it was really sloppy), so I asked if I could come back and test ride him. They said Sure no problem. So I did. Well I asked the owner if he would get on first just so I could watch him (When really most of my reasoning is to see if I might die when I get on the horse). I asked him if he could w/t/c and he said sure. Well he didn't get him above a trot. I asked him if he could and I could tell he really didn't want to, kept telling me how bomb proof this horse was. I ended up telling him I wasn't interested, so he gave in. As soon as he got this horse out of a trot he blew up on the guy. This horse wasn't doing just a little hopping around either. I never did get on that horse. So much for a beginner horse...
I could tell though there was a reason that guy didn't want to get him into a canter. Turns out I was right, and I was glad it wasn't me getting lawn darted. lol If an owner won't get on their own horse and put them through the paces I will walk away right then, because they know something that I don't care to find out. Granted I am not asking them to get on their horse and give me an award winning perfomance... just show me that it isn't going to try to kill me lol. |
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| If it's a "finished" barrel horse and priced at a normal price for his divisional level...absolutely would have to run him. If he's only a prospect, then, of course, I wouldn't expect to take him through. If he's a finished barrel horse with issues and selling priced to reflect that...then,no, I wouldn't have to take him through necessarily...I'd probably want to still though, just to see exactly what the problem is. Also, regardless of price, if he's got issues I'd have to think seriuosly if I really wanted to take the chance on him. |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | KRJ1791 - 2015-04-27 6:19 PM
I test rode a horse yesterday & saw all I needed by the way this horse worked in the pen.....he lost his mind when asked to canter, therefore no pattern. I like him & I know he can get past this. I was just wondering if anyone else would do this
I would only do it if I was specifically looking for a cheap project horse to fix up. If I was looking for a finished horse and was paying a decent price for it, I would definitely not buy it if I couldn't even get to try it on the pattern without a melt down loping. |
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Veteran
Posts: 160
| I w,t,c and do simple stuff to make sure i like the horse. I feel like you can get a good feel with all of that. I also always tale the horse out of an arena to see how they handle the outdoor monsters. I definitely do want to see the owner lope thru and set and then a real run. I dont believe its fair to judge a horse on our first run togetherb ecause it probably wont be anything spectacular bbecause those things take time. Usually if you and current owner have similar riding style it should be an easy transition.
Definitely get a vet check though! |
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Expert
Posts: 1561
Location: North of where I want to be | Thanks guys, I wanted to know if it was just me. I have done enough pre rides in my days to generally be able to figure out 99% of what I need to know with some basic slow work.
The pattern always depends on how the behave in the slow work. I found a horse I REALLY like. The owner & I do not know each other, however we have enough mutual connects I had some idea what I was dealing with. The horse has a great set of skills, I'd put money on he has ulcers though. I choose not to do the pattern as the footing sucked, and when I got anywhere near a canter this poor thing was ready to come unglued, I believe it is a result of some very heavy handed riding.(I am a MUCH lighter rider in application of spurs)
The point here is I have never had an owner take issue with me on it......until now. I still want to buy this horse, pending a vet check. When I offered I was asked why I didn't put him thru the pattern & I tried to explain it nicely.
I just wondered if anyone else would opt out of the pattern.
P.S. I am having him hauled to an arena so I can try him on the pattern
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| KRJ1791 - 2015-04-29 5:57 AM
Thanks guys, I wanted to know if it was just me. I have done enough pre rides in my days to generally be able to figure out 99% of what I need to know with some basic slow work.
The pattern always depends on how the behave in the slow work. I found a horse I REALLY like. The owner & I do not know each other, however we have enough mutual connects I had some idea what I was dealing with. The horse has a great set of skills, I'd put money on he has ulcers though. I choose not to do the pattern as the footing sucked, and when I got anywhere near a canter this poor thing was ready to come unglued, I believe it is a result of some very heavy handed riding.(I am a MUCH lighter rider in application of spurs)
The point here is I have never had an owner take issue with me on it......until now. I still want to buy this horse, pending a vet check. When I offered I was asked why I didn't put him thru the pattern & I tried to explain it nicely.
I just wondered if anyone else would opt out of the pattern.
P.S. I am having him hauled to an arena so I can try him on the pattern
On the issue of hands and I hate to say this but it sounds more like he might be one that has been taught to be "on the bit." When you get ahold of him he is ready to go. People try our horses and we warn them they are light and ppl always say oh no problem I have light hands. Well when trying them out they have the horse so keyed up at a walk and trot they can't even think about loping it and it would resemble to someone that doesn't have hands like the horse is extremely nervous, has ulcers, or has been jacked on.
Not to be mean but from what you describe this is how it sounds. They are always amazed when we get on the horse and it rides calmly off and goes through walk, trot, canter with ease calm cool and relaxed. They get back on and the horse gets tense, goes sideways, and basically freaks because they are all up in his mouth.
Had a lil girl try one out this weekend and it lasted all of like 1 min before he was a wreck...she never got out of a trot. |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2931
Location: North Dakota | While I've never bought a finished barrel horse before, when I go look at a horse, I always have the owner ride them first. Then I get on for myself.
If I ever were to buy a finished barrel horse, I would absolutely want to take them through the pattern.
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| If I was selling a finished barrel horse and the buyer didn't want to take him through the pattern and I didn't know that person, I would want to know why too. I would be afraid should they buy the horse and it didn't work out, they could come back on me with I misrepresented the horse to them even though they were the ones to opt out of trying him on the pattern. Also, and I realize this isn't the case with you, what if they weren't good enough rider to ride said horse through the pattern. Again, they could trash my name. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3104
Location: Arkansas | I had someone want to come and look at a horse that was advertised as "started on the pattern, long trotting pattern". She got upset because my husband told her she couldn't run this mare through the pattern. I couldn't get through to her that a horse that is just started on the pattern shouldn't be run through. She said she was worried about soundness. I told her she was welcome to have the mare vet checked. She never showed up. And the mare was priced cheap. Frustrating
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 Veteran
Posts: 246
Location: Idaho | I would at least like to let the horse roll through at his own speed and get a feel for style and areas that were different from my style to see if it was something I could adapt to or fix. Ive ridden some who felt great going through the warm up stuff but they are super rough to run. Id like to get a feel for the pattern someone else has put on him and see if its something I could be successful with. Dont buy a horse just because you like he way he looks or the way he looks under another rider. But a horse that you like but also fits your style. Ive seen so many people buy horses that dont match their riding style and its frustrating for both horse and rider. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 788
| gypsy1997 - 2015-04-29 12:34 PM
I had someone want to come and look at a horse that was advertised as "started on the pattern, long trotting pattern". She got upset because my husband told her she couldn't run this mare through the pattern. I couldn't get through to her that a horse that is just started on the pattern shouldn't be run through. She said she was worried about soundness. I told her she was welcome to have the mare vet checked. She never showed up. And the mare was priced cheap. Frustrating
Not trying to go off topic but this sounds like a blessing in disguise, since you wouldn't really want someone like that to buy ur horse, get it all messed up and then tell everyone they bought it from you and blame you for the created problem.
To the original post, the closest thing iv ever bought to a finished horse was one high loping that needed seasoning, and i trotted the pattern/maybe slow loped but I didnt try to run, I just watched the owner and knew I had to have him lol.
eta I would be careful as the above poster said you dont want to end up buying a horse that does not fit your style at all.
Edited by horsiace1025 2015-04-29 2:25 PM
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 Having Smokin Bandits
Posts: 4572
Location: Woodstown, NJ | I've never bought a finished barrel horse but if I did and paid accordingly, I would want to be able to run a pattern. Your guy doesn't sound quite finished, or he's come undone, no pun intended, if he's blowing up at the lope. And so I wouldn't have pushed him further either. It is what it is. You know you've got some work to do.
We just bought a horse on Sunday. The sellers were fooling around with her on the barrels and they put her through a set because they thought that was what we'd like to see. Then they encouraged my daughter to run one too but she opted out and simply walked, jogged, and loped. That's all we needed to know. She's far from finished and we'll do things our own way, nice and slow. |
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Having Smokin Bandits
Posts: 4572
Location: Woodstown, NJ | pinx05 - 2015-04-28 5:49 PM crapshooter - 2015-04-28 3:56 PM Better yet, ask the owner to w/t/c. Don't get on if it's dangerous. I ALWAYS ask the owner to get on and do the things with the horse that I will do with the horse when I get on.
For instance I went to look at a horse for my child and husband as a good gentle beginner horse. They claimed that this horse was the horse for me. So I went and looked at him. Couldn't ride in the arena that day (I think it was really sloppy), so I asked if I could come back and test ride him. They said Sure no problem. So I did. Well I asked the owner if he would get on first just so I could watch him (When really most of my reasoning is to see if I might die when I get on the horse). I asked him if he could w/t/c and he said sure. Well he didn't get him above a trot. I asked him if he could and I could tell he really didn't want to, kept telling me how bomb proof this horse was. I ended up telling him I wasn't interested, so he gave in. As soon as he got this horse out of a trot he blew up on the guy. This horse wasn't doing just a little hopping around either. I never did get on that horse. So much for a beginner horse...
I could tell though there was a reason that guy didn't want to get him into a canter. Turns out I was right, and I was glad it wasn't me getting lawn darted. lol If an owner won't get on their own horse and put them through the paces I will walk away right then, because they know something that I don't care to find out. Granted I am not asking them to get on their horse and give me an award winning perfomance... just show me that it isn't going to try to kill me lol.
This cracked me up. Hope you don't mind me veering off course a bit on the thread, but I also learned to never get on a horse first when horse shopping no matter how bombproof it's supposed to be. The last time I did this was when I got on a pony that was supposed to be bombproof for my small daughter. It bucked me off. I tell my daughter now (she's 18 now), don't do anything the seller won't do. If the seller won't lope it, don't you lope. Seems the loping problem is common lately. We looked at three horses recently who the owner wouldn't lope. The one last week was supposed to be "well-broke." The only problem it had was it was herd bound. No big deal. I could fix that. Well-broke--all I had to do was start training it for barrels. It was ready to go. So we drive three hours. The horse is not broke at all! The owner seemed shocked that I asked her to get on it first. She reluctantly got on. With a bit of trouble. Horse stepping sideways, getting light on the front end... Husband holds it to help her. She mounts from the fence. Plop in the saddle! Can't get the mare to walk or jog in a consistent manner so I can get a good look at how it moves. Had it on plenty of trail rides though. Turns out she puts visitors on the horse and it follows the other horses on the trail. That's why it's so herd bound. That's all it does. It hadn't even ever been in the round pen before. I asked, "Who broke this horse?" she said, "Oh, So-and-So rode it three or four times a few years ago." She had to call the neighbor over--a hand--to give it a little round pen lesson so I could see it move. The horse kicked and aimed at the neighbor multiple times. Needless to say, none of us got on that horse. Nor did we buy it. |
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Test ride without going thru the pattern