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 I hate cooking and cleaning
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Location: Jersey Girl | How long does it take for a horse to run to his full potential? Does it mainly depend on the horse and how often he is entered or are there other factors? |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Huge range of factors IMO. Many down to the individual horse, many for the training program he's in.
My last one felt like 1 step forward and 2 steps back. Overall he was a naturally wary horse and I felt was going to take a long time to season and find his own "grit".
My current one I started on the pattern last November and we won tha 3D this weekend in good company. He is a lot calmer, braver, and he came to me at age 7 but broke as a joke, I wish I knew who'd started him I'd buy from them all day long. so mentally he was a lot farther along than the previous who was 5. He's no where near his potential but I'm so looking forward to this summer. |
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  Independent Cuss
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Location: Dearing, GA | I've got one who I am just starting to take somewhere every other weekend. I'm still doing time-onlys because he is gaining confidence speed wise. I won't waste my money in adult or open until he can start clocking confidently. For example, his time only was an 18 where the winning time was a 14.3. |
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 Gotta Have a Gray
Posts: 899
Location: Tex. Panhandle | Completely depends on the horse and how much you are able to go. I've got a coming 7 year old gelding that has literally been entered maybe 6-8 times since his 3 yr old year due to previous owners commitments. After 2 races he is clocking top of the 2d at barrel bashes (.6 off of american semi round qualifiers) I think his age def helps him out as he is a little older, but he has an incredible foundation and pattern! He just needed someone to actually take him and be consistent on running him.
We were not at all expecting him to come on this fast so it is a pleasant surprise. |
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Mrs. Txdad
Posts: 14084
Location: the fantasy txdad married | It takes 11 minutes to train a barrel horse. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 634
| 1left2right - 2016-03-28 4:39 PM
It takes 11 minutes to train a barrel horse.
HAHA. Good one! |
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 Expert
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Location: Piedmont, OK | It just depends on the horse and a lot of times age is a huge factor. Younger horses have light bulb moments and then complete memory loss in my opinion! I had a 6 yr old horse that went from the 4 D to the 1 D in less than 6 months. But then I have had one take over a year..... |
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Posts: 158
| I think there are so many contributing factors you cant ever really tell. Age, level of natural talent, time, holy cow the list could go forever. There are always flukes too! I was a 13 year old on a 3 year old I raised that was running in the 1D after maybe 5-6 months on barrels, I thought why do people act like this is hard?! I have had alot more horses since then and realized pretty quick I'm no trainer some just train themselves lol |
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 I Want a "MAN"
Posts: 3610
Location: MD | gunner07 - 2016-03-29 1:11 PM I think there are so many contributing factors you cant ever really tell. Age, level of natural talent, time, holy cow the list could go forever. There are always flukes too! I was a 13 year old on a 3 year old I raised that was running in the 1D after maybe 5-6 months on barrels, I thought why do people act like this is hard?! I have had alot more horses since then and realized pretty quick I'm no trainer some just train themselves lol
 Thats awesome you were able to experience that though! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 602
| Lets say you are riding a 5-7 yr old. I think 1 summer of hauling would give you an idea of where that horse will place in the future. (10-20 races) If you are riding anything under that age, its going to be a hit and miss for a while. I've trained several older horses and they have taken to the pattern quicker. Ive trained a few young ones and it can be a struggle to understand where their brain is at. haha.
One well known trainer told me it takes 200 hours of riding to get a horse seasoned. I think it really depends on the rider and horse.
Edited by spitzh 2016-03-30 2:29 PM
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| Ive had a couple of really good hands tell me it took a good 2 years before they started winning on their horse after starting. I kept my gelding at the house on the pattern for well over a year. Ive probably hauled entered him 20-25 times now and he is doing well, but I still feel like there is another gear to be hit... Yet I know some folks I know sent a nice horse to a very well known rider/trainer that was hauling said horse within DAYS of starting on the pattern. |
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I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | spitzh - 2016-03-30 3:27 PM Lets say you are riding a 5-7 yr old. I think 1 summer of hauling would give you an idea of where that horse will place in the future. (10-20 races) If you are riding anything under that age, its going to be a hit and miss for a while. I've trained several older horses and they have taken to the pattern quicker. Ive trained a few young ones and it can be a struggle to understand where their brain is at. haha. One well known trainer told me it takes 200 hours of riding to get a horse seasoned. I think it really depends on the rider and horse.
So if they are currently running 4D and occaisionally hitting the 3D during this time....then that's pretty much how they will always be? |
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 Elite Veteran
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Location: "...way down south in the Everglades..." | OhMax - 2016-03-28 12:33 PM Huge range of factors IMO. Many down to the individual horse, many for the training program he's in. My last one felt like 1 step forward and 2 steps back. Overall he was a naturally wary horse and I felt was going to take a long time to season and find his own "grit". My current one I started on the pattern last November and we won tha 3D this weekend in good company. He is a lot calmer, braver, and he came to me at age 7 but broke as a joke, I wish I knew who'd started him I'd buy from them all day long. so mentally he was a lot farther along than the previous who was 5. He's no where near his potential but I'm so looking forward to this summer.
This ^^^^
It's like wondering if the star athlete in middle school will be star in high school, or a star in college. So many variables. I even had one that mentally didn't grow up until 10/11...you really never know (but he also had a bad start when I bought him - abused).
You could put two horses in the same training program that are bred almost identical and still have varying results. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 602
| No, Ive seen a few young ones run in all D's within a summer. To me that horse does have the potential to run in 1-2D. Ive seen horses run in the 3-4D within a summer and stay the same. Some horses just stay stagnant. Like I said it depends on the horse and rider. |
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Time Frame to Season a Horse?