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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456
 
Location: SW MO | If your goal for the year was to start hitting URA/IPRA/ACRA rodeos, and you were horseless (looking to buy), would you buy something that was broke and was ready to start on the pattern, or something older and seasoned? Working in a tight budget has me considering either option |
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Expert
Posts: 4766
 
Location: Bandera, TX | Time, in on a young one or buy a proven older been there done that horse. Some young horses can be competitive in a matter of two to three years after their freshman year of competition. If your not equiped to train then buy. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1631
Location: Somewhere around here | Honestly I'd say look for an older been there done that rodeo horse. You don't have to season them, just have to keep up maintenance, and more than likely they'll bring in money quicker than a young horse seasoning. Then with that money you can save it up to buy a really nice started prospect. Looking back I wish this is what I done when this exact situation came to me. Seasoning a young one wasn't what I expected when I was looking just to have fun going to rodeos and trying to get some money. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| If this year is the goal - buy one ready to go.
If 2-3 years to season and be competitive is a possibility then buy the prospect.
I don’t know about the last 2 associations but the URA can be pretty salty depending on the year to make finals, a lot of really nice horses running.
This will be my 3rd year on my gelding and 2nd year rodeoing on him. We were just out of the money several times last year so fingers crossed this year we get right in there! |
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 Saint Stacey
| There isn’t a right or wrong answer. An older, seasoned horse will give you instant gratification as far as being able to rodeo right away goes. But you still have to get with them and that can take time. Plus you might only have a few years before you are in the same boat of looking for another horse. Plus the older they get, the harder they become to find someone that wants them.
A prospect probably won’t be ready for a few years. Some horses are born seasoned and take to it right away, but they are rare. Plus there is no guarantee they will make a rodeo horse. And you are the only one that can truthfully answer what your ability is as far as finishing a horse goes. But if everything works out, then you’ll have something for many years.
I think you need to sit down, make a list of pros and cons for both options, give your own abilities a long, hard and truthful evaluation and then decide what is best for your long term goals and situation. |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| If I wanted to go to any of the asssociations listed above, and I wanted to be competitive this year, I'd buy a 17 year old fireball that I could take great care of an get another year from, and I'd buy a five year old finished jackpot horse that was ready to start hauling to some rodeos.
Fair warning, those two horses are still looking at a combined price tag of anywhere from 20-50,000, and that's being extremely modest.
An old rodeo horse that can be competitive another year is still not a cheap individial. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456
Location: SW MO | cecollins0811 - 2017-12-30 7:26 AM
Honestly I'd say look for an older been there done that rodeo horse. You don't have to season them, just have to keep up maintenance, and more than likely they'll bring in money quicker than a young horse seasoning. Then with that money you can save it up to buy a really nice started prospect. Looking back I wish this is what I done when this exact situation came to me. Seasoning a young one wasn't what I expected when I was looking just to have fun going to rodeos and trying to get some money.
I think I’ll be looking for a seasoned horse. I can season one, but working at the job that requires a lot of time. I know either option won’t be “cheap”. Thanks everyone for their opinions- I love them! |
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Member
Posts: 31
| I know most of the horses that place at rodeos and make the ACRA finals every year are usually the same horses and they are been there done that kind. Not saying a green horse doesn't place or make it I just know the horses that are consistently placing are the seasoned ones. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456
Location: SW MO | I wasn’t meaning to just haul something green, I think that you shouldn’t go till you have a horse that can compete. I was just meaning taking a different route and having one that took time to get ready but that also means you could have something that is younger but may not make. Just different ways to get there and trying to make a decision either way. |
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Expert
Posts: 1432
| Definitely a seasoned rodeo horse. Takes a while to get the young ones seasoned to the rodeo atmosphere and ground. I start at jackpots and when they're running good there, 1D/2D, I start entering the slack and then perfs. |
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  Keeper of the King Snake
Posts: 7617
Location: Dubach, LA | If I had that goal, I’d pour another glass of wine. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456
Location: SW MO | CanCan - 2017-12-30 6:59 PM
If I had that goal, I’d pour another glass of wine.
This comment has been stuck in my head the past few days, it really made me chuckle. I feel like horse shopping in general makes me want to have several glasses of wine |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456
Location: SW MO | 3TurnsonSpud - 2017-12-30 6:20 PM
Definitely a seasoned rodeo horse. Takes a while to get the young ones seasoned to the rodeo atmosphere and ground. I start at jackpots and when they're running good there, 1D/2D, I start entering the slack and then perfs.
I am definitely leaning this direction for sure. |
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 Loves to compete
Posts: 5760
Location: Oakdale, CA | yes older been there done that seasoned already................so much fun!
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | I don't know many people who can get one started on the pattern and ready to compete at URA/IPRA/ACRA rodeos in one year. Hats off to you if you can do that, but those are some tough associations. We just finished the New Year's Rodeo Stampede in KC (URA/MRCA/ACRA) and I believe there was a past NFR horse there the first day who didn't even place - and he had a good run! Multiple WPRA circuit finalists compete in both the URA & MRCA and even they don't dominate every weekend. It's just tough for a green horse to be competitive with the caliber of horses out there right now.
Personally, I'd look for an older finished horse that maybe needs a little fine tuning and see what you can do. In August 2016, I picked up a 14 year old gelding who'd been a 1D horse before he went sour at the gate and the lady quit trying to run him. We changed a few things with his diet, his feet, and how we approach runs, then I spent a lot of time donating my money at jackpots to try and get with him. Fast forward to August 2017 - that sucker went on a tear and placed at 4 of the last 5 rodeos I ran him at, making sure I made the URA Finals. I swear he'd have been 5-for-5 if Maryville MO didn't have a giant TV screen right behind the second barrel.....he got distracted watching himself and made a 20 foot circle around that barrel LOL.
I guess my point is that there are always horses out there for sale that have been there and done that but for whatever reason aren't working for the current rider. If you can figure them out, you can have a heck of a horse for a fraction of what they're really worth. |
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 Three in a Bikini
Posts: 2035
| Older Rodeo Horses = LOVE |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Older been there done that horse, so much more fun in the long run  |
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 The Worst Seller Ever
Posts: 4138
Location: Oklahoma | It can be done on a green horse that knows the pattern in the ACRA. There are enough quiet slacks at good rodeos to make it seem like a jackpot & you only need around 2k to make it in. The IPRA & UPRA are a different story though. If those are your goals then you do need something older than can handle the ground/perfs/odd entries/ect. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 602
| Seriously go look at high school rodeo horses, specifically older ones. Ive bought a few, spent 1-2 months fine tuning and they have been awesome and easy to ride. Jump on and go kind of horses. Been competing with other ammy rodeo horses and Ive been out running them. some of these high school girls dont know what they have. They will sell them cheaper to get into younger horses they have to train. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 883
Location: Southern Indiana | Seasoning a horse to rodeo isn't for the faint of heart! Even a younger one that's seasoned can be tough, there's so much more going on. I learned that this year and I don't regret it at all but you have to be prepared to be embarrassed! It's one thing if you ride like a monkey at a barrel race but when you have an announcer and the crowd it's a lot worse. Lol My colt had some nice runs, but I sure missed my old trusty!
Go for the older seasoned horse...you'll have a lot more fun! |
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If your goal was to ammy rodeo...