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 Loves to compete
Posts: 5760
   
Location: Oakdale, CA | I just wondered what everyones opinions on when shopping for a long yearling or a 2 year old. I'm not impressed when the ads say all ground work done ready to start your way. I would rather see them not handled cept maybe ties and picks up feet for trims than all ground work done saddles etc. ready for first ride. I want to say then ride them already!!! If you can get them that far start them! If you don't want to put the first ride on them than leave it for the professionals..
does this make sense??
Am I the only one that feels like this??? |
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Expert
Posts: 1446
Location: California | Yes and no. I see your point but I see theirs too. I do like my colts to be gentle when I get them, but I don't like everyone's version of ground work.
if the add said they were ground worked with Buck or Ray Hunt methods that would hold way way way more weight to me than not, and I think it would be worth $. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| It doesn't bother me if the groundwork is done. I would rather buy one that hasn't been rode then one that has, as I send them to a trainer before I ever get on them, as I cannot afford to get hurt. I have also become particular on how my horses are trained.
If the groundwork is done, then the trainer will have less to do.
As with everything, groundwork is subjective, some say round penning getting them to face up, picking up feet, halter breaking is all groundwork. To me this is just daily handling. |
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Expert
Posts: 2121
Location: The Great Northwest | got boost? - 2015-11-20 4:52 PM
I just wondered what everyones opinions on when shopping for a long yearling or a 2 year old. I'm not impressed when the ads say all ground work done ready to start your way. I would rather see them not handled cept maybe ties and picks up feet for trims than all ground work done saddles etc. ready for first ride. I want to say then ride them already!!! If you can get them that far start them! If you don't want to put the first ride on them than leave it for the professionals..
does this make sense??
Am I the only one that feels like this???
You are not the only one who feels leave the riding to the professional. I understand that some can do ground work but do not want to ride for personal reasons. |
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Expert
Posts: 2121
Location: The Great Northwest | I would be checking out the ground work done. Check with people who know the person and find out how the training went in the past. It is like buying a horse that is broke. I would be checking that out too before buying. What is broke? |
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Member
Posts: 25
Location: siberia it seems | It does not bother me if they are 2 or early 3, but the "ready to start you way" on an older 3, 4, or 5 year old does, especially if they still think its as valuable as a broke one with a job. |
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 Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | got boost? - 2015-11-19 7:52 PM I just wondered what everyones opinions on when shopping for a long yearling or a 2 year old. I'm not impressed when the ads say all ground work done ready to start your way. I would rather see them not handled cept maybe ties and picks up feet for trims than all ground work done saddles etc. ready for first ride. I want to say then ride them already!!! If you can get them that far start them! If you don't want to put the first ride on them than leave it for the professionals..
does this make sense??
Am I the only one that feels like this??? I've never thought of it that way...
I can do groundwork as little or as much as I'd like over the first 1-3 years. I feel like getting those first rides requires a lot more commitment.
If I were buying again, I'd MUCH prefer one that will tie, load, stand for farrier, etc. (even if it isn't started under saddle) over one that hasn't been touched, or only handled enough to know how to fight.
Personal preference, I guess.
Edited by just4fun 2015-11-20 9:05 AM
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 Heeler Hoarder
Posts: 2067
| It depends on what they have done. I don't want a yearling that you have worked in a round pen everyday as I don't think it is good on their joints. Now tying, loading, clipping etc is great but no round pen or other hard work etc. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| It doesn't matter to me because either way I am going to start the colt as if it had never been touched to make sure there aren't any holes, and I think if you're going to be the one to put the first rides on a colt the ground work is a necessary step to building a working relationship.
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | It turns me off if they say ready to start and they are 3 or older and not broke.
If they are yearlings, i don't want anyone on their back. So, I would rather them have been saddled and maybe lunged a little bit but not riding because I don't want them being ridden too early.
2YOs.. IDK. if its early in the year, I don't exactly mind, but, I would rather someone have taken that step and go ahead and get on them. |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| This is why I absolutely love track broke colts. It doesn't take anything at all to get them riding and reining nicely, and take them to the pattern. They've already been handled, shod, broke from a gate, etc. etc. I figure if he didn't break in half coming out of a gate, or dump the exercise rider or jockey off of the little saddle, we're in business. I also know that they'll get on a trailer (some better than others), been stalled, hauled, handled, bathed, clipped, wrapped, blah blah blah. All the hard work is done. A little round pen time to find the holes and fill them are all that's needed.
I don't like buying colts from people, unless it's from a well known source. Everyone has a different definition of 'ground work', 'ready to get on', and 'gentle'. There's a select set of breeders I'd consider, also due to the fact that many breeders don't see to the nutritional needs properly. Why would I buy a $3500 two year old that's been on just grass, then brought in and scared to death being halter broke and handled, fed hay once a day, and needs a ton of coddling and heavy nutritional changes to get him straightened out? I could buy a $5000 two year old that's been handled since he was a baby, fed the right things, started carefully under saddle, and is ready to come home and start learning from good breeders that truly care about their program. |
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 Expert
Posts: 4625
Location: Desert Land | For me personally, I am not physically/mentally in shape to start colts any more. I used to do it, but I just can't ride the same way I did 10 years ago when I was 75 lbs lighter.
So for example, I prepped 2 yearling colts for the Tx Best Sale last week and my 2 colts were handled A LOT. They had been bitted up with a surcingle, saddled, lunged, ponied, and started ground driving. I did everything I would do right up to the point where it's time to get on. I didn't work the crap out of them...usually 20ish minute session almost every day and then tied up for 30 minutes or so and you could tell they had been handled a lot...they showed well in the ring and handled nicely for everyone come to see them pre-sale. I did all the hard work on them, they're gentle and easy, give to bit pressure, know vocal cues, someone just has to step on.
As a matter of fact, I talked to the buyer of the stallion yesterday and he told me I had done a good job with him and they were excited about him. Made me feel really good coming from him.
Edited by TheOldGrayMare 2015-11-20 9:48 AM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | From experience, it isn't the groundwork that is important.......it is the quality of groundwork. Forget any method, that is hogwash. If a person tells me been started on ground work with Clinton Anderson or Buck method, I see that as usually meaning the quality of work is poor. I haven't seen too many people that claim to follow a clinicians method that were actual good horsemen themselves, hence why they looked to learn a method and advertise that.
Every great horsemen I know has their own methods that is a variation of someone else. Heck, every so called method is just learned from a person before and everyone uses at least the same core principles. Most people do not understand, it is the person that is working with the horse that is more important than the so called method used.
On to my last point. I would rather see a horse that has not been handled, than one that has, unless I know the quality of training is really good. Why? Because it is sooooo easy to improperly handle a foal and weanling AND only top quality horsemanship is really all that helpful. Katie has experience with quite an array of horses over the years and the easiest to start are ones that were halter broke and loaded on a trailer the week before. The reason is they are a clean slate. The horses that have "been handled and ready to start" in general take MORE time before they are truly ready for the first ride and that time is vastly spent teaching them respect and to do things correctly. Their frustration level is usually higher and there is often some little something about them that needs more work to get fixed. This is not always the case, but generally speaking it is.
In general we use a more Clinton Anderson approach than anything. Ground driving has become more of a important step than previously as well.
Edited by Tdove 2015-11-20 10:21 AM
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Expert
Posts: 2121
Location: The Great Northwest | veintiocho - 2015-11-21 6:28 AM It doesn't matter to me because either way I am going to start the colt as if it had never been touched to make sure there aren't any holes, and I think if you're going to be the one to put the first rides on a colt the ground work is a necessary step to building a working relationship.
 Like this approach! |
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Loves to compete
Posts: 5760
Location: Oakdale, CA | skye - 2015-11-20 8:16 AM veintiocho - 2015-11-21 6:28 AM It doesn't matter to me because either way I am going to start the colt as if it had never been touched to make sure there aren't any holes, and I think if you're going to be the one to put the first rides on a colt the ground work is a necessary step to building a working relationship. Like this approach!
ok so what do the professional horse starters prefer? Meaning someone that makes their living off starting horses and has been in the business and will be in the business for a long time.
I'm just curious.... |
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