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 Expert
Posts: 1631
   
Location: Somewhere around here | Has anyone ever had a horse that didn't like running barrels? How did you know? | |
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 Famous for Not Complaining
Posts: 8848
 
Location: Broxton, Ga | I had one out of my mare she was awesome and so was he then out of the blue ran to the fence..... I done everything never really found anything wrong with him lameness etc......my best guess was the pressure of competition he just couldn't handle it which seem to be when the problems started. Otherwise all out great horse to ride and had the ability to be at the top but I guess it just wasn't meant to be.
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 575
| I don't feel like it's very hard to spot a horse who dislikes its job, no matter what discipline you're in. My very first youth gelding that I showed (cutter) one day just decided he'd had enough. He didn't like it anymore, and he was done. He would just quit a cow, started coming up the pen, quit trying to actually get across the pen and stop one, you could tell, he was just OVER IT. The horses who REFUSE to come in the pen, won't move out of the corner towards the first barrel, don't want to turn, and aren't trying a whole lot IF they get going, in my opinion, don't want to be barrel horses. And I'm not talking about the once in a blue moon bad day that every horse is bound to have. I'm talking about the repeat/every single run have these problems.
I think a lot of the time we make up excuses that the horse is sore or the ground or the setup or the noise etc etc etc, when the reality is they may not like it as much as we want them to. | |
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 Veteran
Posts: 129
Location: South | rpreast - 2016-05-20 3:08 PM
I don't feel like it's very hard to spot a horse who dislikes its job, no matter what discipline you're in. My very first youth gelding that I showed (cutter) one day just decided he'd had enough. He didn't like it anymore, and he was done. He would just quit a cow, started coming up the pen, quit trying to actually get across the pen and stop one, you could tell, he was just OVER IT. The horses who REFUSE to come in the pen, won't move out of the corner towards the first barrel, don't want to turn, and aren't trying a whole lot IF they get going, in my opinion, don't want to be barrel horses. And I'm not talking about the once in a blue moon bad day that every horse is bound to have. I'm talking about the repeat/every single run have these problems.
I think a lot of the time we make up excuses that the horse is sore or the ground or the setup or the noise etc etc etc, when the reality is they may not like it as much as we want them to.
^^^^ Yes! | |
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Expert
Posts: 1631
Location: Somewhere around here | trobertson - 2016-05-20 2:10 PM
rpreast - 2016-05-20 3:08 PM
I don't feel like it's very hard to spot a horse who dislikes its job, no matter what discipline you're in. My very first youth gelding that I showed (cutter) one day just decided he'd had enough. He didn't like it anymore, and he was done. He would just quit a cow, started coming up the pen, quit trying to actually get across the pen and stop one, you could tell, he was just OVER IT. The horses who REFUSE to come in the pen, won't move out of the corner towards the first barrel, don't want to turn, and aren't trying a whole lot IF they get going, in my opinion, don't want to be barrel horses. And I'm not talking about the once in a blue moon bad day that every horse is bound to have. I'm talking about the repeat/every single run have these problems.
I think a lot of the time we make up excuses that the horse is sore or the ground or the setup or the noise etc etc etc, when the reality is they may not like it as much as we want them to.
^^^^ Yes!
I think I'm having that sad realization that my horse isn't a barrel horse. | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 575
| cecollins0811 - 2016-05-20 3:19 PM
trobertson - 2016-05-20 2:10 PM
rpreast - 2016-05-20 3:08 PM
I don't feel like it's very hard to spot a horse who dislikes its job, no matter what discipline you're in. My very first youth gelding that I showed (cutter) one day just decided he'd had enough. He didn't like it anymore, and he was done. He would just quit a cow, started coming up the pen, quit trying to actually get across the pen and stop one, you could tell, he was just OVER IT. The horses who REFUSE to come in the pen, won't move out of the corner towards the first barrel, don't want to turn, and aren't trying a whole lot IF they get going, in my opinion, don't want to be barrel horses. And I'm not talking about the once in a blue moon bad day that every horse is bound to have. I'm talking about the repeat/every single run have these problems.
I think a lot of the time we make up excuses that the horse is sore or the ground or the setup or the noise etc etc etc, when the reality is they may not like it as much as we want them to.
^^^^ Yes!
I think I'm having that sad realization that my horse isn't a barrel horse.
There are so many ways to spin that into a positive though! I have a lot of respect for people who can/will recognize that, and do what's right for the horse. Just like you and I may like different music/clothing/sports/cars, they can't all live to be barrel horses. You know your horse, so I'm sure you have an idea of what he might enjoy and excel at, instead of running barrels. I say either pursue that (whatever 'it' is), or sell to someone who will and find you something that likes what it does and can't wait to get through the gait and work. | |
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Veteran
Posts: 129
Location: South | I have a beautiful dapple gray mare. I have owned her since she was 5 years old, she is 10 now. She wasn't started on the pattern when I purchased her, I started her myself and started hauling her. She will MAYBE clock 4D on her best day. She will run a beautiful pattern, perfect pocket, everything. However she doesn't get excited at all to enter the arena, just walks in like a dead head almost. So free no worries, just lopes off to the first barrel. I have tried to push her but that doesn't really help. I really feel like 4D is not the top of her potential but they most she is going to give me.
BUT...If you were to walk into a pastern to work/push cattle. She is head up, strutting along, blowing READY, EXCITE- like a TOTAL different horse. Will not let a calf out run her, or out work her. Craziest thing you have every seen. That is when I knew she didn't really care for running barrels. She just did what I asked her to do. Needless to say I made her a full time cow horse and bought another prospect. | |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Haha! Sure did. Both were cowbred and super smart. One was a turn back horse that was turned into a barrel horse several years before I got him. He just started crashing barrels. He would give you ONE SMOKIN run a year and then go right back to hitting. But you could work cows on him all day long and he'd never quit you. The other was a mare my sister did futurites on and rodeoed on. Later my daughter ran her for a year or so when she started giving her trouble on the barrels. You would fix one problem, only to have another come up. Again, she will work cattle all day long. She will get really mad if the cows come in easy and are easy in the pens- she'll throw a little fit, which is funny because my son rides her now and she is in her 20's. Both horses were in their early teens when they decided barrels was just not their thing. | |
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Expert
Posts: 1631
Location: Somewhere around here | I've owned my main guy for 6 years, did all the training in him and he is broke very nicely. He's a great horse, love riding him, but just inconsistent as heck on barrels. He'll do great if conditions are perfect and to his liking but I can't count on him to always try. I think he would be a great heeler or breakaway horse since he's not afraid of cattle. I've owned 4 horses that I've started on barrels myself and he's the only one of taking this much amount of time on, all the others were doing pretty well in a year or so. | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 885
| Horse's are like people. Some of us are great at one thing where the others are not. Doesn't make your horse a bad horse. I think it is horrible to make or force any horse or animal to do a job they don't like. I know I sure don't like being forced into something I don't like. Try different stuff with him. He will show you what he likes. | |
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boon
Posts: 2
| trobertson - 2016-05-20 3:40 PM
I have a beautiful dapple gray mare. I have owned her since she was 5 years old, she is 10 now. She wasn't started on the pattern when I purchased her, I started her myself and started hauling her. She will MAYBE clock 4D on her best day. She will run a beautiful pattern, perfect pocket, everything. However she doesn't get excited at all to enter the arena, just walks in like a dead head almost. So free no worries, just lopes off to the first barrel. I have tried to push her but that doesn't really help. I really feel like 4D is not the top of her potential but they most she is going to give me.
BUT...If you were to walk into a pastern to work/push cattle. She is head up, strutting along, blowing READY, EXCITE- like a TOTAL different horse. Will not let a calf out run her, or out work her. Craziest thing you have every seen. That is when I knew she didn't really care for running barrels. She just did what I asked her to do. Needless to say I made her a full time cow horse and bought another prospect.
I have the same problem!! I believe they have to love what the are doing to really excel at it. Mine LOVES working cattle, she will do barrels, but I can tell it's just not her thing!!!! | |
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 Schnoodle Lover
Posts: 2987
Location: **Cactus Country down in South Texas*** | I had a jam up little Off The Track gelding I got maybe 3-4 years ago, had him going really nice but just did not want to run cans. Athletic as could be, but I guess God had different plans. He is now a jam up cross country jumper in San Antonio. Guess he liked jumping more then having to squat & turn.  | |
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  More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | cecollins0811 - 2016-05-20 2:34 PM Has anyone ever had a horse that didn't like running barrels? How did you know?
Yes, we knew because she was the fastest horse we owned but when running barrels you couldn't get her out of a high lope no matter how much you kicked & whipped. She was also notorious for knocking barrels and it didn't matter how hard you tried to hold her off. She was also smart enough to make sure you hit, not her. She was rotten at barrels but a million dollar horse doing ranch work. She was also my daughters pride and joy and we lost her to a twisted gut on Fathers Day of 2015.  | |
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"Heck's Coming With Me"
Posts: 10794
Location: Kansas | I've seen horses totally out of whack conformation-wise being forced to run barrels. If a horses hind legs are straight as a pin for instance, it's impossible for him to gather under himself. Just an example. They just have to be put together to do it in order to do it well or enjoy the sport. | |
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