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When buying a Foal.....

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Last activity 2014-07-09 12:09 PM
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3TinCans
Reg. Mar 2014
Posted 2014-07-08 11:51 AM
Subject: When buying a Foal.....


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When looking for a future barrel horse. What type of confirmation is important to look for? I know buying a baby is taking a shot in the dark but we want to take the chance Suggestions please!!!!!
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dream_chaser
Reg. Jun 2006
Posted 2014-07-08 1:32 PM
Subject: RE: When buying a Foal.....



Chasin my Dream


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 I really take into consideration what dam & sire looks like...then pedigree.....never a guarantee on either BUT gives ya a really good indicator! 
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Murphy
Reg. Dec 2007
Posted 2014-07-08 1:38 PM
Subject: RE: When buying a Foal.....



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When they first pop out, they don't really look like much. This guy was born on May 19th, and these pictures were taken last night, so he is less than 2 months old. He isn't square up good, but you can tell he has a nice shoulder and a good hip. Look for pictures when they are older than a few weeks. Babies are tough, looking looking at mama and sire help too.

 
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Whiteboy
Reg. Jul 2012
Posted 2014-07-08 1:38 PM
Subject: RE: When buying a Foal.....


Military family

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Watch the way they move.  Look for balance.   
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oija
Reg. Feb 2012
Posted 2014-07-08 2:02 PM
Subject: RE: When buying a Foal.....



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Same basics apply. Buy one that's set up good with solid muscling and most importantly has a solid structure in feet, legs, shoulder and hip angles.

This is what mine looked like at one day old:


At two weeks:


At four weeks:


At 9 weeks:


At 11 weeks.



Buy one that's built square, whose legs are in the right places, shoulder angle is at 45 degrees, tail isnt set too low or too high. Expect some uphill or downhill builds as they are growing, or one end to be a bit more muscled at one time than the other. But there should be some overall balance between each part of the body. Try and get video of them moving so you know that they are moving well. Certainly look at sire and dam records. Look at horses bred similarly and how they are performing. These are all the best predictors of the foal's potential.
ETA:

Here's video of her moving up through about four weeks and has pedigree information.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeEO7KLHuIY

Edited by oija 2014-07-08 2:06 PM
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KatieMac88
Reg. Apr 2012
Posted 2014-07-08 4:20 PM
Subject: RE: When buying a Foal.....



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oija - 2014-07-08 2:02 PM Same basics apply. Buy one that's set up good with solid muscling and most importantly has a solid structure in feet, legs, shoulder and hip angles.



This is what mine looked like at one day old:





At two weeks:





At four weeks:





At 9 weeks:





At 11 weeks.







Buy one that's built square, whose legs are in the right places, shoulder angle is at 45 degrees, tail isnt set too low or too high. Expect some uphill or downhill builds as they are growing, or one end to be a bit more muscled at one time than the other. But there should be some overall balance between each part of the body. Try and get video of them moving so you know that they are moving well. Certainly look at sire and dam records. Look at horses bred similarly and how they are performing. These are all the best predictors of the foal's potential.

ETA:



Here's video of her moving up through about four weeks and has pedigree information.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeEO7KLHuIY

Very nice baby!!  
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Mighty Broke
Reg. Jul 2004
Posted 2014-07-09 10:26 AM
Subject: RE: When buying a Foal.....



Guys Just Wanna Have Fun


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If at all possible it is nice to see a full sibling that is older.
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ausranch
Reg. Aug 2006
Posted 2014-07-09 10:59 AM
Subject: RE: When buying a Foal.....



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It's tough and it helps to have seen a lot of them grow up. If you have a friend that has similar taste in horses who has seen a lot of babies grow up into the kind of horses you like, get them to look with you. About 90% of baby horses are cute . . . a whole lot lower percentage grow up to be good looking adults.

I agree that looking at relatives - as many as possible - is a good idea. I'd say not just sire and dam but other colts by the same stud and out of the same mare. I can think of some great producers who aren't that attractive in person, however. And some sires that are good looking but are inconsistent sires . . . a lot of those, really.

There's an old saying that you should look at a baby at 2 days, 2 months, and then don't look again until 2 years. That's obviously a little odd, but there's some truth in it. Baby fat can make them look better than they are going to be and it can also make their neck disappear. Growth spurts can do terrible, terrible things to good babies (OMG, my yearlings right now . . . .)

Just because it is a challenge to judge babies and because there is a little added risk, don't back off if that is what you want. Just study a little harder. An old timer once told me if you aren't willing to buy babies you will always be shopping for horses that have been picked over. His opinion was that a lot of the best ones sell only once, as weanlings, and never sell again. I think that is worth considering.
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cutnrunqhmt
Reg. Oct 2010
Posted 2014-07-09 12:04 PM
Subject: RE: When buying a Foal.....



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I don't buy babies but raise them and you have gotten good advice already. I like to have people come more than once and also watch them out in the field playing, interacting with the other horses ect. You can see a lot about athletic ability and of course personality by watching. While conformation is a big deal so are some of the smaller things. If you can see colts by the stud that is always nice to see if he is stamping his colts with all the right qualities.
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Runninbay
Reg. Sep 2004
Posted 2014-07-09 12:09 PM
Subject: RE: When buying a Foal.....



Georgia Peach


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STRAIGHT LEGS and proper angles. Look for a gentle sloping shoulder, croup and pasterns. Those will be good indicators of future conformation. A personal thing I like to see in a foal is a kind eye as well. 
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