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 Queen Bee Cat Owner
Posts: 3629
    
Location: Way up North | Obviously this is all pretty subjective stuff but is anyone open to sharing what their training timeline looks like for a futurity prospect? When do you send them out to be started (or do it yourself)? How long you leave them at the colt starter? Do you give them time off and if so how long? Do you ride them for awhile after the colt starter and before sending them to the barrel trainer? At what point/age do you send them off to be put on the pattern? Do you just leave them at the barrel trainer or do you take them home for awhile after they are patterned and before they start fine tuning to enter?
I did a little bit up here last year on a colt I raised and learned a lot but I did it myself and on this next one I think she is going to be pretty nice so I want to give her the best shot I can. I am pretty confident the starter I am sending her to will put a nice handle on her and then I plan to ride her a bit before winter and kick her out until spring and send her to one of two barrel trainers I have in mind but interested in some others experiences. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1591
Location: East Texas | We put 30 days on ours in the fall of their 2yo year. Then we send them to our trainer, he prefers them to only have 30 days, so he can put a handle on them himself. He rides them for a few months, then they get a break while we go to Arizona for the futurities. He starts them on the pattern around March, but every colt is different. Our most successful futurity colt didn't get started on the barrels until August of her 3yo year, due to no fault on her, we didn't buy her until then, and by Diamonds and Dirt in March she was running in the 1d. She is 5 now and places in the top 5 every time at 500 horse shows. But she is the exception in most cases. If our trainer thinks they need a break we bring them home for a month, he isn't one to blow a colt up, and he knows when to back off, and we only live a hour from him so its easy to go pick them up, and we see them exhibition every week. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I get 30 day start as an early 3 yr old continue to ride them throughout the summer, have them loping a pattern by fall of 3 yr old year, kick them out for 3 months, bring them back in keep barrel work as 4 yr old exhibition late summer, fall of 4 yr old and running December of 4 yr old.
This is in a perfect world where they stay sound, and can handle the stress.
Currently my 4 yr olds are behind in my program. |
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Expert
Posts: 3300
| Broke as a two early not late... I don't like to jam my horses and break them late and not have enough time to teach them the basics... I don't do short cuts like bitting them up ect .. Then they get put on the pattern when they are ready usually dec or early in the 3 yr old year so they already have a year under there belt... All of mine are sound and have no issues caused by breaking early ect |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | I bought mine fall of her 2 YO year. she was broke and in race training but hadn't had too much done. She honestly felt like she was just broke with a good handle. I started walking/trotting the pattern December of her 2 YO year when I was home on break. Then throughout spring semester when I would come home on the weekends I would do some more patterning and riding. Most of this summer we have worked on speeding up here and there and then I would give her a few weeks off to chill. Right now she's at the stage where we need to exhibition and work on speeding up away from home. She feels ready to enter in December but I don't think she will be 1D speed….If she stays the course she should be ready for Diamonds and Dirt but I don't think we are going to put the money up to enter her… rats! |
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 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | Understand I haven't futuried one yet but based on a lot of reading and personal preferences this is the plan I have for my current two year old.
As a two year old:
Went in April-May for 30 rides with colt starter (took longer because colt starter got injured)
June-September for 90 rides (goes to barrel trainer but only for handle, handling the way she wants)
I get her home and ride her, just letting her see things from two to three year old year.
Three year old year:
April-June (90 days early SLOW start on barrel pattern)
Get her back and ride her around. Haul her around and just keep getting her gentle, maybe another 30 days with barrel trainer in Fall.
Four year old year:
April-June (90 days to work fast and start exhibitions)
Bring her home and I exhibition her into Fall
October (send her back for 30 days fine tuning speed).
Five year old year:
Starting the Dec of her four year old year going into her five year old year I start. Still not sure if I can compete in the BFA since I won't really ride her most of her 4 year old year in competition. Planning on attending some of the following as a five year old.
Greg Olson & Classic Equine Futurities (maybe--not sure I want to haul that far)
Diamonds & Dirt
Lucky Dog Futurity
BBR in OKC
Colorado Classic Futurity
WrapN3 Futurity
JBQH Futurity with Texas Best Sale
Maybe compete in Brenham, Hamilton, and Kerrville some for WPRA.
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Queen Bee Cat Owner
Posts: 3629
Location: Way up North | Thanks for the input all. I have a game plan in mind but a lot of it will depend on how she is to start and how quickly she comes along. I would have liked to have had her at the starter by now but I drug my feet and didn't get on the list soon enough. I will probably hold her over until she is 5 anyways becuase you can up here so she should catch up it's just our dang winters and no indoor that worries me the most. |
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