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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
  
| How does a horse become push style or more of a free runner?
Training? Bloodline/genetics? (more QH or more TB?) Are OTT horses usually more free?
I'm just curious because all of the horses I have owned have seemingly been more push style. 1 Impressive bred, 1 QH racing bred, 1 Appendix that's only got 1 line of QH in his lineage.
I have wondered what riding a free runner would be like and if I could do it or would like it. I'm curious in what to look for that might be a guide on a younger horse. |
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  More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
 
Location: Riding Crackhead. | I have no idea but I do know this. I love that Crackhead is free running because its a lot less work for me than my push style. I was always out of breath by the time I crossed the eye. LOL I do think with my mare its a combo of both breeding and training. The Moody's teach them to run! I love it. |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | I have two push style (one is appendix off the track, the other is cow bred) and one free runner (cow bred). The free runner was my favorite to run. Actually my OTT mare is a little in between push & free. You don't have to really hustle her or push her past the barrels, but my free runner was always on the verge of feeling like a runaway, and she doesn't ever feel quite like that.
The hardest thing with my free runner was not trying to "force" him to rate. I was always getting on his face because he felt like he was going to blow by, but when I tried to "make" him set he just braced against me and blew his turns. If I just let him haul all the way to the barrel and just sat for my turns and left him alone, he was fine. But having to trust a horse running that fast and NOT touching his face took a lot of trust haha.
Edited by livexlovexrodeo 2014-09-10 4:59 PM
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| I have a free runner (cow bred- big mare) and a push style (running bred- short stalky mare). I personally would rather ride a push style because I grew up on them. Funny thing is I trained the free running horse. She just turned out to be a free runner. She is very responsive to rate (my seat, voice & hands) until you ask for a run- then I just have to "trust my training." I still 2 handed bump her if I feel we are just hauling you know what but she is NOT a run away. I always feel in control. When I talked to Ty Mitchell about her he said the mare is just really broke to listen. "Go" body language means GO and "whoa" body language means WHOA. Period. So when I sit up between barrels she GOES lol. The push style mare I trained off and on but I just did the finishing touches. She is a "push until you can't no more" kind of horse. You can't push too much on her. Too little and you'll hit. The more you push the faster your run. |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | I think it's a combination of genetics, training, and personal preference of the horse.
When I say genetics I don't mean cow versus run. I don't think you need cow lines to have a horse born to crave a turn- look at all the Dash Ta Fames out there who are all bred to run and just eat up the barrels.
This mare: http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/ole+rare+hope is 100% running bred and she is 100% push type. My sister has recently started getting her to run by the first barrel because she's got it in her head she will hit it. It's driving me insane.
This mare: http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/doc+o+flits+honor classically can run by the first but you can't push her past the other two barrels. She clocks in the 1D running this way. She is 50/50 run and cow
This mare: http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/reckless+lucy is inbetween. I don't whip mine inbetween the barrels but you do have to drive her across the pen. She doesn't usually go by barrels but she can go by the third.
This mare: http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/ms+rare+buds is a free runner. If you give her the option to run all out to the first barrel, she will not rate. I don't know if that is man made, due to injury, or just how she is. I do know her best runs and best first barrels come after injections, and the "free runner" comes out when she's getting due again. But likewise, the only barrel I have to worry about her running by is the first barrel. She hits her mark on the second and third every time, I just hang on and try to keep up.
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 A Gopher's Worst Nightmare
Posts: 5094
Location: Southern Oregon | Honestly I believe it is genetics and heart!!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE my free runners. I have owned both free runners and push style horses, won with both as well. But man oh man.....there is nothing like running a true free runner that loves their job!!! I always felt my free runners enjoyed there jobs. |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | I have no idea what makes some push style when they look on paper like they should be free runners. My two OTT horses have a lot of rate. Indoors I have a devil of a time making clean runs on Cliff, but outdoors we bounce between push style and complete runaway. I tell people there is rate in the water at my house because all 4 of mine that I trained are push style and WANT to turn. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I do agree genetics play some part.
I have really noticed FDD producing sires the ones I have ridden and seen anyway throw more push style then free runner.
Dash Ta Fames, the one I have seen won't run by a barrel and don't need to be rated down.
Dashing Cleats, I had two and you could send them in as fast as possible to first and both would crank it without any help.
Perfect Possibility canadian owned sired by FDD you show them the barrel and they turn it
Wild on Corona by Corona Cartel canadian owned, again all the ones I have seen won't run by a barrel.
My Judge Cash mare I consider her a free runner, as I had to rate her down at each barrel or she would go by.
I may have different definitions of push and free runner, as none of my horses knock or drop a shoulder. My judge cash mare, I worked for a few years trying to get her to rate like my others and never succeeded, so I am not sure if it is something that is trainable.
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