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Posts: 1631
   
Location: Somewhere around here | I'll try to keep this short and sweet. I've owned my current horse since he was a yearling, broke and trained him myself, and have a great relationship with this horse. He's is 8 this year and we've come a long way in discovering ourselves within the past 12 months. He is a horse that works and turns barrels off of his hind end and you need to turn the barrel after his hip is at the barrel, which is great for some people but I've learned that I prefer horses that turn barrels by following their nose and are naturally 4 wheel drive. Now since I've FINALLY figured out our differences last summer our times have been better and both of us are happier with running barrels, but I feel like we still aren't compatible for each other. I've contimplated and even tried selling this horse two times in the past but after a month or two or no one buying him I decide just to keep him and try to make things work because he is a well trained horse and one that I can trust. I know that's not very long at all but after a while I start getting sentimental about selling a horse I've owned this long.
Now my question is, should I keep a horse that I'm not 100% compatible with just because I'm sentimental and I know I can trust him? (By trust I mean he's rarely spooky and he is not a horse who tries to buck people off). |
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 Horsey Gene Carrier
Posts: 1888
Location: LaBelle, Florida | Every horse is a learning experience.....Keep riding him and learn from him. If you really want to sell, keep him up for sale but keep riding until he sells. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
 
| Having one you can trust is sure worth a lot - I haven't had one in several years now and I'm pretty much done because it's no fun anymore - it's nothing but STRESS and this is supposed to be a FUN hobby! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1612
Location: Cocoa, Florida | I'm with you on this one, I preferably like a horse that follows their nose in their turns and keeps the rounded forward momentum, like a run around horse. I have ran enough very different horses to know that I love that style and for me it's the easiest and most comfortable to ride. I don't mind a push style but a free runner is much easier to run also.
I'm struggling with the same issue right now, my cutting bred colt is very square and snappy, you have to push him into his turn and as soon as your leg passes the barrel you sit and look and he snaps, I've tried to make him as round as I could but he simply wants to run like that, which is fine because everything he's doing is correct for that style, it's just not what I prefer. However, I'm giving him a chance because I think he's going to be very nice but if I can't stay with him or it's not fun anymore then I will find another open horse more my style.
You have to decide whether it's going to be fun for you or if it's stressing you riding something you're not used to!! |
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Expert
Posts: 1612
Location: Cocoa, Florida | Griz - 2017-04-04 5:47 AM
Having one you can trust is sure worth a lot - I haven't had one in several years now and I'm pretty much done because it's no fun anymore - it's nothing but STRESS and this is supposed to be a FUN hobby!
I agree with this also, an HONEST horse is worth a million bucks! |
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 Expert
Posts: 2128
| Girl, I sort of know what you mean. I have a horse who is talented, SUPER broke, trustworthy, gentle as a dog, no bad habits. Hes competitive but I want to be more competitive. Ive contemplated selling him but I appreciate his qualities so much that I just cant. What makes me appreciate him even more is going to the jackpots and seeing a bunch of "crazy barrel horses". I take my two year old with me lots of places so its hard to get rid of one like him with my baby around. Ill probably have another horse but he will most likely stick around. |
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | I have to agree with others...having a horse you can trust is worth a lot, at least to me. My main mare is that and I won't ever sell her. She's not the easiest to ride on the barrel pattern (she's really ratey and you really have to push her to not knock) but you know she'll turn every time and you know she'll take care of you.
My take on it: put him at a price you would be happy if you sold him, but other wise keep him and ride him. You never know, you may grow to like that style! |
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| I have one of these. . . He rates hard, has a roll back style, and is a 3D horse. Yes I'd like to be faster than 3D, but this horse is so dang faithful and nice to have around I can't bring myself to sell him. He is as solid and trustworthy as they get. He is worth more to me than the realistic price tag I would have to put on him to sell him. |
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Expert
Posts: 1280
Location: Texas | Well, ok, I have an observation (please don't take offense, because none is intended): one thing that I have noticed about my young horse is that he rides exactly like my old horse. Do you know what that tells me? It tells me that I trained them both the same way. The things that annoy about the old guy, are showing up in the young one. I did that.
That being said, I have a trainer that I take a lesson with here and there that helps me break my bad habits, and sharpen up my colt. I am here to tell you that even with 40 yrs of riding and barrel racing experience, I need a second set of eyes and someone to yell at me and help me work thru problem areas (and I think everyone needs this). At 8, your horse hasn't even hit his prime yet! You have time to correct his "style", and get him working better. BUT, it probably means correcting something that you are doing (you said that you broke and trained him yourself). Change is hard, but it sounds like he is worth the effort. Trustworthy safe horses are hard to buy. I would keep him.
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Expert
Posts: 1631
Location: Somewhere around here | tracies - 2017-04-04 12:41 PM Well, ok, I have an observation (please don't take offense, because none is intended): one thing that I have noticed about my young horse is that he rides exactly like my old horse. Do you know what that tells me? It tells me that I trained them both the same way. The things that annoy about the old guy, are showing up in the young one. I did that.
That being said, I have a trainer that I take a lesson with here and there that helps me break my bad habits, and sharpen up my colt. I am here to tell you that even with 40 yrs of riding and barrel racing experience, I need a second set of eyes and someone to yell at me and help me work thru problem areas (and I think everyone needs this). At 8, your horse hasn't even hit his prime yet! You have time to correct his "style", and get him working better. BUT, it probably means correcting something that you are doing (you said that you broke and trained him yourself). Change is hard, but it sounds like he is worth the effort. Trustworthy safe horses are hard to buy. I would keep him.
No offense taken! I completely get where you are coming from and I agree; but I have had my husband (who I admit is a better trainer than me) come out every month or two to the arena to watch me ride and to catch things I'm doing wrong that I haven't even noticed. I've also had some girls at my local barrel races who ride and train successful horses give me some tips and tricks but it's hard for someone to get a notion of a horse that they only see once in a while at a barrel race. :/
Yes he is so close to being at his prime! I love how thick he is getting comapired to how he was when he was 4! But I do not think that I will try to "correct his syle" anymore. I've been doing that basically on and off (due to pregnancy/s) for the past 3-4 years, trying to make him be a horse that I'm finally realizing that he isn't and probably won't ever be. He seems so much happier when I just let him be a "hip past the barrel" horse, it's just not something that I crave. I'm hoping after this rainy weather goes away I'll be able to start riding him again after a 9 month pregnancy riding hiatus. Fingers crossed for this year and learning how to ride him better! |
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