I hate horse shopping.  I’ll just leave that there.  We don’t run a large program so it’s not like I have 10+ hanging out in the barn to get my next winner from.  So I stress over buying the “right” one.

The gelding I just sold was straight cowbred, Peppy San Badger top and bottom.  I really do think if he’d been a little bigger he would have been my unicorn.  He is now however a Jr High rodeo unicorn and that’s super cool to see.  We have had a few other PSB’s that have just proven to be natural athletes across multiple disciplines.

The debate is on in the house about going the cowbred route again or branching out into different breeding more for barrels.  We also rope and whatever I buy will get roped on - doesn’t have to make a world champion rope horse, but it’s what we do and I firmly believe it keeps their minds better.

What I want in a horse 

level headed - we love to see our horses end up selling to youth competitors down the road

natural turn

i don’t really have a preference on free vs push style, but you’d better find a barrel and turn.

smaller, 14.3-15.2

Even when I look at the cow/run crosses I get nervous that the cow won’t put enough turn on them for my liking.

so my question is - what bloodlines fit what I like? What should I stay away from?  

Budget is modest but I am finding quite a bit out there but I’m having trouble narrowing down what I should actually go try (I can’t take off and drive 6 hours I’m every direction just to try them all, unfortunately).  We’re talking 3-6 year olds riding good but not started or only very very lightly started on the barrels.  Future fortunes would be nice, but other than that I’m not really into the futurity scene so nominations aren’t necessary.

SUN FROST---DRIFTWOOD

We have a mare that’s a great granddaughter of Sunfrost and out of a daughter of Freck Chex Rio. She’s been a lot of fun to train/ride. She’s in the 14.2/3 range and stout. The woman that bred her was pretty high on the Freck Chex Rio’s as barrel horses. She thought that had enough speed but had that cool cowhorse turn. I know my mare is making big mistakes at every barrel & seems to always be near the top of the 3D. I have a straight run bred gelding (won $40k+ on the track) and he’s like putting a square peg in the round hole on barrels. I know there are plenty of all run horses doing great on the barrels, but I definitely won’t get another with his lines.

I would suggest cow/run cross.  Are you buying a baby or a broke horse? Cause you should be able to tell after riding them if they have enough natural stop for what you want.  Lots of race horses have plenty of stop. Those are the ones that make great barrel horses. 

I have a mare that is a granddaughter of PSB on top, out of a AA race mare with lots of old thoroughbred (like early 1900's remount TB) on the bottom. There's a mare still on her papers with a registration number of 1702.  I love her babies for their bone, disposition and just plain all around fun to be around. Her kids make rope horses, barrel horses, anything you want them to do horses. 

Fire Water Flit

Yep - this was exactly what i thought!!!! Mine is 15.2, quiet at the day is long, super hard worker and she is clocking 2D times her first summer. She is my unicorn. 

She is by PC Joes Frost and out of a lone drifter daugther.

My colt is being delivered this weekend and he is out of Firewater Vanilla! 

Husband generally has not been a Driftwood fan over the years - I guess they’ve had some broncs.  Prior to us meeting, I have no hands on experience with them.

We like Harlan and therefore like Firewater Flit.  Haven’t found any of those while shopping my price range.

Im looking for something riding. 3-4 years old.  I don’t want it started on the pattern so I’m more or less looking for something that someone has had to put on the back burner - that’s kind of what we’ve lucked into over the years and done well with as far as training and resale.  I always hope the next one is my keeper unicorn, but I also always buy with an eye on resale in case he’s not.

I found one on here that isn’t cowbred, but I was able to talk with someone who’s run a few darn nice ones by the same stud and she had nothing but good things to say.  He’s only a few hours away and exactly what we look for - a 4 year old that had to be put on the back burner.  I’m hoping we can get together soon.

I am so confused by the stigma behing driftwood horses as buckers... heard that same stigma on sunfrost horses. Mine is both and never bucked a day in her training. I have broke out three and none of them bucked... 

But I totally understand personal preferance, I personally do not get along with a TEJ or OTMR... our personalities are not compatible but some people thats all they ride. 

I do think buying a broke 3-4 year old, you will likely know if they're a secret bronc lol. 

I have ridden a lot of cow stuff my whole life, docs prescription, PSB, Hollywood Gold stuff and they were all 1D horses. I'm not sure there is a magic recipe to finding the one. I got it wrong twice before I found my unicorn. 

I will second Sun Frost - I have had several (because the first one I owned was so amazing) and they have always been super trainable, very good minded, very easy, and drop dead gorgeous to boot. It is one of my favorite bloodlines along with some reined cowhorse bloodlines (that I have never put on the barrels). I roped and ran barrels on my Sun Frost horses. They had tons of turn and rate but still had run. I do really like the Peppy San Badger's for size, athletic ability and trainability as well but every one I had had a broncy side to them. 

My hubs is a cowhorse snob. WONT as much as look in the direction of anything else. He is thouroughly impressed with my Cachaca Flit filly (Firewater Flit/LA Fame) out of a Reds Western Native daughter who has some cow bloodlines on bottom. May as well say shes 3/4 barrel lines 1/4 cow.  Really think her great disposition is to her sires credit. She is going to be big, head horse material. Just like you, everything on our place has to earn their keep as dual purpose horses (barrels/roping/using). He is considering buying one for himself

A close friend of mine has a Lions Share of Fame out of a daughter of Gallo Del Cielo. GREAT minded, big, user friendly colt. Lay him off, he rides off perfect when you get back on. He's been roped on and is cruising a nice set of barrels as a 4 year old. Super impressed with him.

Don't forget Dual Rey's are making a name for themselves crossed on barrel lines.

If I ever breed my mare i talked about above, I hope Lions Share of Fame is still breeding. I have wanted one for ages. He is remarkable and every baby i've seen it! So quiet and talented.

ON A GATOR is a full brother to LIONS SHARE OF FAME both standing to the public.

There are 4 gelded full brothers 

FM RADIO ran over $70,000 in barrels and is in Brazil 

GUN BATTLE ran out >$600,000 on the track and 2nd in the All American Futurity 

My 2018 palomino ON A GATOR filly is pure eye candy .. 

Diamonds N The Sky .. 

https://www.allbreedpedigree.com/diamonds+n+the+sky 

I agree on cutter/reiner and barrel bloodline crossovers .. 

With the purses increasing at pro-rodeos with smaller arenas 

you need the agility burning the barrels and the speed running home. 

Very proud of my 2019 red roan filly with million $$ sires and dams on the top side 

and stacked with speed and NFR quality barrel families stacked on the bottom side .. 

MEET ... >>>>  RIDE LIKE U STOLE ME ... 

https://www.allbreedpedigree.com/ride+like+u+stole+me 

I love all my FWF horses as user-friendly. I have an own daughter and 3 grandkids. My favorites are the FWOTR offspring. 

Leta Hank Do It horses are born to turn a barrel. They crave it and love doing it. Probably is the Harlan factor as LHDI and Firewater Flit were both out of Slash J Harletta.