rodeomom13 - 2014-03-18 10:03 AM Still wouldn't own one.....  If someone gave one to me I would love to sell it.



Flame away. Dislike if you will, but that's my opinion. 

Longneck - 2014-03-18 1:04 PM May I ask why?  I don't want to start any fights, but I am curious.   

amy laymon - 2014-03-17 9:05 PM There is a good reason so many win...they have that speed and a move to die for!    I can't afford the real deal although I have started a few...but there are some really nice sons of DTF siring that same move!

CowboyUp!!! - 2014-03-18 8:56 PM  My vet says DTF horeses are a veterinarians dream...lots of stuff to do to keep em put together...Carlos, I had two and sold them both...hard to keep sound!!

HorseMommyFiveO - 2014-03-18 2:44 PM

Now, what if Chics Beduino had numbers like that in futurities, would you all put down your hatin'?

lonely va barrelxr - 2014-03-19 12:19 PM Year and years ago, say 1996/97 or so, when I started looking into baby daddys for the first time, and when speed and performance horses still had a presence in the Journal, I saw DTF.  Besides his color (I hadn't banned sorrels from my breeding program yet, but I've never preferred sorrel or chestnut), I saw legs that made me wonder how the horse was still on his feet, ever ran, or anything!  This was also before heavily photoshopped became the norm since I've seen the same pic again after photoshopping and his legs have been improved (can't correct all the angles, but whatever).  I passed him by on his legs alone.  



I know his get are awesome barrel horses.  I know his get have a high earning number from the track.  But they do generally break down early and easy.  I've known one big $$ futurity winner who at age 5 couldn't make it thru a multi-day show.  Put up for sale for a LOT of $$'s, didn't sell, turned out, then brought up slowly a couple years later.  Running good now but I don't know what it's taking to keep it competitive.  I've read about too many others following that same path.   



This is one place I have to stand firm on.  I will not breed to a horse that I believe, from clear evidence and not just rumors, is going to weaken the breed.  We've already bred the feet off quarter horses by the Thoroughbred infusion (and linebreeding 1600 lb halter horses down to a size 000), I can not breed to a horse that is (was) that far over in his knees. 



At the same time I saw DTF I also saw Bully Bullion, Zan Parr Deck, Dash For Perks, Firewater Flit, Frenchmans Guy, and a plethora of other top sires who did not exhibit such defects.



I have been contemplating a daughter to breed to my DFP colt.  Someday, maybe, but she's going to have to be straight as the day is long and her dams side must be known for good legs.  I've also considered a DTF son to cover one or more of my mares but can't seem to settle comfortably on one or the other.  LSOF would be a no brainer since he's passed the test of time, I just wish he wasn't RED. 

AllAroundRider - 2014-03-19 5:21 PM My question has always been do they break down early because they are destined to (ie: conformation issues) or do they break down early because they are so talented people push too hard and they don't show issues until they become a really big issue?

I think barrel horses in general are a vet's dream. We like to find all sorts of problems to throw money at and we buy horses that tear themselves apart to be faster. There are no problem free lines. Heck the hind legs on OTMR make me cringe but he sired a lot of winners too, many with those same hindlegs.  

fatchance - 2014-03-19 7:04 PM

For those who can, could you please post the number of foals born per year and the success(%) of that foal crop had, then do the math?  Just not a member of the AQHA any longer.  In the T/B industry you can do that, and it's amazing to see those who shine early and those who don't shine at all.

casualdust07 - 2014-03-19 6:58 PM Funny for me, most of the own get of DTF I have seen personally from my friends owning them, are all older open horses or rodeo horses. One of my friends is on the pro rodeo trail, in the top 20 in the world, and one of her horses is a DTF mare who runs and hauls barefoot. I wouldn't hesitate to own one at all. A few questions of mine come to mind- 1- Do some people over inject, giving it a conception that they need more maintenance? I had a big time trainer tell me how many times per year and what joints one of my mares was going to need based on her BA75 influence. I have always injected as needed, and what I have needed with her was about half as often as what I was told. I have also been to vets where if I said I wanted X, Y, and Z injected, there was no questions asked and no lameness exams done, and they were all lined up an injected. I go to vets now who do lameness exams every time and honestly, more often than not I am told they don't need it. 2- does the intense training from 2YO-4YO predispose futurity horses to injury? since DTF dominates the futurity world, is it really causative that they are more prone to getting hurt? There's so many more in futurity training, odds are you will hear about them getting hurt, just like you hear about them winning, etc.. 3- What about looking at TOP horses all across the board- how often do they get hurt? With all of my very good horses, the ones that run with all their heart and might every time, all of those have gotten hurt, needed maintenance, etc, at some point in their career, and I have yet to even own a DTF. My youth horses and the ones that didn't quite put out the effort and run as hard as my best horses, were the ones I never had to do anything for, who were sound all their lives, etc. Perhaps the DTFs are so talented and do things to the best extent, that is the nature of the beast- athletes get injuries. I mean think of it.. Duke is still on the injured list, Latte hurt right now, Martha has had time off for various reasons, Mulberry had front feet issues, Hotshot tore a suspensory because I remember reading an article how they switched to the smallest daughter for him to help with weight…I know I am only scratching the surface of injuries related to very talented horses.

lonely va barrelxr - 2014-03-19 5:42 PM





I know what you're saying -- DTF's are so very successful so quickly that they are easy to get going in the 4yo futurities, and that is very tough on young bodies.  But I decided before DTF was known as such a successful futurity sire that I didn't like his looks, based on conformation, so my opinion was only reinforced through the years.  I absolutely recognize the $$$ that he represents  -- but as so many have pointed out on so many subjects:  just because you can, should you?