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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
  
Location: Idaho | Hello all,
I recently got a new gelding, really like him he is such a sweetheart. Has Doc Bar and Jet Deck breeding. He's already trained for barrels, clocks 2D times.
The lady I bought it from is a friend of mine, and she actually got him from his owner that ran him and couldn't tell me about the type of bit he ran in, just told me he needs something with a lot of whoa because he gets real hot when he runs. Granted, I have not ran him yet only practiced, and its just out of habit I try and keep them in a soft bit as much as possible.
I have been working him in a Sherri Cervi Short shank diamond bit with a dog bone.
He seems to respond real well to it, but yesterday I actually let him go on a pattern at a higher speed and its almost like he almost runs through it but doesn't ignore it when I ask him to turn. I have to run him two handed and he really digs in and rollbacks around them. Its just this is probably the strongest bit I have in my collection right now, I haven't had the need to go any stronger because all the horses I have ridden can be ridden in a halter and a snaffle and don't need a whole lot.
I have thought about throwing my new guy in a snaffle to soft him up, but a problem I have had in the past is I get these horses, makes them TOO soft and then it ruins their runs. So I am thinking this is one of those "if ain't broke don't fix it" situations, but I don't know what kind of bit I could use on him either without it being "too much." Any suggestions? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Idaho | Oh and please not, this is the first time I have bought a horse already trained and running barrels!! So its a little new to me. :) |
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 Ms Bling Bling Sleeze Kitty
Posts: 20904
Location: LouLouVille, OK | OK...so did he turn his barrels fine or blow out of them?
Got a video?  |
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Ms Bling Bling Sleeze Kitty
Posts: 20904
Location: LouLouVille, OK | By what you said, that he didn't ignore it, I would go ahead and drop to one hand, Im sure at 2D times you need to hang onto your saddle and just trust he is going to work... if he is turning his barrels fine, I say stick with the bit your using...
Does he nose up? anything you notice?
He's cute btw  |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Idaho | Thank you so much!! He is super sweet, he was cowboyed on a little bit so he can be a bit shy at times, but I am sure he will realize he will get nothing but lovin's from me :) hehe
I'm going to try and get a video tomorrow. I tried dropping to one hand he didn't turn as good, but I am thinking about shortening my reins just to help him along.. My main gelding is 3/4D and I ride him with long reins but I trained him and he is very automatic, so this one is like a step up horse.. I am very excited. But with my new guys starts going, his head gets pretty high and I don't think he needs a lot of rate, because I try to rate him and it doesn't do anything.. but he still turns when I turn him. He does dive into his second barrel and drop his shoulder, but its only on the 2nd barrel and am planning to fix that. That all that I have noticed about him so far on his patterns.
Edited by DashNDustem 2013-11-26 3:27 PM
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| Find out the owner's name that ran him and call them and find out if they want to sell the bit and headstall they ran him in .... and if they have any videos ....
This is the reason I always advise people that buy horses that are already working the barrels to get the headstall and bits ... without them .....you only get half a horse ...
If registered .. AQHA will give you name and address of previous owners but not their phone numbers ... just google to find them ... |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Idaho | Trying to get a hold of them.
All they told my friend that I bought him from, was he needed something with long shanks and a lot of whoa. But that Cervi bit is the strongest bit I have, which is not that strong! I do have another gag bit with a twisted wire with really long shanks, but I haven't used it in like 10 years.. and when I did use it, I was young and inexperienced. I'm not sure what stronger bits are out there that are good.. I really like the three piece mouth piece. Granted I would like to keep him at the softest bit possible, but I am out of the loop as to what kind of bits are out there. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | I would try an LW lifter bit wih a pretzel mouthpiece.
http://www.lwbits.com/Lift-Bits.html |
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 Blackbelt Babe
Posts: 9405
Location: South Georgia Good o'l USA | IMHO...I'd find the original owner and talk to her...she can probably help you a great deal, you can find out things that can help you with him, rather than having to learn through experience....at least find out what bit she found he goes best in and chances are...she may just sell you the bit seeings she doesn't own him any longer |
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Ms Bling Bling Sleeze Kitty
Posts: 20904
Location: LouLouVille, OK | DashNDustem - 2013-11-26 5:47 PM Trying to get a hold of them. All they told my friend that I bought him from, was he needed something with long shanks and a lot of whoa. But that Cervi bit is the strongest bit I have, which is not that strong! I do have another gag bit with a twisted wire with really long shanks, but I haven't used it in like 10 years.. and when I did use it, I was young and inexperienced. I'm not sure what stronger bits are out there that are good.. I really like the three piece mouth piece. Granted I would like to keep him at the softest bit possible, but I am out of the loop as to what kind of bits are out there.
Finding out what the original owner ran him in will definately help, but if that particular bit in your hands don't get along, you will need to find something that is close that works for you both.
Horses I have sold in the past, I will gladly tell people what I rode them in, and leave it to them to either get along with that bit or change it to something they both get along in... I personally like 3 piece mouth pieces or reg snaffles too... shanks and me not so much... but this is just me
You said he gets his head up a little, but is still turning... right?
some horses run with their heads up a little more, some down, as long as they are not "getting away" from what is being asked, I don't care where a horse had his head.... if they respond.
He kind sounds like he could use some good slow work to get him to back off the bit, if I am reading everything right... trot him a bunch... if he is chargey or is a handful when you are going to run him, I would do nothing but trot him till he was totally relaxed with his job... I took a gelding in that was blown up, blowing by his barrels and not backing off his bit, and the first month, he didn't get out of a trot...lol but what followed was majic :) he was so solid and so consistant and smooth when he left my house
He looks and sounds like he will be alot of fun :) |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Idaho | Oh wow, thank you for the reply! I have been trying to get a hold of his original owners, but it has been difficult!
As far as trotting, did you just trot him on the pattern or just.. trot him without any barrels or poles? Usually when I have a blown up horse I won't let them see a barrel until they have learned to relax and calmed down, but I am not sure if he is blown up because I haven't ran him yet. There is a race here in 2 weeks that I would like to take him to and see how he acts in a competition environment. Usually that's when they show you how blown up/nervous/or their quirks if they don't show them at home. |
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Ms Bling Bling Sleeze Kitty
Posts: 20904
Location: LouLouVille, OK | DashNDustem - 2013-11-27 9:54 AM Oh wow, thank you for the reply! I have been trying to get a hold of his original owners, but it has been difficult! As far as trotting, did you just trot him on the pattern or just.. trot him without any barrels or poles? Usually when I have a blown up horse I won't let them see a barrel until they have learned to relax and calmed down, but I am not sure if he is blown up because I haven't ran him yet. There is a race here in 2 weeks that I would like to take him to and see how he acts in a competition environment. Usually that's when they show you how blown up/nervous/or their quirks if they don't show them at home.
Im just like you... I don't usually do any barrels until they relax... for a week just trot around your arena, and circles and I really like trotting spirals... and maybe next week before you take him, trot him around the barrels a few days and see how he is... Some people aren't as open to helping someone with a horse they owned, and I guess they have their reasons...but I am soooo happy to help with any horse I had... I want the horse to reach his full potential and the owner to reach their goals :) |
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