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 Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
   
Location: Missouri | If a colt is big, awkward, and not super athletic by 3, do they still have a chance at coming around? Do you decide this early that they aren't going to make a barrel horse?
My colt is at the trainers, still being broke, not started on barrels. His opinion is that he is "not athletic" and he isn't motivated (I think he meant LAZY! lol!)
He's a big, 16hh, heavy dude, and mentally seems immature as well.
Any thoughts appreciated!
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  Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | If you like the colt I certainly wouldn't give up on him at this point. They can change a LOT in a very short time both mentally & how they want to ride. I almost gave up on one of my 2 year olds last year. He was just a dink, no try or attention span, he put more effort into fighting than he would have had to come close to if he'd have just focused & tried to work. He got the winter off, got back on him this spring & he was much better. By this fall I love him, he's turned into a big athletic horse with a lot of heart & athletic ability that I would have NEVER guessed was there a year ago. Even with all the colts I get on every year I know I can't predict how they will all mature, some give you a pretty good idea & others don't. |
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 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | In my opinion, three years old is way too young to write one off. Some horses take a little extra time to mature and "get it". You just have to decide if you think this horse is worth waiting on. |
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Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | I'm feeling a little pressure b/c I have an offer on him. But, I haven't ridden him myself and I feel like I will regret selling him without knowing for sure whether or not I like him. But, then there's that whole money thing... 
Other than that, there's no rush. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
| Well sorry I will be the odd man out here, if you trust your trainer's instinct and have an offer, I would sell the colt. Yes, I think they can tell you a lot at 3, can they turn around, yes, but if the offer is fair, you can buy something else. That is coming from the business side. Of course, I would want to ride the horse myself first and see if it was something that I could go on with, even if my trainer has a different opinion. |
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Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | just4fun - 2013-12-03 10:30 AM I'm feeling a little pressure b/c I have an offer on him. But, I haven't ridden him myself and I feel like I will regret selling him without knowing for sure whether or not I like him. But, then there's that whole money thing...
Other than that, there's no rush.
Definately go ride him yourself before making any decisions. You might get on & feel your dream horse & no amount of money could buy him. And maybe you'll get on & feel the same way your trainer does & decide to let him go. |
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Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | Thanks so much for the responses.
The offer isn't that great, considering I just sunk another month's worth of training into him. I just worry ALWAYS about making the right decision. The great news is that the trainer says he is safe...which was a huge concern for me. If I'm not intimidated by him anymore, it will be an easier decision.
SaraJean, really appreciate your input! |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I have 2 my trainer didn't like he didn't think they would make a solid horse. For me I love these two, I ride a little different and I can get the athleticism out of them, I can also work them longer. It may be that the trainer and the horse are not compatible |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
| This is sort of off base here... but whenever I am asked "what's your secret" for training barrel horses, my answer is my colt starter! I can't express what a huge impact having a trainer that I am so in tune with has made on my horse training career. Being able to follow behind his training seamlessly is just so huge. I have gone through A LOT of colt starters that were good, don't get me wrong , before I found my perfect match. Not that this has a lot to do with the post, I just felt that it was something to be said. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | JMO, but your trainer has probably been on enough horses to know what an athlete feels like even at that age. I would think they are trying in the nicest way they know how to tell you to send him on down the road. |
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Nut Case Expert
Posts: 9305
Location: Tulsa, Ok | Over the years I have found that the really big colts, particularly the leggy ones, that have grown so fast, tend to take a lot longer to learn how to handle their bodies. I feel like they need time and patient assistance in reaching their potential. I am never in a hurry for a baby to mature both physically and mentally. In fact I consider that time an investment for the long term, so I would have no problem waiting. |
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Worst.Housekeeper.EVER.
Location: Missouri | Here's a pic they sent me. My hubby is 6'3" and he had to look up to the trainer. My colt almost makes him look normal size!  He doesn't seem so awful in this pic! And, I HAVE seen him be athletic...as in his name is Geronimo b/c he scaled the almost 6' round pen as a 2y/o, twice!
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 The Rose of Rodeo...
Posts: 2560
Location: Where we still run to look when the siren goes by. | I think a lot depends on what lights that horses fire (if anything)
My dad bought a 3yo and he was the least motivated, clumsiest, slow walking-est horse I’ve ever been on. He would not pick his darn feet up! I literally could not ride that horse without my blood pressure skyrocketing BUT get that horse on a cow and he can stop and turn and MOVE! He could cut a cow and stay with one like crazy.
Needless to say dad and I switched colts and I got his fire breather and he got a horse that would walk.
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 Husband Spoiler
Posts: 4151
Location: North Dakota | Some horses absolutely take longer than others. It seems that some horse's bodies grow quicker than their minds. It makes them awkward and for a few years they may not seem very athletically talented at all. Some horses are natural athletes out of the womb and others take a few years to develop and gain confidence in themselves. I trained one gelding in particular that as 3,4, and 5 yr old did not seem to have an athletic bone in his body or any amount of heart. He could run hole in the wind but when it came to understanding where his feet were he was an absolute cluts. He also would only put as much effort in to training as I made him. He had most of his 6yr old year off due to an injury and I spent my time on others but when I got back on him at 7yr olds he was a completely different horse! He had this "look" to him that said he was finally mature and confident. He enjoyed training and wanted to give me everything he had all the time. He still had his blazing speed but now he had this craving to turn and be snappy. He is an absolute blast to run now. I had people telling me to give up on him but I raised him from a baby and I am just not one to give up on one. Was it frustrating at times? Absolutely! Was it worth it? Absolutely! |
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 Best of the Badlands
Location: You never know where I will show up...... | I've got a 3 year old filly here right now by Frenchmans Guy and out of a DTF daughter. I love this filly but she is currently 16 hands and maybe 950-1000. She is just a stringbean! And she can be handy but it is an effort for her right now just because she is so gangly.
Originally when I bought her I was thinking Juvenile horse but the way she's developing I knew that was not going to be an option. So she's just going to be ridden and ranched on all winter/spring and I will try to have her ready for the BFA as a 4 year old next year and run her futurity year as a 5 year old. She's going to grow a lot in the next year to year and half. |
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I AM being nice
Posts: 4396
Location: MD | I've got a 5 yr old back in my program that I started on the pattern as a 3 yr old. I went to pick him up from the man who started him. I picked him up at the end of November of his 2 yr old year. He had been there for 120 days. He was a big colt, easily pushing 15.3 when I got him. The man told me that he wasn't very athletic and he didn't think that the owners should expect him to be a barn burner. I turned him out until February. When I pulled him in and started riding him, the colt had no idea of what to do with his hind end. He had a handle, a big ole stop on him, moved laterally, but not enough forward for my liking.
I took that big sucker and got him lined out. Once his hind end was engaged and his motor up under him, he became scary powerful. He won a salty Futurity sidepot in Jan of his 4 yr old year and went on to place in the 2D in the 21 Race at Worlds that year, as well as 2D placings at Colonials and won a 2D State title. He's a solid 16.2 HH now, as a 5 year old. Just this passed weekend, Kassie Wise was commenting after my run on him that no horse should be able to come back as hard as this horse does. Sometimes, these big suckers just need to be given the proper opportunity to figure themselves out. |
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 Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | did the offer come thru your trainer? and will he get a commission?
Id try him first.. imho unless you need to sell him..
it could be your colt doesnt get along with your trainer .. he may have more "try" with you. Id try him first.. id not write off a 3 yr old paint.. i have found some mature late .. unless the offer is ok with you.. |
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Pig-Bear Dog Lover
| Sounds like an excuse... I would find another trainer. |
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 Blackbelt Babe
Posts: 9405
Location: South Georgia Good o'l USA | I have found that some take another year or more to mature...I would ride the horse and make a decission then, I've a 3YO now that failed to race because he just wasn't mature enough mentally even at 15.3...He is the opposite of what I'm used to but I'll not cull him too early....gonna give him another year at least because I just have a feeling about him....ride him and then go with your gut... |
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Blackbelt Babe
Posts: 9405
Location: South Georgia Good o'l USA | I have found that some take another year or more to mature...I would ride the horse and make a decission then, I've a 3YO now that failed to race because he just wasn't mature enough mentally even at 15.3...He is the opposite of what I'm used to but I'll not cull him too early....gonna give him another year at least because I just have a feeling about him....ride him and then go with your gut... |
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