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Location: Texas | Ok so we're getting a ranch horse and was wondering how it would do on barrels. The horse is 2yrs old so it's gonna start at a young age. We get to go pick it out in a few weeks. What are some things I should look for on the ranch horse so it can do better in barrels? Do ranch horses make good barrel horses? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 349
| Depends on the horse. I am a firm believer that ANY horse can run barrels and it just depends on if it has the heart and athletic ability to be quick. Seeing as its a 2 year old dont push it too far and nothing is better for a horse than those good old ranch miles! |
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 Peecans
  
| All my barrel horses have to work on the farm, besides getting them quite to commotion and stock its great for this minds. They all process cattle, rope in the prancing pen and pasture. My paint I had was acatualy one of the best horses to drag heavy calves and yearlings.
Id think most ranch horses would lend well to barrels. They tend to be tuff, good builds and most have lots of gas to get a job done. We have some though that would be far too slow to be competive, the ones pattrned and is fun for kids, hes won a woping $10 at playdays and hes bomb proof safe but not going to place at a barrel race, you can team rope and do ok though. |
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Fire Ant Peddler
Posts: 2881
| All of my horses as a kid were ranch horses. I was the one to beat just about anywhere. That was then this is now---laughing. I'm old!!! |
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  Ms. Marine
Posts: 4627
Location: Texas | Both of mine did. It is just my personal preference to have a versatile, well rounded horse that isn't strictly of 'one discipline' and well rounded is certainly what you're going to get with a good ranch horse. |
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 Mouhahaha
Posts: 1786
Location: British Columbia | I bought my first ranch bred barrel horse 3 years ago. I picked the spunkiest, most well put together filly in the crop of foals and she has not lost her sass. She is the only horse I've ever had that's never been injured and is just super quick, far easier to train than any of the well bred runners I have. |
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 Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Well since the horse is only 2, I wouldn't call it a "ranch" horse. Usually ranch horses get dubbed the name because they have been there and done that and earned their feed PLUS some. Is it ranch bred? That also would depend. We ranch on ours first and foremost. They are all running bred-sire is a Burrs First Down and mares are daughters of Sixarun, Takin On The Cash, Mr Dark Jet etc. We do have one of our origional mares left that I call "ranch" bred. Her bloodlines for generations have mostly been good using ranch and rope horses.
A ranch horse is like a barrel horse, not any horse can do it. Some aren't sure footed enough to chase after cattle on un even ground and have the rate to turn one back into the herd. Many don't have the stamina to pick up a trot and cover the country for 10 hrs in the sun...or cold. And then do it again the next day and the next. And most aren't built for the job. Fine boned and small feet will be the death of them-make for a short career (and this goes for barrel horses too). After working and living on a ranch, I have a whole new respect for a true ranch horse. Just like a true barrel horse, they have to have the ability and the desire to do it. Both take a special relationship with their rider to take the pounding. I think ranching on a barrel horse is the best thing for them, gets them a work ethic like you'll never see and they will be in the best shape as well. They are usually very broke (at least if they are truly used and by a good rider). I love taking horses after my husband has spend all spring calving on them and take them to the arena. It's a day off to them |
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Location: Texas | It was bred on a ranch and has never been touched by a human it's whole life. |
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | wyoming barrel racer - 2014-06-17 7:37 PM
Well since the horse is only 2, I wouldn't call it a "ranch" horse. Usually ranch horses get dubbed the name because they have been there and done that and earned their feed PLUS some. Is it ranch bred? That also would depend. We ranch on ours first and foremost. They are all running bred-sire is a Burrs First Down and mares are daughters of Sixarun, Takin On The Cash, Mr Dark Jet etc. We do have one of our origional mares left that I call "ranch" bred. Her bloodlines for generations have mostly been good using ranch and rope horses.
A ranch horse is like a barrel horse, not any horse can do it. Some aren't sure footed enough to chase after cattle on un even ground and have the rate to turn one back into the herd. Many don't have the stamina to pick up a trot and cover the country for 10 hrs in the sun...or cold. And then do it again the next day and the next. And most aren't built for the job. Fine boned and small feet will be the death of them-make for a short career (and this goes for barrel horses too). After working and living on a ranch, I have a whole new respect for a true ranch horse. Just like a true barrel horse, they have to have the ability and the desire to do it. Both take a special relationship with their rider to take the pounding. I think ranching on a barrel horse is the best thing for them, gets them a work ethic like you'll never see and they will be in the best shape as well. They are usually very broke (at least if they are truly used and by a good rider). I love taking horses after my husband has spend all spring calving on them and take them to the arena. It's a day off to them
Ditto ALL of this.
All my barrel horses have made excellent ranch horses - and vice versa. The ranch horses might not be a 1D, but they are just as capable of making a nice pattern as any horse bred to do it. |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | Tiffany1261 - 2014-06-17 8:28 PM
It was bred on a ranch and has never been touched by a human it's whole life.
By most people's definition that isn't technically a ranch horse...when people refer to ranch horses they don't mean they were born on a ranch, they mean the horse worked on the ranch - checking fences, working cows, being ridden for hours and hours a day, etc.
But yes, ranch horses - or ranch bred, whatever it is you're talking about - can make good barrel horses. And like others have mentioned, horses that have been truly ranched on have just about THE best work ethic of any horse out there. |
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| I have definitions and various names for horse families according to their pedigrees. I put them in 3 categories ....>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I added a few well known examples to each category according to my definitions of the following ....>>>
CUTTERS // REINERS .. are those that have specially bred for the best conformation to compete in cattle and handling arena events ... their conformation is to squat, turn, run sideways and not for straightaway speed .... you will see a lot of old bulldog qtr horse brush track speed hiding in their pedigrees to compensate for the square bodies of the Poco Bueno cutters ... then along came Doc Bar that added the super sire Lightning Bar genes to give them longer necks and narrow front ends for balance and agility ... this is a tuff call on barrel horses since a lot of DB sons were out of older speed lines that could also work in arenas ... for instance ...
DOCS JACK FROST
As you can see he is race bred with heavy 3 bars top and bottom with older speed lines that could also work in arenas and was trained by a bunch of talented cowboys. DJF was not a fast race horse but could add speed to the slower ranch mares he was bred to which was direly needed at the time ... he has no Poco Bueno in his pedigree which is one of the slowest speed lines ever ever ever ... lol .. this was a good thing and made him a famous sire in his area of the country ...
RANCH HORSES .. are those that are tuff enough to survive the survival of the fittest on large ranches without much care with old foundation using horse bloodlines with racing bloodlines constantly added to keep speed and size in the next generations. Primarily used for roping and pasture work until the ranchers daughters stole their roping horse to run barrels on.
Up until around 2000 these horses only competed and dominated in certain areas and states and then the internet made barrel racing a national event along with sire recognition from these different areas. .. The stud owners realized to maintain their top dawg status they needed to add big time speed bred mares to their broodmare bands in order to win in national or big barrel events.
SUN FROST ...
Famous sire with a speedy multi-talented sire with hard as rocks ranch using horse genes spread overall in his pedigree ..
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/sun+frost
FRENCHMANS GUY ...
his bottom side added to his siring power with another hit of Lightning Bar for added speed and the super blue hen mare Caseys Ladylove to crank up his genes to a higher level. His owners realized very quickly they needed more speed to win nationally and added high powered speed bred mares to their broodmare band!!!
BIANKUS
His sire Skippety Flip came out of the well respected Shoemaker family of tuff horses that would work the ranch during the week and go rope at rodeos and race at brush tracks on the weekend .... added to the tuff Waggoner Ranch using horse families on the bottom side made for a dominate family of barrel horses ... and probably with the least known pedigree ...
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/biankus
FIREWATER FLIT
Again you will see the speed lines with the Flit Bar //Sugar Bar//Leo lines of horses and roping and ranch horses on the bottom side ... Texas Style barrel breeding ... again this owner realized more speed was needed and the successful cross for years was anything with Easy Jet lines .....
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/firewater+flit
RACE HORSES .. top and bottom for generations contain successful speed families that have earned lots of money on the race track as their primary purpose. Again daughters stole horses out of their Dad's racing barn and started running barrels on them with a lot of success.
I think everyone knows the speed these sires put into the barrel pen so no comments necessary ....
EASY JET AND SONS ..
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/easy+jet
MARTHAS SIX MOONS
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/marthas+six+moons
BULLY BULLION
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/bully+bullion
DASH FOR CASH AND SONS
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/dash+for+cash
FIRST DOWN DASH AND SONS
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/first+down+dash
DASH TA FAME AND SONS
added the great turning bloodlines of TINYS GAY
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/dash+ta+fame
IMO the pedigree dictates what is a cutter/reiner, ranch horse or race horse which gives them the conformation for a special event ........ as you well know .. the Easy Jets, DFC's, Special Efforts and many other totally speed lines worked on ranches after racing and were very good at it... training and using them on the ranch could give them the title of ranch horse but not in their pedigrees ...
Edited by BARRELHORSE USA 2014-06-18 10:09 AM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
Location: Lost in the swamps | I have a friend who trains professionally for barrel racing, she sends the ones that are too nervious, anxious, buckers,or just need more miles, or more experience, she sent to Texas to get ranched on , and used on a feed lot, I've seen them put a good handle on them after they are basic colt broke, they comeback really settled down and concentrating on their jobs better!:) |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | Tiffany1261 - 2014-06-17 4:27 PM Ok so we're getting a ranch horse and was wondering how it would do on barrels. The horse is 2yrs old so it's gonna start at a young age. We get to go pick it out in a few weeks. What are some things I should look for on the ranch horse so it can do better in barrels? Do ranch horses make good barrel horses?
Why are you going to buy an unhandled 2 year old? Who is going to train it? |
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Member
Posts: 42
| It's not really a ranch horse until it has actually been used on a ranch. You have a 2 yr old. There are some bloodlines that some think of as being more of a ranch style horse than performance. I personal have liked the ones used as a ranch horse far better than the strictly barrels only horses I've rode. Some are faster than others but, that's with all horses. The thing is they are broke, broke, broke! They have been used and know how to run in crap ground and usually have a better mind set. So to me they are easier to train and have less injuries. If I bought a barrel prospect that was bred dash to fame, sun frost, and etc. I would still have them first be used as a cowboy working horse before they ever see a can! |
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 Best of the Badlands
Location: You never know where I will show up...... | I don't consider an unhandled young horse to be a "ranch horse". I've seen many of those come off of places that weren't ranches!
We ranch on all of our horses. I buy a lot of OTT horses to run barrels on and they are exposed to everything here. One of my husband's favorite horses to work cattle on was a DTF daughter that we sold a couple years ago to a lady that ranches & runs barrels on her. All of my Tres Seis mares are cowy.
I will attach a couple of branding pictures from this spring. I am guessing without knowing the horse, that most can pick out the OTT Tres Seis daughter, out of a Game Patriot mare, in these pictures. 
Edited by rockinas 2014-06-18 3:17 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1694
Location: Willows, CA | Years ago we sent a ranch horse to Marilyn Camarillo for evaluation as a barrel horse for one of my daughters to run in College. She called after several weeks and said "this may be the most broke horse I have ever seen. How was he trained?" I told her that he was just a ranch horse, who had also turned back about 6000 goes in the cutting pen. That will do it. He made a great horse. If they have talent and athletic ability you might be surprised how many directions you can go with them. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 316
| I agree with most that what you are talking about isn't what most consider a ranch horse. Are you talking about the breeding?Â
Most horses that have been truly ranched on will go to do anything for you. They learn great work ethic and how to handle themselves in real situations rather than just how to handle arena conditions. I have a horse that was ranched on 3 years prior to me owning him. He's a Driftwood/Hancock bred horse and he's the toughest horse I've been around. He has an excellent work ethic and will try his heart out at anything you ask him to do. Is he a 1-d barrel horse? No...he tried really hard, but I don't think physically is capable of being 1-d...most runs were 2-d & 3-d. He was running 18.1's on a standard pattern in 4 weeks of showing him the pattern, though and I was taking him to team roping jackpots after only 2 weeks of heading on him. Also, I had an OTT gelding that I sent to someone to ranch on for a few months before I got going on him and it was the best money spent...rather than sending him to someone that would just ride him in the arena.  They roped bulls on him and taught him that there were tougher things in life to do than lope circles. LOL  Â
Ultimately, getting a horse that's bred to do the event you want to do helps, but it isn't a guarantee. It comes down to athletic ability and heart, so if what you are asking is if a ranch bred horse can make a barrel horse...I'd say yes, but they have to have heart and be physically able to do the event. Those are two pretty difficult things to determine at 2 years old. Or at least it is for me on an unbroke horse...Â
Edited by GWR 2014-06-18 4:22 PM
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Location: Texas | It was bred from ranch horses is what I mean sorry for the confusion y'all. It's a untouched 2yr old that's pretty much lived on a ranch it's whole life so far. It has some cow and old racing blood lines. The guy said there super fast little horses and should make good barrel horses. I just wanna see what y'all think? |
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Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Tiffany1261 - 2014-06-19 9:00 PM It was bred from ranch horses is what I mean sorry for the confusion y'all. It's a untouched 2yr old that's pretty much lived on a ranch it's whole life so far. It has some cow and old racing blood lines. The guy said there super fast little horses and should make good barrel horses. I just wanna see what y'all think?
Should work out fine. Take your time, lots of patience and have a good person start him/her under saddle. I'd have miles put on them as well. I started colts for a rancher that really didn't do much with them but feed them until they were 3, back in the day when I was young (and hungry). I much preferred to take on the unhandled over the rude, in your pocket, desensitized ones. Those are the ones that felt it was their right to throw a hissy if things didn't go their way. I found they were more apt to buck under pressure as well. I think they expected you just be your buddy, not a working partner. They didn't have the respect that I was GOD to them and what I say goes (in a gentle way of course).
Come to think of it, I have only been bucked off horses that had a lot of handling and were supposedly gentle. My show horse just dumped me good last week and he is a kitten. So there you have it. |
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 IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| I acquired a ranch bred horse a few months ago. He came from South Dakota...and was a bit of a reject.
I wouldn't consider him an all out ranching horse, but he was ridden out in the open and exposed to a few things. He had about 45 rides on him before he was sold at auction.
He was passed around here and changed a few hands...until I got him. I LOVE HIM! He needs work, but he has some grit. This horse would walk through fire for me, and has one heck of a work ethic.
I am not sure if it is because he never really truly had anyone to bond with-he was more of a number at the ranch...and then put out to pasture with cows when he got here...but the more I ask of this horse the more he gives me.
Can't really put it into words-but I do have a special bond with this guy that I feel guilty to admit...only because I adore my other gelding...we just don't have the chemistry that I have with this guy. I actually have never really had this kind of bond with any other horse before. I say you never know until you try! |
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