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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
 
Location: Oklahoma | I think I want to purchase a nicely bred mare that doesn't have much of a start on the pattern and send to someone to get a good start put on. As much as I'd love to purchase something right now that is running I can't seem to find anything that I'm drawn to and is within my budget. I'm afraid to purchase something that's extremely young and might not have had the time to develop fully (or has a bad start on the pattern). I (honestly) think paraniod since my 15 year old gelding has (career ending) arthritis and he's even been let out since he was 8.
I have the money to purchase a well bred four year old filly right away (given she passes vet check) and send her off for about 60 days... I would have the time to save up for additional 30 days (or more) if it was needed, but do trainers generally make you pay up front for a certain amount of days and refund if all aren't needed? Or do you pay as each month goes by? I'm sure it varies from trainer to trainer, but I hate to start making contact with the trainer at this point since I don't even have a horse for sure to send. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
 
Location: mi | All the ones I have ever used request the first 30 days upfront and then if they end up staying longer you pay for the next 30 or 2 weeks and then when that is over pay again and so on. Have never paid for more then 30 at a time. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1440
Location: Texas | Most will require 30 days upfront and the. You pay each month as they stay longer. Some trainers have waiting lists so you may want to check on that as well if you are wanting to send her off right away when and if you get her. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I would start speaking with the trainer you want to send to ask what their requirements are, price, and if hauling to jackpots is extra.
60 days on a pattern as someone's place is a great place to start, but it takes a lot of time arena exposure and a variety of arenas to make a horse solid.
Also look to see what your expectations are, and your riding abilities, will you be able to handle a colt? |
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Fire Ant Peddler
Posts: 2881
 
| First of all, I would pick a trainer that is winning on horses other than their own, as in outside horses. Ask other people what experience they have had with this trainer. I never have had to pay anything up front but do pay by the month. I am taking a 2 year old to a new guy and I do not know how he charges. Ask when you talk to the trainer |
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | Thanks, everyone! I know that she has everything laid out on her website as to what she charges a month and what her hauling costs are if she does some seasoning. She doesn't not compete herself anymore... she just strictly trains and has trained some pretty great horses (at least IMO)
I'm sure there is a waiting list.... but I guess if I've waited this long to try and get back into running barrels what's a few more months (given that the waiting list isn't years long!). |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Mountains of VA | You say you have not found any horses that you are drown to that are already competing. With that in mind, is the 4yo working/riding the way you like now?? What if her style does not suit you once she is working the barrels??
If you like working with youngsters and their individual styles, pros and cons then you should invest in the 4 yo plus plan on at least 3 months of training. If you are looking for a specific type/style of horse which it sounds like you are, then keep looking for a horse that suits you. |
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | hotpaints - 2014-03-03 1:21 PM You say you have not found any horses that you are drown to that are already competing. With that in mind, is the 4yo working/riding the way you like now?? What if her style does not suit you once she is working the barrels??
If you like working with youngsters and their individual styles, pros and cons then you should invest in the 4 yo plus plan on at least 3 months of training. If you are looking for a specific type/style of horse which it sounds like you are, then keep looking for a horse that suits you.
The 4 year old I'm looking at is only trotting the pattern and I'm not sure who has started her... I don't want to get myself into a horse that has a poor foundation and not know proper technique of how to get their body around the barrels... which is why I have been passing on a lot of horses that have been in my price range. I feel like they were started by people who just are looking to make money off a person who doesn't know anything other than that they want to run barrels. I could find horses all day long that I'd love to go look at, but they're about double my budget.
I had rather buy a prospect and send off for a good foundation vs. buying one that could have possibly been started too early and have complications later in life or that just doesn't have a good start to it and could bad habits already formed. I want to be able to make contact with the person that patterned the horse and get feedback if problems arise in the future.
I am willing to learn how to adapt to a younger horse's style and give it my 110% since I won't be riding anything else. This won't be my first "younger" horse to work with, but it's not something I have done recently.
Am I going about this wrong? I'm not interested in purchasing an older horse just to have a few more seasons and be back in the market for another horse. I feel like even if everything went wrong with this prospect I could still sell her in the future as she's nicely bred and I think someone would want her. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Longneck - 2014-03-03 1:51 PM
hotpaints - 2014-03-03 1:21 PM You say you have not found any horses that you are drown to that are already competing. With that in mind, is the 4yo working/riding the way you like now?? What if her style does not suit you once she is working the barrels??
If you like working with youngsters and their individual styles, pros and cons then you should invest in the 4 yo plus plan on at least 3 months of training. If you are looking for a specific type/style of horse which it sounds like you are, then keep looking for a horse that suits you.
The 4 year old I'm looking at is only trotting the pattern and I'm not sure who has started her... I don't want to get myself into a horse that has a poor foundation and not know proper technique of how to get their body around the barrels... which is why I have been passing on a lot of horses that have been in my price range. I feel like they were started by people who just are looking to make money off a person who doesn't know anything other than that they want to run barrels. I could find horses all day long that I'd love to go look at, but they're about double my budget.
I had rather buy a prospect and send off for a good foundation vs. buying one that could have possibly been started too early and have complications later in life or that just doesn't have a good start to it and could bad habits already formed. I want to be able to make contact with the person that patterned the horse and get feedback if problems arise in the future.
I am willing to learn how to adapt to a younger horse's style and give it my 110% since I won't be riding anything else. This won't be my first "younger" horse to work with, but it's not something I have done recently.
Am I going about this wrong? I'm not interested in purchasing an older horse just to have a few more seasons and be back in the market for another horse. I feel like even if everything went wrong with this prospect I could still sell her in the future as she's nicely bred and I think someone would want her.
A lot can happen on a young horse to cause the horse to take 10 steps back. This young horse will just be patterned not seasoned, and will still need a lot of help, and be still making mistakes even after 90 days of patterning.
You are the only one who will know if you can handle training/seasoning the horse after it comes back from the trainer.
It is also not an exact science if a prospect will have what it takes to make a barrel horse.
Horses can still have arthritis even when they are colts, I have a 7 year old never worked hard in his life, his hocks are shot so I have to get them fused.
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