# Potential....or not?



## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

So, barrel racing is really starting to be my thing. I love it more than poles, flags, and any other event. It is just awesome. However, the only shows I have done have been with my trainer's horse, and he is VERY seasoned, older, and you barely have to touch him after he has entered the arena because he will go on his own(with a little guidance of course). \

Now, I am ready to start my own horse so that I don't have to ask my trainer every two weeks to ride his horse. My horse Trigger is currently at training with my trainer to break him(he is green broke now), and when he comes back, we will get to work with him on barrels, but first I will be doing light trail riding and riding around the house to get any vices and boogers out of him.

The horse I am interested in training is 8. A little old, I know, but I believe he has the potential to do good for the level that I am competing at. He was previously a cutting horse, but he had a hoof injury, and they retired him from showing for a while. My uncle, a farrier, worked with his front hoof for a few months, and now it is completely as it was before he injured it, and we got the vet's ok to start doing events again. He is a VERY willing horse, not exactly a beginner horse, but Five is the horse I have a real connection with, and it is like we understand each other(I told that to my mom and she started laughing at me. =S), sounds a little crazy, but it is true. 

Now, he is a very supple horse. He can disengage his hindquarters, and I taught him how to do lead changes(he has got the basic concept anyways, now we are trying to perfect it). He understands go and whoa perfectly, and because he was a cutting horse, he can move like a fly. 

Build wise: he has got it. I think I will need to take him out on some daily jogs(or trots ) around our back pasture(it has this huge hill that can definately work those muscles back into shape) and maybe do some refreshing(after all, he has been a trail horse for the past while). 

So, I have read the articles, looked through here, asked the people at my local saddle club, and I have the basic jist of how to train them, but I think with his background it will be easier for him to learn. Plus, he has already been introduced to the flashing lights, loud noises, and random drunks of the horse show world. 

Tell me what you think. Should I just wait for my horse Trigger to be ready for this(he is a youngster and a speed demon), or should I go ahead and get practice training a horse who might be able to handle the competition better than Trigger. =]


Thanks!(and sorry I wrote a novel! )


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## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

25 views and no replies?


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

Do you own Five?


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## aruraeclipse (Mar 22, 2009)

Hello! 
The age of the horse doesn't matter because the training is always the same, to teach barrels he has to do rollbacks, lead changes, flexing, counter arcing, stops, side pass. I would always start out slow, because you want to be able to perfect each level, *always practice perfect*. You should do a warm up, where he has not been rode in a while do the warm up for about 15 minutes, walk, trot, loap, trot, walk, and than start with your horsemanship...the rollbacks, lead changes, counter arcing, etc... Do that for about a week than move on to 20 minutes of warm up and through out the week do a day of horsemanship, and than a day of pattern and than relax and go on a nice trail ride, and than move on to 25 minutes of warm up. Another thing you want to sprint your horse about a 1/4 mile, because they have 2 muscle groups, and you want to exercise those fast twitch muscle fibers as well. Make sure that he gets about 2-3 days off the first week, you don't want to over stress his body. Next just start going over the pattern. walk him over the pattern for 15 min, than do a day off and than 15 min again. this helps imprint it in him. you want to ride the same at every gate because you want him to learn when to slow down and when to pick up, this comes in play with practice perfect. Also it is never crazy to have a connection, that is a really good thing because you can understand each other than! But that can be a bad thing if you get nervous, because you don't want it to get the horse worked up, be a good actor also when your nervous, and remember keep your head up to where you want to go, not looking down at the horse.

You should be able to train either horse to do this, you have to start them slow so they're not all go and no whoa, doesn't matter which horse.

Why not train both? If you have the time, its nice to run an experienced horse and a green horse so as your other horse gets to old to do it you have a younger seasoned horse! 

do you mind posting a picture of the 2 horses you was thinking about?


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## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

FehrGroundRanch said:


> Do you own Five?


My family owns him, yes.


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## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

aruraeclipse said:


> Hello!
> The age of the horse doesn't matter because the training is always the same, to teach barrels he has to do rollbacks, lead changes, flexing, counter arcing, stops, side pass. I would always start out slow, because you want to be able to perfect each level, always practice perfect. You should do a warm up, where he has not been rode in a while do the warm up for about 15 minutes, walk, trot, loap, trot, walk, and than start with your horsemanship...the rollbacks, lead changes, counter arcing, etc... Do that for about a week than move on to 20 minutes of warm up and through out the week do a day of horsemanship, and than a day of pattern and than relax and go on a nice trail ride, and than move on to 25 minutes of warm up. Another thing you want to sprint your horse about a 1/4 mile, because they have 2 muscle groups, and you want to exercise those fast twitch muscle fibers as well. Make sure that he gets about 2-3 days off the first week, you don't want to over stress his body. Next just start going over the pattern. walk him over the pattern for 15 min, than do a day off and than 15 min again. this helps imprint it in him. you want to ride the same at every gate because you want him to learn when to slow down and when to pick up, this comes in play with practice perfect. Also it is never crazy to have a connection, that is a really good thing because you can understand each other than! But that can be a bad thing if you get nervous, because you don't want it to get the horse worked up, be a good actor also when your nervous, and remember keep your head up to where you want to go, not looking down at the horse.
> 
> You should be able to train either horse to do this, you have to start them slow so they're not all go and no whoa, doesn't matter which horse.
> ...


 
Thank you so much for the advice!

You can see pictures of both of my horses(High Five, Trigger) under the Horses tab by my avatar. Although, Trigger is looking A LOT better than the pictures I have up because we have been giving him Horseshoer's Secret and getting some muscles on his bones.


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## aruraeclipse (Mar 22, 2009)

No Problem, hope this does help out a lot!!  Do you think that you could get a couple of body shots of the horse, like confirmation shots??? That would help out a lot


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## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

aruraeclipse said:


> No Problem, hope this does help out a lot!!  Do you think that you could get a couple of body shots of the horse, like confirmation shots??? That would help out a lot


I don't have any good confo pics of either of them right now, but I can get some of Five later, however, I won't see Trigger again for a few weeks(or at least until I go back to my trainer's house).










^^This is all I have right now.


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

If they both belong to you then work with the one that you are attached to. If you decide he's not the horse for you, you can also start using Trig.


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## aruraeclipse (Mar 22, 2009)

_High 5 looks pretty good for it, if he can do it! 
_


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## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

Well, thanks y'all! I think I will go ahead and get Five started on it, and then, maybe on down the road Trigger can join the crew. =]


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## Qtswede (Apr 16, 2009)

If Five can cut, he can do barrels. Have fun, be safe, and good luck!


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## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

You have a good chance that that horse can do barrels. Agility is what a cuttin horse is made of and thats what you need. Reining horses i find make amazing contesting horses aswell. Goodluck!


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

8 is young for a horse...so Five is definitely no old bird, he's got many years of competition left in him! 

I think he's a lovely looking guy, and will be even more so once he is back in condition. Good luck with him, and Trigger both


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## 7Ponies (May 21, 2009)

I have to wonder what you really think an old horse is  8 is NOT old for a horse. (you mentioned in another post that 13 was old, and it's not.)

Don't underestimate these "old" horses. They have a lot of very good years left in them and are perfect mounts if they do the job you want to do with them. 

I'd much rather be riding an "old" horse than a green broke horse. Much rather be showing one too as they are seasoned and know the ropes.

Anyway, whatever horse you end up with, have fun!!


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## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

7Ponies said:


> I have to wonder what you really think an old horse is  8 is NOT old for a horse. (you mentioned in another post that 13 was old, and it's not.)
> 
> Don't underestimate these "old" horses. They have a lot of very good years left in them and are perfect mounts if they do the job you want to do with them.
> 
> ...


Well, those ages are old for me, because my second horse died of navicular at the age of 11, and then we had to put one of my 14 year old horses down. So, I think the way I do because of my bad experiences. 

And, I talked to my trainer, and he has agreed to help me get both of them trained. I will start with High Five, and my trainer will be starting Trigger(because he is still a little green. We have to break him out first).


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## 7Ponies (May 21, 2009)

I've had horses living well into their 30's. That's old for me 

Gee, I bet you think I'm old too, LOL!!


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## HorseOfCourse (Jul 20, 2009)

If you're not going for 14 second performances, I don't believe it matters much on the build of the horse. My sister and I run our 14.1hh pony around barrels and she can pull out 16-17 seconds, yet you'd never tell that she was that quick by looking at her.


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

7Ponies said:


> I've had horses living well into their 30's. That's old for me
> 
> Gee, I bet you think I'm old too, LOL!!


You probably fall into the "ancient" category, lol.
I agree - my best/favorite/most treasured horse was 36 when we finally had to let him go. At 8-12 they are just really coming into their own and hitting their stried.


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## xEquestrianx (Aug 30, 2009)

Sure he can! Actually I think that is a great age to start them at as they are more mature, and it sounds like you have put a nice handle on him. The build helps. He doesn't need to be huge, but in shape, and good confo. Keep him collected to strenghten over his topline and build endurance.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Good luck but I wonder why someone who has a cutting horse would want to run barrels. You should try cutting and then you would realize that barrels are for storing feed. Or try reined cowhorse THAT is awesome.


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