# Halter horse doing barrels?



## horselover21 (Jan 13, 2012)

Today I rode my friends 4 year old 16+ hh halter-bred palomino. She is so lazy but I decided to take her on the barrel pattern and she did amazing!!

She even did better than my barrel horse... Now that is just sad. 
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## Spotted Image (Aug 10, 2011)

I actually this bought a full bred halter horse for barrel racing. She can turn on a dime and she has the speed. So I believe it's possible.


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## horselover21 (Jan 13, 2012)

Spotted Image said:


> I actually this bought a full bred halter horse for barrel racing. She can turn on a dime and she has the speed. So I believe it's possible.


Haha! I actually have a video and a few pictures that I will post in a little bit 
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## horselover21 (Jan 13, 2012)

Oh yeah, and she is actually 6 yrs old... typo 
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## horselover21 (Jan 13, 2012)

Here she is doing plug


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

That horse doesn't look comfortable at all. She's swishing her tail a majority of the time, since she doesn't run barrels regularly that probably means she's hurting somewhere. She also changes leads really awkwardly twice, like she's uncomfortable in her strides.. If your friend rides her a good bit I would suggest having her vet checked and probably a chiro out too. It could be anything pain related, from ill fitting tack to rider error causing soreness.

Usually with the halter bred horses, they are bred to be bigger horses and have tiny feet. Those little feet can't hold up to a lot of stress when carrying that big body and do serious damage to their legs if overly stressed..like running barrels.


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## horselover21 (Jan 13, 2012)

Please, no bad criticism. I know a lot of horses that swish their tails. She has been checked by a vet before and it just so happens that her owners husband is a farrier so they take very good care of their horses.
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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

She's very pretty, although I have to agree that she looks stiff and uncomfortable. Have you tried western pleasure with her? I'm no expert on wp, but judging by the way she moved in that video, I think she'd be good at that- she'd turn some heads in the ring, too!


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## horselover21 (Jan 13, 2012)

soenjer55 said:


> She's very pretty, although I have to agree that she looks stiff and uncomfortable. Have you tried western pleasure with her? I'm no expert on wp, but judging by the way she moved in that video, I think she'd be good at that- she'd turn some heads in the ring, too!


Thank you! I don't think she has ever done wp. She was shown in halter as a 2 and 3 yr old but she has not been ridden much since, so she is a little bucky in the video. I agree, she definetly would do very well in the wp ring! 
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## BarrelBunny (Jan 15, 2012)

She does look very uncomfortable, but, considering the fact that she's not a trained barrel horse and has not been ridden very much, I'm pretty sure that she is sore and confused. I would get a couple good conformation pictures and see what other people think, and, if all is good, start doing slow work with her. Just remember to pay close attention to any soreness she may develope.  she's pretty!! 
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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

She does look uncomfortable. Did you do it just for fun? Or are you seriously considering doing barrels on her? Because if so, then she will need lots of patterning before she can run barrels, or even do them at the speed in the video. She's very pretty though


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

horselover21 said:


> Please, no bad criticism. I know a lot of horses that swish their tails. She has been checked by a vet before and it just so happens that her owners husband is a farrier so they take very good care of their horses.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


What was she specifically checked for by the vet?

Really watch her back end after she finishes the turn in this video. It could have been a fluke step (that you happened to catch on video), or else something is seriously off there. Especially in her right hind leg. She completely skips a step with it. 

Very pretty horse indeed!

And my horse is heavy with halter blood lines. He runs 1D/2D barrels.


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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

She could just be really awkward. Doesn't mean she's hurt. She just doesn't know what to do with her feet around a barrel, esp if she's never done it. I think this because she didn't even know what lead to be on. My mares QH side is halter too, and she is darn good at gaming and cattle events!!! Not one single cutter on her bloodlines anywhere, but man can she track a cow!! lol


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## horselover21 (Jan 13, 2012)

Thank you  Here are some more pictures of her.


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## horselover21 (Jan 13, 2012)

I'm just running for fun. She isn't my horse and her owner uses her for halter and she hasn't been ridden much. She isn't skipping a step nor does she have an awkward canter. She was just bucking which caused it to look weird. And she wasn't bucking because she was in pain, it was because she hasn't been ridden in probably 1 year or so. Thanks for the concerns


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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

Hun, to me, it doesn't look like she was really trying to buck. She was swapping leads and trying to figure them out. That's the "awkward" part. Like if this was her first time, she would've had no idea what you were asking. Therefore not sure of which lead to be on. That's only my opinion.


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## horselover21 (Jan 13, 2012)

Well if I hadn't ridden her buck before, I would say the same thing, but I know what her bucks feel like and she was definetly bucking. I think it was just a weird buck that I caught on camera. And I just want to make it clear that she isnt bucking because she is in pain, its because she hasn't been ridden in a year or more and she has gotten away with bucking in the past. She is very sassy and has been sitting in the pasture doing nothing. She would rather be getting fat in the field then running lol.

I am also taking her in a show this weekend. I'm doing speed (not going to be running her hard, just trotting) and I'm also taking her in a halter class  So excited! And the best part is, her owner is paying for all of my classes haha 
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## OutOfTheLoop (Apr 1, 2012)

The horse seems confused and awkward. I am not convinced that was her bucking. Are you concerned that there could possibly be somethimg wrong with her, or that your asking to much of her? I wouldn't take her anywhere and trot the barrel pattern until she can walk it in her sleep. Even if its just for fun.
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## BarrelBunny (Jan 15, 2012)

That horse is definately NOT bucking. A buck is where the horse is basically hopping up and down, kicking out in the process. (...not sure how else to describe it :wink: lol) your horse is confused ans swapping leads. She is swishing her tail because it is awkward for her to change leads. (And its very likely that shes swishing her tail because she's sassy, too.) ANY horse would do the same if it has not been patterned on barrels before. Even if it is just for fun, you need to take her slow and teach her how to turn a barrel the right way. Im not dissing you or anything, thats just what i see and what i think needs to happen. 
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## horselover21 (Jan 13, 2012)

She doesn't just buck when I run her on barrels. Its basically the first time I canter her at the beginning of a ride or when I'm asking her to go faster than she wants to. She's not in pain. She's just really lazy and sassy and that is also why her buck is weird. Also she IS definetly bucking. Even her owner says that it was a buck and she has been riding her for 3 years. Her owner says that she has always bucked. 

The show that I'm taking her to is at the barn where she is located so it's basically a fun show just to start off the show season for me. I won't be running her hard and it will only be once in her lifetime and I didnt have enough time to pattern her so it will be strictly for FUN 
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## OutOfTheLoop (Apr 1, 2012)

Your pretty sure your horse is bucking because someone who has been riding for 3 whole years tells you? Can you get a video of her bucking without running a barrel pattern for comparison?
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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

have you thought of the possiblity of the fact that she could be bucking into that lead change because it's uncomfortable or she doesn't really know how to do it any other way?


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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

I guess this is my idea of a bucking horse. Granted, this horse isn't bucking very violently. But I think most people would say this is bucking. Your friends mare seems more like she was hoping (because she was crossfiring) and trying to figure out her leads. Hence the reason she stopped "bucking" as soon as she switched her back lead.


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## JustAwesome (Jun 22, 2011)

I'd not barrel race her, especially from seeing that video.
Everyone has said all that i would say 

Why not do something SHE enjoys doing?..


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## horselover21 (Jan 13, 2012)

You shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Just because you see one video of her doing this doesn't mean she bucks like this all the time. I don't like being judged badly nor do I like when people judge my horses. Just saying. I know this mare. You don't. I'm not trying to be mean to anyone, honestly. But everyone is telling me the same thing over and over again. 

I'm still showing her because her owner wants me to. It doesn't mean that I have to run her. Its just a fun show to get her back into showing. Since I am a barrel racer, I feel more comfortable racing her. It will only be once so its not that big of a deal.

This post was strictly to show you guys that I was playing around with a halter horse on the barrel pattern. I wasn't looking for anything else. Thanks.
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## JustAwesome (Jun 22, 2011)

> I'm still showing her because her owner wants me to. It doesn't mean that I have to run her. Its just a fun show to get her back into showing.* Since I am a barrel racer, I feel more comfortable racing her.*


Clearly you don't care if she likes it or not, from the video tells you heaps!!


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

I'd just like to point out that she said this was a ONE TIME THING, and that she's only TROTTING her around the pattern for fun. I don't think this horse is quite cut out for barrel racing, yes- the main reason being that, judging from ONLY that video, she looks uncomfortable. HOWEVER, all you have to judge is this one video- the people who KNOW this horse and work with her have stated that she is healthy and has a bit of a bucking habit.
If she wanted opinions (sorry I chipped in mine, lol) on whether she had a good barrel racer or not, she would have asked. She may not have been quite clear enough in the OP, but she has made herself crystal clear now- opinions are NOT wanted, she is not trying to make this horse a barrel racer, and she is not pushing this horse past its limit.
I will repeat- According to her posts, she is taking her to TROT the pattern for FUN only ONCE, so it shouldn't matter if the horse likes it or not- she is NOT doing it again. 
I apologize for sounding so nasty.


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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

I am not trying to come off as judgmental OP. It's just that you insist she is bucking in the video, and I promise you that was not a buck. She might have been threatening to buck, but if she is as lazy as you say, she would only threaten (like this video) and not actually follow through with it. If you don't like being judged, or your horses being judged, than why would you show her? If multiple people are telling you the same thing, you might want to weed through and see that there is a shred of truth to it. Aside from all the individual opinions. Even if you know this horse, and I don't, that doesn't change the fact that she was clearly not bucking...IMO. I say this b/c my mare does the same little crappy thing occasionally, but she has also fully unloaded me when I was young. There is a huge difference. The video was just to show you why I disagree, it's not to put you down or make you feel bad. I am sorry if I came off that way, I really didn't mean to! Good luck at your show, hope she does well.


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## horselover21 (Jan 13, 2012)

Thank you soenjer55 

I apologize for making drama on here, but like soenjer55 said, I am the one that works with her...

I know nobody was intensionally trying to put me down. 
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