# Hancock quarter horses and bucking



## MHFoundation Quarters

We've had a few Hancocks over the years and never had a bucking problem with any of them.


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## kevinshorses

They have the reputation for bucking but none of the ones I have owned have been buckers. I think the big difference between Hancocks and other lines is that the Hancocks will treat the rider just as rough as the rider treats them whereas other lines will choke down a little more rough handling.


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## .Delete.

We have a Hancock horse here at the university. My friend is breaking him out. He sure is a bucker, he has gotten her off a few times. He only bucks when going to the right though. She has had him for 2 weeks an he is still trying to buck her off
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## caleybooth

I've always heard this about Three Bar horses. Is Hancock a descendant of Three Bar?


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## kevinshorses

caleybooth said:


> I've always heard this about Three Bar horses. Is Hancock a descendant of Three Bar?


Most QHs can trace back to Three Bars. He was a TB race horse.


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## Cherie

I started out training horses in the mountains of Colorado. I rode a LOT of Hancocks. About half of them were going to buck no matter what you did in starting them. The one you describe is typical of the ones that are just cold backed and bronchy by nature. The ones I got were mostly Roan Hancock and Red Man breeding. I started a lot of colts by a horse near me named Roan Light. He was a TAAA race horse and sired a lot of race winners in the 60s. I cannot think of a single colt of his that did NOT buck or try to buck, many times on the 3rd or 4th ride. I learned very quickly not to relax on one of them.

On the flip side (and why the cowboys liked them), they were good footed (could take the rocks) and tough. You could not wear one out. They had really good bone and feet, good withers, were deep in the heartgirth, and di I say they were tough?

I was convinced that the Hancock horses was why so many top saddle bronc riders in the RCA (forerunner of the PRCA) came from Colorado. Wyoming and Montana.

But, like I said, half of them were not bronchy. I just sold my Driftwood bred stallion to a QH breeder in the UK. He was Driftwood and Hancock breeding and you just about can't make one of his colts buck. They are just 'born broke'. Had they not been this way, we would have sold him and all of his get like we have other stallions that we tried. 

All the toughness and good bone aside, the Hancocks are often high-hocked and lack the athleticism we have gotten spoiled by in the horses with more 'modern' breeding. Many have a big 'plain' heads and some are downright ugly-headed. Even when they try, they do not flex their hocks when they stop and they are pretty rigid and not naturally very flexible. 

This is over-generalizing, but there are so many of them that fit this stereotype, that it is kind of what a lot of trainers think of them in general. In more recent years, breeders that like the Hancocks have done a better job of selecting breeding stock that is better balanced and have nicer heads and attitudes. Hopefully, they keep the toughnes and soundness, but some I have seen did not, but they were sure a whole lot prettier.


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## kevinshorses

That's a pretty good description of Hancocks. My parents moved to Oklahoma and my dad mentioned that he had just sold his hancock gelding. One old okie made a comment that all the ones that he had seen would buck a cowboy off. My dad replied that all the ones he had seen would buck an Oklahoma cowboy off but didn't seem too much trouble for cowboys in the REAL west.


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## MHFoundation Quarters

Cherie said:


> All the toughness and good bone aside, the Hancocks are often high-hocked and lack the athleticism we have gotten spoiled by in the horses with more 'modern' breeding. Many have a big 'plain' heads and some are downright ugly-headed. Even when they try, they do not flex their hocks when they stop and they are pretty rigid and not naturally very flexible.
> 
> This is over-generalizing, but there are so many of them that fit this stereotype, that it is kind of what a lot of trainers think of them in general.


That is the most common stereotype I've heard about them. I have to say that most I have met did fit that generalization. The few we've had were mares that my grandfather crossed on his son of Poco Dell, who thankfully improved the roman noses that they all had! The cross made for some hardy, working horses.


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## dylan winter

*stamina*

the horse the big cowboy rode certainly had stamina

never seen anything like

the two std quarter horses they gave me to ride had a lot of work to do carrying me and the cameras plus a bit of proper work

we left the cabin at 6 in the morning and got back at about four in the afternoon - at the end of the day the rest of the horses were cream crackered - the Hancock was ready for me. It was high mountain country and was tough on the horses

mind you.... the pack mules were even tougher - and no shoes

always had a soft spot for a good mule since I spent the summer at the Pitchfork near Meeteetse

Dylan

rmc 19 the love of mules « If you like horses


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## COWCHICK77

Back in the day Hancocks had their place. When horses were tools to get a job done and not pets. You made a big circle pounding rocks, you didn't trailer out in the morning, you trotted out from the barn and trotted back at the end of the day. And you didn't have the means to switch horses mid-day. Good cowboys were measured by their ability to ride a tough horse instead of now by being a good horseman(along with being a good cowman). Back then you needed a tough horse to work all day and mash around.
Times have changed, the need of the horse has changed.

I have not been a big fan of the Hancock horses. The first colt I ever started as a young teenager was a Hancock colt...it definately left an impression! lol.
Another one that sticks in my mind is a Hancock mare that was 5 years old sent to several different guys to start and ended up with a guy I was working for a summer in Oklahoma. I had never seen a horse deliberatley hurt it self just not to do what you ask. To get her broke enough to ride we put a running W on her, (this guy was very old fashioned in her method of colt starting) we got her broke enough to ride and promptly sent her back. Why ride a bad horse when are so many good ones!

I'm not saying all of them are like this....


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## kevinshorses

I've watched the clips of your film that were on youtube and I quite enjoyed them. I have had a similar job the last two summers with the exception that my home is a camp trailer and it's not as remote. The terrain is quite similar and of course the work is the same.


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## dylan winter

*I agree*



COWCHICK77 said:


> Back in the day Hancocks had their place. When horses were tools to get a job done and not pets. You made a big circle pounding rocks, you didn't trailer out in the morning, you trotted out from the barn and trotted back at the end of the day. And you didn't have the means to switch horses mid-day. Good cowboys were measured by their ability to ride a tough horse instead of now by being a good horseman(along with being a good cowman). Back then you needed a tough horse to work all day and mash around.
> Times have changed, the need of the horse has changed.
> 
> I have not been a big fan of the Hancock horses. The first colt I ever started as a young teenager was a Hancock colt...it definately left an impression! lol.
> Another one that sticks in my mind is a Hancock mare that was 5 years old sent to several different guys to start and ended up with a guy I was working for a summer in Oklahoma. I had never seen a horse deliberatley hurt it self just not to do what you ask. To get her broke enough to ride we put a running W on her, (this guy was very old fashioned in her method of colt starting) we got her broke enough to ride and promptly sent her back. Why ride a bad horse when are so many good ones!
> 
> I'm not saying all of them are like this....


 
riding a horse that is on the edge of bucking all day is not a nice experience

I often have $5,000 worth of camera in my hand - trying to hit the ground body first and camera second is an unsettling affair.

two things you want from a horse - one is to not dump you and the other is to stop when you ask

after that everything else is an added bonus

when I first arrived at the Pitchfork they did the usual trick of asking me if I could ride a horse

"yes" - was my answer

wrong answer

"yes I can ride a gentle horse" was what I should have said

so they gave me the biggest sod on the place - my goodness they did laugh when it tried to dump me three times in one day 

riding along as gentle as you like.... suddenly.... wammo

I missed a day's filming because I had to leave the camera by the truck while I dealt with the horse

I explained to the lads over a beer that I was there to work as well - then they gave me a much steadier horse to ride

but I learned a lot from those two guys - they taught me how to trim feet and how to shoe a horse

lovely, lovely blokes once they accepted me as a fellow horseman

Dylan

rmc 25 the dunnie « If you like horses


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## dylan winter

*thanks*



kevinshorses said:


> I've watched the clips of your film that were on youtube and I quite enjoyed them. I have had a similar job the last two summers with the exception that my home is a camp trailer and it's not as remote. The terrain is quite similar and of course the work is the same.


the dvds are now pretty old so I put them on a website where they are available for free to watch or download in chunks

it always makes me laugh

if a Brit says he "quite" likes something then it really means he was bored sideways by it. I hope that was an American quite rather than a British quite

I must say it was a brilliant summer - fantastic scenery, great horses, lovely people - the only thing that took the edge off the experience was that the ranch is about 50 miles from Yellowstone. Whenever a bear got too easy going around people they tranquilised the bear and helicoptered it to a "less sensitive area" which is where I was sleeping in a tent.

When out hacking around the woods and forests near my home in the UK I often think how grateful I am that we don't have any bears in the UK.

the thoguht that crazy bears were around really took the edge off my enjoyment. 

Never went anywhere without bear spray and the cowboys told me that if I see a bear when I am on a horse start looking for a good downhill route.

Dylan

PS - they gave me a pump action shotgum to sleep with

rmc 03 gathering the herds « If you like horses


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## Corporal

COWCHICK77 said:


> ...Why ride a bad horse when are so many good ones!....


My thought exactly!
Dylan, have you seen this flick?
Rough Riders (TV 1997) - IMDb
You'll enjoy the bronc scene in it.
Welcome to the Forum!


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## COWCHICK77

dylan winter said:


> riding a horse that is on the edge of bucking all day is not a nice experience
> 
> I often have $5,000 worth of camera in my hand - trying to hit the ground body first and camera second is an unsettling affair.
> 
> two things you want from a horse - one is to not dump you and the other is to stop when you ask
> 
> after that everything else is an added bonus
> 
> when I first arrived at the Pitchfork they did the usual trick of asking me if I could ride a horse
> 
> "yes" - was my answer
> 
> wrong answer
> 
> "yes I can ride a gentle horse" was what I should have said
> 
> so they gave me the biggest sod on the place - my goodness they did laugh when it tried to dump me three times in one day
> 
> riding along as gentle as you like.... suddenly.... wammo
> 
> I missed a day's filming because I had to leave the camera by the truck while I dealt with the horse
> 
> I explained to the lads over a beer that I was there to work as well - then they gave me a much steadier horse to ride
> 
> but I learned a lot from those two guys - they taught me how to trim feet and how to shoe a horse
> 
> lovely, lovely blokes once they accepted me as a fellow horseman
> 
> Dylan
> 
> rmc 25 the dunnie « If you like horses



Great story! Being the "new guy" is a lot like being hazed in a college frat house! I've had hats thrown under my colts, come back down to the barn to find my horse saddled backwards, hearts painted on my horse butt with a pink chalk stick, have my bridle pulled off while trotting along, etc. lol Its all in fun, then soon enough you get to do it to someone else!


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## dylan winter

*Horse play*



COWCHICK77 said:


> Great story! Being the "new guy" is a lot like being hazed in a college frat house! I've had hats thrown under my colts, come back down to the barn to find my horse saddled backwards, hearts painted on my horse butt with a pink chalk stick, have my bridle pulled off while trotting along, etc. lol Its all in fun, then soon enough you get to do it to someone else!


 
As a Brit riding horses in the states I have obviously come in for a bit of stick - I have heard every joke about postage stamps and plough reining you can ever imagine

A few years ago now I rode the length of the Oregon trail on two horses I bought in Kansas - travelled with some poeple with wagons for a while

I came back to the campsite after watering my horses... riding one bareback and leading the other

suddenly I found all sorts of buckets and cans being thrown at me

only had a head collar on the riding horse

he took off, barrelled around a corner and I had to bale out befor he got to the gate. I knew he was going to stop but I was sure that I would not be able to stay on board without a saddle

very frightening and I landed fairly badly

the next few days travelling were really painful

however....

one of the blokes on the wagon train got very upset on my behalf and balled the other guys out

it turned out that his oldest daughter, mother of two lovely little boys, was out trail riding with a group of friends. 

One of her fellow horse riders came past and yanked the bridle off her horse. The horse took off and she eventually parted company with the horse close to a roadside crash barrier

she hit her head and died on the spot

the bloke was doing the Oregon trail in an effort to forget what happened to his daughter and the bucket incident with my horses kicked off a lot of flashbacks for him

so....

horse play can get out of hand

Dylan


PS The journey along the Oregon trail with the paint and the app was a job I did for the BBC - it ended up as nine half hour radio shows

I could put them up on the website if anyone is interested


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## kevinshorses

dylan winter said:


> if a Brit says he "quite" likes something then it really means he was bored sideways by it. I hope that was an American quite rather than a British quite


It was an american "quite". I really enjoyed them!


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## MHFoundation Quarters

dylan winter said:


> When out hacking around the woods and forests near my home in the UK I often think how grateful I am that we don't have any bears in the UK.
> 
> the thought that crazy bears were around really took the edge off my enjoyment.


One reason I'm glad I live in Indiana. No bears here either! I'm pretty sure I'd ruin my saddle if I came across one :lol:


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## dylan winter

*bless you my son*



kevinshorses said:


> It was an american "quite". I really enjoyed them!


 
that is a bit of a relief then

language is a funny thing

two nations divided by a language and all that

spanner/wrench

pavement/sidewalk

tarmac/blacktop

and that is before we get into horse words

Dylan


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## Skipka

Can I ask what you mean by a Hancock horse? Sorry to sound ignorant! 

I also live in the UK - I have a quarter horse mare who has Joe Hancock in her pedigree. Is this what you mean? It would certainly explain a lot! She always has a go at bucking when I bring her back into work in the spring, but once she's got it out of her system she's great and works really hard for me. Very feisty!


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## dylan winter

*classic symptoms*



Skipka said:


> Can I ask what you mean by a Hancock horse? Sorry to sound ignorant!
> 
> I also live in the UK - I have a quarter horse mare who has Joe Hancock in her pedigree. Is this what you mean? It would certainly explain a lot! She always has a go at bucking when I bring her back into work in the spring, but once she's got it out of her system she's great and works really hard for me. Very feisty!


 
it seems to me that you have some classic hancock symptoms there

mind you - at one time I owned a mare and my dog was male

I am much happier now that I ride a gelding and the dog is a *****

the old cob mare was fantastic - could trot down the road for mile after mile but blimey did she get moody when in season

the gelding, on the other hand, is the same every time I climb aboard

and the ***** does not keep stopping to annoint the pathways.

I also keep my horse in work and outside all year

Mack n me – click here to go large « If you like horses

last year was his first winter rugged up

now that he is pushing twenty I guess he deserves some comforts

Dylan


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