# broncs



## nrhareiner (Jan 11, 2009)

Normally broncs come from riding horses who decide they want to buck. Most do not go the other way around.

What happens to them after will depend on who owns them. Which stock contractor. I know some will go into breeding stock others are just turned out and some are re homed into NON riding homes. However not too many go that rout.


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

The reason alot of broncs become broncs is because the like to buck. 

We did own a former bucking horse, however it's not common. Most of the time he was a great horse but I played around with barrel racing with him and it didn't matter how many times I rode him he would always buck when he was in the Arena. We usually had a 30 second bucking show before we ran our pattern.


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## ChevyPrincess (Aug 27, 2009)

Yes, those horses, were horses that just bucked, people couldn't brake the buck out of them. That doesn't mean they are mean, I have seen several, that when the buzzer sounded, they just stopped! Rider on or not. Then trotted calmly away. 

In a away, you should thank the rodeos and people who do take these horse in, because if they didn't (those who oppose it will find this upsetting) they would probably be sent to slaughter. But heck, who wants a bucking horse? I don't.


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

You can really compare it most to racing I'd say. The stock contractors have spent years perfecting "bucking" lines - horses with a natural buck in them, but not a lot of meanness. Rodeos do not want "mean" horses because if they start going after their riders, it's dangerous.

Back in the old days, it was actually quite common for horses to double as both riding partners and bucking horses. They were trained, like any other horse, that when a bucking strap was on, the show had started! Of course, you had to watch 'em as riding partners, because they all had a tendency to want to buck even out of the arena.

Anyway in comparison to racing, I'd say yes, a goodly amount likely end up at slaughter. Horses that don't buck good enough, horses that are retired and can't be retrained, etc. Good bucking horses however go on to breeding careers in hopes to pass that wicked buck on that made them great.

One of my favorite stories of all time is of Midnight, one of the greatest Canadian bucking horses of the old days. When he was retired, he lived out his day in a grassy pasture and was given a proper burial when he died and his memorial reads:

Underneath this sod lies

a great bucking hoss.

There never lived a cowboy 

he couldn't toss.

His name was Midnight

his coat was black as coal.

If there's a hoss heaven,

please God, rest his soul.

Midnight: The world's greatest bucking horse | TheFencePost.com


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

Bucking horses are a pretty big business now a days. And as stated above, some wind up back in the breeding program, and others sold. 

I've heard of buckers competing well into their teens. One horse at a rodeo I went to this year was 19!!! he ditched his rider too, so he was good at his job for an older horse! 

I would say that many of the buckers, after doing it for so long may never be retrained to actually ride; I think the tendency to go back to their 'old job' may be too strong. This is not to say that "all" buckers are hopeless causes that couldn't be retrained to ride, or perhaps drive, but you may not be as successful with a bronc, as opposed to an OTTB.


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## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

I know a lady that usually buys her horses from the auction, she once bought this big gray gelding. He seemed like a nice horse, rode good, and she seemed to be doing really well with him. She ended up running into the guy that had taken him to the auction, he couldn't believe she was riding him, apparantly the horse was supposed to be sold to a kill buyer and not a private home, he was a former bucking horse (don't know why they were selling him). Unfortunately this lady is not a very confident rider and he was sent to the next sale, no idea what happened to him.

I once read an article about an old bucking horse, can't remember the age, but seems like they were guessing her around 30 and she was still bucking! They considered her special and she was now getting special treatment, and they planned to let her retire and live out her days w/ them.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

My dad had a blue roan mare when he was a young man that would buck very hard at the drop of a hat. He rode her hard every day for several weeks and she stil buck sometime during the day. He said she was getting better at bucking faster than he was getting better at riding so he took her to a rodeo and traded for a bucking horse that was barely bucking and not bucking anyone off. The roan mare went on to be a really great bucking horse and the horse he traded for had a long life never bucking again. Most pro rodeo horses are retired or used for breeding. I would bet there are fewer bucking horses that go to slaughter than there are backyard pets.


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## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

I've met many broncos that were the gentlest horses when not being rode. They aren't scared of people nor are they angry, they just like to buck.


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## nrhareiner (Jan 11, 2009)

Bucking horses like to buck line my reiners loves to stop. It is just what they love to do some it is what they are bred to do too.


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## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

Rodeo roughstock live pretty pampered lives - although they are not stalled. I've never seen one that is too thin or not pretty well groomed. It it not unusual for the geldings to compete (yes, they compete) well into their 20's and better. They aren't over worked and they generally have very few joint/health problems. The mares may not compete quite so long - they are generally retired to broodmare status before they get to old for breeding.

I've seen some that were big babies when not in the arena - I even rode one on a trail ride and had a great time - but I nearly fell over backwards when I found out he was competing in a local rodeo the next weekend. 

I've seen some that I wouldn't want to turn my back on, too - but they are the exception. Most may not be especially friendly (the one I rode couldn't have cared less) but they aren't vicious.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Sometimes they will be bred for it too. There is a stock contractor here (I cant remember his name to save my life) that will buy the retired bucking mares and breed them to his retired bucking stud and some of those colts are a little............um..................tricky. LOL. It is possible to retrain a bucking horse to be a riding horse but it is not something that anyone could do and usually, you would never be able to fully trust that horse. Of course there are exceptions but that is the norm.


WAIT!! Bill Hext is his name. LOL. Now I feel stupid.


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## KLBaxter (Nov 6, 2009)

i disagree with alot of these partial answers we have 20 head of bucking stock at our house and do spend alot of time with them> Ive seen everything from a bronc you could ride to herd cattle then buck the next day, to stock you cant even get in the same pen with. Some are very dangerous and some are workable but mostly they are bred to buck and are your typical wild horse.


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## shesinthebarn (Aug 1, 2009)

I have to agree with the PP. I just went to a rodeo on Sunday. Some of the bucking stock was RANK to handle, and some were very good natured to handle, but they all BUCKED! The other thing they had in common was their apparent good health. They were all in good flesh and seemed in tip-top shape. As for retirement, a good bucking horse in revered by cowboys and stockman. They generally retire to pasture or a breeding program. I don't know what becomes of them if they are so-so performers.


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## buddy09 (Nov 15, 2009)

in bronc riding what do they do after the horses serve their purpose? nothing their usually buckers til the day they get put to rest.
how long of a carreer does a bronc really have? until the horse needs to be put down could be 1 year could be 25 years.
and after all that bucking can you ride em? People usaully dont but some might be able to with alot of work 
or are they too afraid of humans to let you get near them.most of them aren't afriad of humans my friend owns a whole bunch of them n i can take them in their areana and run around and play with all of them
wouldnt it be cool to get a clinician who could change a bronc into a riding horse? it would be hard to find someone who would take on the job

I no all these things because my friend runs a cattle ranch and he has about 25 broncs, and acouple of bulls and the horses are nice as any horse and the bulls are pretty nice wouldn't want to be around them on there bad days but mostly their really nice. My friends little cousin thats 6 can go out in the bronc pasture and put a halter on any one of them and it would follow her around all day just like a big puppy. Most horses arent abused like you get told and most of them can be just like any rideable horse but with out the riding part of it. (LOL)

from what ive seen at my friends ranch they have a stall for each bronc and i just remebered that the girl that can lead all them around can also ride most bareback on a lead rope and she hasnt came off.


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