We start colts through gentle breaking, starting out in the round pen lunging and ground driving with the saddle and bridle then moving up to the arena where we follow the three step process. We feel that this is the safest way for both horse and rider and the one with the most rewards. We can take your colt as far as you desire be it green broke or dead broke let us know what your plans are and we can tailor a training program to fit.
Here at Stars and Bars Ranch we believe that there are certain levels that a horse must achieve before they can be competent in any discipline. A strong foundation is key to a solid horse. The following three phases are a break down of what we consider to be a broke horse.
Once a horse is proficient in these three areas they are ready to move on to something more challenging. Whether it’s english or western we can get your mount show ready in a snap! Though we now mainly focus on colt breaking, barrel racing, and pole bending we have experience successfully showing in hunter jumpers, dressage, and rodeo queen pageants. We feel that this breakdown of training is universal and fulfills the requirements of all disciplines. So if you need a colt broke for english or western we can provide him with the foundation he needs for both!
Don’t have what you consider to be the ideal candidate? Here we feel that you can teach any horse any discipline regardless of breed with the right training. The only factors that limits your horse is his conformation, his mind, and his heart not which category his ancestry falls into. Most of our horses have been successful as jumpers and are now succeeding in barrels and poles! In fact we currently have a horse that is half hanoverian warmblood half thoroughbred, despite this odd combination the mare is dominating at poles! She is consistently placing in the top 5 averages against tough rodeo pole horses
and is only getting better! So before you write your companion off as not suitable for what you would like to do give us a call and we will give you our honest opinion.
Why conformation, mind, and heart? Well conformation sets the physical limits your horse has as a performer. A horse can have the best conformation and talent in the world but without the mind you can never access that horses true potential and he will have a hard time being consistent. And finally heart, a horse with heart ensures that you will get 110% rain or shine. Combine all three and you have a package of dynamite!
We think that a good barrel horse must be as sound of mind as he is of body. Far too often we see horses that were pushed too fast and competed on too hard; they never got that solid foundation before they were pushed to the next level. These horses tend to become burnt out on barrels, once this occurs it’s difficult to get them to enjoy their job again. That’s why we place a strong emphasis on slow consistent work; this ensures that the horse knows his job well before we ever ask him to perform. In the end we feel that this strong foundation will allow the horse to not only perform better but will provide them with all the tools necessary to succeed for years to come. This attention to detail in the beginning allows the horse to progress at a faster rate to his full potential.
