Blame It On Becky

Becky, as in, Blog of, wrote and asked me recently to explain exactly what my problem with Hancock bred horses is. After she finished berating me for being a close-minded ass she threatened to ride her horse, Popsicle Stick Head, to Colorado and beat me up.

OK, maybe I'm exaggerating just a tad, maybe she just asked me very nicely to tell her about my reservations about them because she has fallen in love with a beautiful Hancock bred filly. Maybe I'm just feeling feisty.


While I'm at it I should cover what my problem is with mustangs, egyptian bred arabs, Skipper W bred quarter horses and miniature horses.

I have been busted making a sneering remark or two about these breeds and types of horse.

I've been known to tell the joke, "Do you know why the Nez Pierce really chose the Appaloosa? Because they were the only horses slow enough to catch on foot."

But guess what? I don't really, truly have a problem with any of them, because I like all horses. Every single one of them.

I can tell you why I choose not to own some of them though.


Tally was a Hancock bred mare. You guys are reading about her right now, so you will see the ups and downs of this mare soon enough.


I had a fancy roping bred mare in for training. She was a big blue roan Hancock bred thing. She bucked so hard she threw me, my help and the bronc rider who lived at our barn before I gave her back to the owner. The other horse this gal owned was a finished roper, also Handcock bred. She was a week end trail rider. The gelding ended up bucking her off too.

I helped her get her mare in with a trainer at the T-Cross Ranch (majorly respected ranch). She tore down their 100-year-old round pen, broke the trainers arm and knocked him out cold on three seperate occasions. He finally got her trained. Both of these horses periodically toss their riders to this day.

The last place I worked had a three-year-old black Hancock bred filly and a 5-year-old blue roan Hancock bred mare. The filly started out easy as could be. Then one day she exploded and bucked like a maniac. She would buck on a longe line, buck with a rider, buck in place while at the tie rail.

She kept this up for about 90 days or so and then decided to be broke. From what I hear she's been fine to this day.

The blue roan mare was broke, broke, broke. She had been off for two years being a broodmare. The boss decided she wanted to sell the mare. When we brought her up to tune her up to sell she went out of her mind. She tried to jump the arena fence while tied to it and then bolted and tried to jump it again while being longed.She slammed into the steel pipe fence with everything she had, fell to the ground, got up and tried again.

All of these horses came around, at least to a point. All of these horses were willing to hurt themselves in order to unload a rider or a rope when they come undone.

They were all strong, big-footed and fast. They had solid bone. These are good qualities when they work for you but very tough to overcome whrm used against you.

I know people who love their Hancocks. I have been told they make amazing ranch horses and ropers.

I have been told they are sweet, kind and gentle.

I have been told my quick, early training ways are why I don't get along with them.

I don't disagree with any of those things. I just know I tend to run into problems with them. Hancock bred horses are often bigger and slower footed than I like, although Tally was as maneuverable as I could ever want, but really tough to train. So I stay away from them.

As far as Becky goes, the filly she is fast losing her heart to has been raised by a good friend of hers who owns both the mare and stud this filly came from. She will be available to help Becky and her horses are all good horses.

Becky is no slouch when it comes to her skills and trusts and enjoys these horses. So I say go for it, just don't send me this filly for training, I'll get bucked off.

I don't care for Skipper W's. I live in Hank Weiscamp country, so this is dangerous talk. But, the Skipper W's I have ridden are big muscled, small footed, bad tempered things. They are slow. Pretty headed though. Again, I avoid them.

I'm not ant-Foundation bred horses. I get along with Poco Buenos, Doc Bars, Hollywood Golds, Hollywood Jacks, Gay Bars, King breds, and more.

When you ride a lot of horses you find out the blood lines you get along with and the ones you don't. You tend to lean towards the ones you get along with.

I like the look of Polish Arabs. The only Arabs I have known with sense are Polish Arabs. The goofy ones were Egyptian and I feel like I'll break them in half if I ride them. I'm the first to admit I don't have a lot of experience with Arabs, I only go by what I've dealt with. I'm fascinated with the Shagya's. I'd like to have one for endurance.

Mustangs are too hit and miss for me. I don't believe they're a breed. they are mutts. I don't care if they are called Kigers or Spanish, they are horses who have not come from controlled breeding programs. If they run to type they are inbred, not a breed.

They don't work for what I want a horse to do for me. I have owned a mustang and train several. They were easy to train, a little cold-blooded, sweet and solid. I even trained one I knew would cow and was tempted to buy her and try to show her.The economy squashed that plan but she has a good life as a trail horse.

I do resent the fact the government is paying to house them by the thousands while countless well bred horses are going to slaughter, even though I am well aware it's not the mustangs fault.

Mini's are too short and I can't keep them in a fence.

I make my joke about Appies because I think it's funny but I am very fond of the breed and have known more than one I would own in a heart beat. I'm just mean.

So now you know a few of my terrible opinions when it comes to horses. Blame it on Becky.