Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Hancock horses

I have read a lot of accounts that these horses are bad buckers, and I've also read that they are willing, gentle, and easy to train. Does anyone have any first hand experience with these bloodlines? Thanks.

Brent

I don't think it is the breeding.I think it is the human starting them.
I know of no known breed that is prone to bucking as compared to other breeds

They are certainly stout looking horses, the studs that are on the web advertised. I believe they are like any other, your either going to get a bucker or your not.I know I have no use for a horse that, when arrives at a situation that doesn't suit him goes in to a bucking fit and tries to unload me.

my uncle loves his hancock's he has one that is the most gental temperment of any horse I have every seen, and one that would do well at the NFR

Depends which line your in. They can be great horses, burro's, or bucking sob's. A friend of mine bought 10 redman[who was by joe hancock]mares, and a stud from Kenny Gunter at Benson back in the 60's. He said half the mares raised real good colts and the other half were buckers. Kahdafi Skoal[World champion bucking horse] was out of one of these mares.
A single steer roper from Ok. told me hancock's made good tripp[ing horses because it took them 3 or 4 years to figure out where the jerk was coming from.
Fred

A good friend of mine has had a couple. His best one was kinda hard to break out but was kept a stud also. He never bucked though. Great horse! He finall cut him for his lil boy to ride. Smart strong and safe.

Thanks. Appreciate all the responses. I've never been one to care about color a whole lot, but some of those Blue Valentine's have really caught my eye.

I have first hand experience with quite a few Hancock bred horses.

They do have a reputation for bucking. But that isn't my experience. I personally own two right now a 4 yr old that other than progressing up through snaffle-bosal-bridle is pretty well broke. And I have a two year old that I'm just now starting.

The ranch has a bunch more and I've ridden most of them. Some of them were a real handful until about 7 or so. The colts we are getting out of the stud now are very nice. Not deadheads but they aren't renegades either. Which is about where we want them to be.

Here's a link to the webpage with the stud on it. He isn't mine, but is owned in partnership by friend's of mine. http://baderquarterhorses.com/twistoblue.htm
The other studs on there also have hancock in them.

All that said life is too short to mess around with genuine outlaws. The horse market especially for young unbroke colts is in the tank. I wouldn't bother with anything that even thought about being rank. Sometimes the colts that are a little owly can be worked into unstoppable, never quit, do anything horses. But it takes a lot of miles and wet saddle blankets to get them there and if you aren't cowboying with them all the time you probably aren't going to make it happen.

Thanks Ralphie.

I like riding and I like training, but since I don't work on a ranch it's pretty much impossible to put in lots of miles on a daily basis.

I've messed with Two Eyed Jack horses quite a bit, but for some reason I've become interested in Hancock horses. I've heard that the Blue Valentine line is one of the better Hancock lines producing more trainable horses and fewer buckers.

I agree that life is too short to mess with outlaws.

Additionally, there are too many nice horses to put up with one that should be in easy-to-handle two-pound packages!

Reminds me of a mare we pastured for a guy when I was in high school. He asked me if I'd ride her once in a while to keep the cobwebs out of her head. He didn't mention that she was a bucker, and a darn good one at that. She was so quick that you didn't have time to react to what she was going to do. After she unloaded me a couple times, Dad told him to take her somewhere else. He did - to a horse sale, and the dang fool rode her through the sale ring. You guessed it. He ended up picking sale ring sawdust out of his teeth. We heard later that she ended up in a rodeo string.

They have places for ones like that. Dog food canneries.

I know a few that have made the trip to Nome.

I think what's important is how much you spend your heart to him, that is how you treat him.

I am currently training a 4yrld, he has no buck in him and he is kid gentle. He was started right and has manners, his only hole is he can be stuborn as a mule. He is going to be my next headin horse, he likes the box and loves to eat cows. We just got home from a pack trip were he did 40 miles in the mnts of wyo with no issues. He is the Hancock blue dapled grey with black main and tail and built like a tank, he is double bred top and bottom.

Most Hancocks take more riding. They are made to work every day and rodeo on through the weekend. I have roped steers on a Hancock gelding for the last four years in the PRCA. Some of the greatest steer horses have been Hancock. They take alot of riding, maybe mature a little later in life. Just my experiences. Regards, TG