The Colt-Starting Guide for Barrel Racers
Coach and professional horseman Justin Briggs offers invaluable insights into his colt-starting philosophy and techniques. He emphasizes the importance of gauging a colt's confidence level and tailoring training accordingly, showcasing his approach with various young prospects. Briggs advocates for a method that prioritizes safety and avoids training through fatigue, preferring to develop broke, balanced horses that respond well to cues. Demonstrating his progression from halter to snaffle and curb bits, he stresses the significance of selecting the right tools for effective communication with the horse. Additionally, Briggs highlights the necessity of giving prospects diverse experiences and personalities, molding them through thoughtful training approaches. His dedication to safety, meticulous training regimen, and collaborative efforts with his wife, Jordon Briggs, underscore the foundation of Briggs Performance Horses, making them a formidable team in the competitive world of barrel racing and beyond.
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How to Use a Back Cinch
Justin Briggs finds back cinches very important, especially in barrel racing. He introduces a back cinch to a colt very early in his training so they can learn what that pressure feels like.
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Starting a 2-year-old Dash Ta Fame x Frenchmans Future Stud Colt
An uncut look at 10 minutes of ground work and saddling to the first step in the stirrup by Justin Briggs with a 2yearold Dash Ta Fame stud colt.
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Staying Safe on Day 1 with a Fractious 2-year-old
Professional horse trainer Justin Briggs demos his ground work process for the first saddling of an energetic 2yearold.
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Moving the Feet First
Professional horseman Justin Briggs demonstrates his method of establishing steering on the end of the halter rope by moving his 2-year-old's feet and keeping the colt's attention focused.
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Round Pen Philosophy
Professional horseman Justin Briggs talks about his round pen philosophy when starting colts and how to use the round pen as a tool and not a crutch.
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Different Levels of Confidence in 2-year-olds
Justin Briggs talks about the importance of reading a colt's level of confidence, or lack thereof, and how it's normal for colts to progress at various speeds.
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Seventh Ride on a Green 3-year-old
Justin Briggs works a 3yearold Goodbye Lane with just six rides and shows how switching directions and keeping his colt's attention with the lead rope in his ground work transitions well to these early rides.
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Building the Foundation for Turns and Stops
In the seventh ride horseman Justin Briggs demonstrates how he is building the foundation for turns and stops as he teaches his colt to guide and travel out.
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How the Start Translates to Competition and Handling Pressure
Professional horseman Justin Briggs discusses how and why he has developed a method of starting colts that doesn't rely upon training through fatigue.
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Using the Halter and Snaffle Together
Professional trainer Justin Briggs explains his progression of halter to snaffle and how he uses them in tandem to achieve a better feel on his colts.
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The Importance of Safety and Knowing Your Limits
Accomplished horseman Justin Briggs explains the importance of staying safe and protecting your investment when starting colts.
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Selecting Prospects
Justin Briggs discusses the importance of selecting the best prospect you can afford and how breeders incentives have impacted the market.
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Introducing a Curb Bit
Horseman Justin Briggs shows the typical progression of his program as he introduces a 3yearold Mr Cinnamon Roll x Dash Ta Fame to the curb bit.
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The Single-Barrel Drill on a 3-year-old
Justin Briggs shows how he correlates shoulder and hip position to achieve body control before Jordon Briggs takes their prospects to the barrel pattern.
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Laying the Foundation for Rate and Stop
Professional horseman Justin Briggs demonstrates how to set the proper foundation in place for rate and stop on a prospect.
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Using Your Hands and Feet Correctly When Riding Colts
Professional horseman Justin Briggs demonstrates the degree to which he uses his hands, feet and spurs in coordination to achieve a broke, balanced horse that responds well to his cues.
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Hand Position When Riding Colts
Justin Briggs shares his his typical hand position when riding colts and how it translates later to riding finished rope and barrel horses.
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Adding Intensity to Drills Off the Pattern
Justin Briggs talks about the importance of adding intensity to simple exercises away from the pattern and the importance of teaching horses about speed transitions.
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Focusing a Colt's Attention vs. Getting One Overly Tired
The difference between training a horse to be truly broke as opposed to fatigued, and why Justin Briggs thinks it's important to avoid the latter.
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Developing All-Around Horses
Justin Briggs talks about the typical program at Briggs Performance Horses for developing solid allaround horses through barrel, cow and breakaway roping work.
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The One Barrel Drill on a 4-year-old
The onehanded, singlebarrel drill on a 4yearold A Streak Of Fling gelding demonstrated by horseman and team roper Justin Briggs.
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Breakaway Practice Session on a 4-year-old Barrel Bred Prospect
Professional trainer Justin Briggs explains why it's important to give a prospect different jobs and demonstrates how teaching cadence with a cow helps his 4yearold ASOF get more broke.
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How to Approach Sensitive Colts
Professional horseman Justin Briggs answers the question posed by a viewer as to how he approaches a hypersenstive colt.
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Develop a Relationship with Your Colt
Professional trainer Justin Briggs answers the question of what type of personality he looks for in a prospect and how personality is molded by a thoughtful training approach.