For me, at a young age, I was involved in a lease program.
Buck Daniel owned the horse Reata that I started roping on starting as a Sophomore in High School, after I won an Open Roping down in Florida on him.
Mr. Daniel was a generous man and told me after the roping that if I could get Reata to Louisiana, I could rope on him. Long story short, that was a life changing conversation. I not only found a ride for him, I turned in my baseball bag and told my high school coach I was going to pursue rodeo for a living, which he told me was the dumbest thing I’ll ever do.
Ten trips to the NFR, a Gold Buckle, and 4 Canadian Championships later, I credit my success to Reata and being able to “mount out.” — Shane Hanchey
THE COWBOY CHANNEL: What is the advantage to mounting out?
SHANE HANCHEY: The relationships you build and being able to talk to people.
TCC: What is the “cost” to mount out?
SH: 25% of what jockey wins, if he doesn’t win anything, he doesn’t pay anything. I pride myself on having good horses, so I will let the Marty Yates or Ryan Jarrett caliber of guy ride my horses and I know they’d do the same for me.
TCC: Is there a source within the industry that you know to call when you need a horse right away and can’t get to one?
SH: Not necessarily one person, but someone in the region in which I am rodeoing. When I’m in Canada, I can call Logan Bird. I’ve ridden his horse a lot. In the South you’ve got horse trainers.
TCC: Are you always paying attention to the different horses in the arena wherever you go to see which horses you feel would fit you if you needed to mount out?
SH: A hundred percent. I don’t think a lot of people that rodeo for a living do, but it is something I do. I pay close attention to the calves we rope and the horses the guys ride. I feel like that has helped me. A horse that I was able to ride after Reata and had a lot of success on was a horse named BamBam that I was able to purchase from Mike Johnson. I watched him go countless times and I knew that one day I wanted to ride him and when I did, we would mesh.
TCC: In a normal year, what is your rodeo count?
SH: In a normal year, we would try to hit 100.
TCC: Of the 100 rodeos, how many times would you say you mount out?
SH: I’d say I mount out about 25% of the time, riding my own about 75% of the time. I mount out more than most because I can ride a variety of horses due to my upbringing and my family training a lot of horses. When you train a lot, you ride a lot which I feel has helped me become the athlete I am because I understand horses have their own feel, stride, and stop.
TCC: Is that just due to rigs going different directions?
SH: Most of the time, the logistics of how we entered is the reason. But when I go to Canada, I know I can fly up there and ride Logan’s horse, which is a big deal because my winning percentage on that horse is high.
TCC: How do you make the initial contact in wanting to mount out?
SH: I’m old school. I like to call the owner myself. I don’t text or ask the guy riding the horse to make the contact, I like to talk about it with the owner. Luckily, I haven’t been turned down too often, though it has happened.
TCC: How often do you offer your horses to others to mount out on?
SH: A couple years ago, I did a lot. I have a horse named Sy that won Horse of the Year in 2017 because a lot of guys rode him, and a lot of guys won money on him. The horse was known for winning with whoever was riding him. I will let a rookie or a 10-time NFR qualifier ride mine, as long as I know they ride good, rope good and won’t put them in a bind it’s pretty easy for me.
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TCC: When you are looking to purchase a horse and make an investment, do you think about mounting out being a source of ROI? Do you buy something you think only you can ride? How do you go about making a purchase?
SH: Nine times out of ten if I can ride them and they’re good enough for me to win on they are good enough for anybody to win on. I am not going to take a chance on buying something that hasn’t been proven. I make sure they fit my style and my technique; other people’s ability isn’t a factor in my decision to purchase.
TCC: What is the average of horse you like to buy? Do you start them young or buy the veterans? Or does what you’ve already got in the trailer decide that for you depending on what becomes available?
SH: It all depends, it’s been a little different lately. BamBam was 16 when I bought him, Pam was 15 when I bought her, Si was 11-12. I like them to be middle age so I know they’ve been to enough rodeos that they can take it. I’ve recently bought a mare from my brother that is 7 and hasn’t been a lot of places, but she’s got a lot of ability and I will be able to ride her at the smaller rodeos.
TCC: When you’re training, what are your thoughts on the process? Is it 60 days, 90 days, before you start seasoning them?
SH: Depends on the horse’s mindset. Horses like Reata, my brother says he didn’t even train him, just showed him what to do. But those are few and far between. I prefer to take them to small ropings, then bump them up to amateur slack, then amateur perf, and then a pro rodeo. No matter what, when you back in the box a pro rodeo, whether it is Mesquite or Reno your blood is pumping a little more.
TCC: Do you let different guys ride your horses through the training process?
SH: Yes, one of my best friends is Cody McCartney and he’s one of the best horse trainers going right now, I would send them to him, Gary Wells, or my brother to take the edge off of them before I haul them to rodeos. It’s a big help.
TCC: What’s your biggest pet peeve in a horse?
SH: I have a lot of them. I like a gentle horse. I don’t have much patience for one that sets back or won’t stand still and be nice. I’m around a lot of barrel horses, and they’re not laid back!
TCC: You’re always riding a sorrel, is that the preference or just the way it works out.
SH: I’ve always had an eye for sorrels with a blaze face, even as a kid. Reata had a blaze, Bam had a blaze, Pam’s got a blaze. So does Si. I’m moving away from it slowly. I have a roan mare now.
TCC: Are you currently hauling with anyone you mount out with?
SH: Right now, I’m hauling with Wyatt Imus and he’s got a gray mare, Roosevelt that I ride a little bit and taking slow. She has a lot of ability and I’m looking forward to finishing her. Clint Robinson and I partner on a horse we bought from Blaine Cox.
TCC: Are partnerships common?
SH: They are out there; Clint is older and doesn’t rodeo full time, so he has the horse (which is sorrels with a blaze) in the Spring and Summer and I rodeo on him in the Fall and Winter. I’ve hauled with and been friends with Clint since 2012, so it’s more of a brotherhood than a partnership. Partnerships are out there, especially now that you can’t find a horse that is seasoned for under $75,000.00. The best partners are guys from the outside that want to be a part of the industry and don’t want to swing a rope.
TCC: With fewer rodeos that are farther apart this year, has it affected the value of a horse or the market to buy and sell?
SH: It hasn’t affected it much. We actually have a lot more people looking for horses than normal and there aren’t a lot available. Everyone that has a good one wants to rodeo and make the finals, wondering how this year will play out.
To keep up with Shane, who is currently 11th in the 2020 PRCA Standings, be sure to follow him on Instagram and Facebook.
