Are you wasting your horses potential?

Mine aren't going anywhere and I would like to think that they are doing more use mowing my lawn than producing yet more ponies than the country can cope with. I don't need the rosettes - I have over 1000 of the damned things and so I only go out to get some more when I really want to. Yes I suppose it would be a very good shop window to have them out competing but seeing as we breed so few and we still have our last foals - 4yos now! - it kinda suggests we don't ever sell them anyway lol!

What I do find amusing is that I have some ponies here that produce fantastic foals - much better than they themselves are and yet because they wouldn't do so well in the show ring or aren't big enough to be ridden they aren't wasted by doing jack all!

Human nature is fickle but entertaining at times.
 
So what if your horse's "potential" is being wasted. I don't think mine stand in the field eating grass, thinking "Oh how I wish I was at a show today" or go round a prelim dressage test thinking "I could be doing so much more than this!". It's the horses which are pushed to achieve more than they are capable of that have the breakdowns. I am 100% sure that mine are happy hacking, eating in the field and they tolerate me schooling and doing the odd bit of dressage, but I know if they had the choice of any of it, they would be in the field, eating, just being horses!
 
MaisieMooandCometToo said:
I don't think a horse has the ability to look forward to something as I believe they 'live in the moment'?
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My lad is perfectly able to look forward to things, apparently he was looking forward to his turnout from around 4am, banging on the door to be let out! ( he is out 24/7 now!) Also at 4-45pm it is bucket time, and it had better be there 'cos he really looks forward to that! :p:p:p

But seriously, if you and your horse enjoy competing, then why not? It is all good.
FDC
 
Fany Du Champ said:
My lad is perfectly able to look forward to things, apparently he was looking forward to his turnout from around 4am, banging on the door to be let out! ( he is out 24/7 now!) Also at 4-45pm it is bucket time, and it had better be there 'cos he really looks forward to that! :p:p:p

But seriously, if you and your horse enjoy competing, then why not? It is all good.
FDC
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That's really more routine and association :p

Oh I will ;) I only have the rest of this summer season, a winter season and next summer season left to bankrupt my parents with competitions before I enter university and the world of reality. Ho hum. xD
 
A friend of a friend told me that 'Horses do not have ambition. They have no idea how good(or not) they are. They don't spend their time thinking 'If I didn't have this idiot aboard,I could be soooo much better,doing sooo much more'.' Interesting that horse riders/owners probably don't apply this to our dogs 'I could have been a police dog if this idiot hadn't bought me to cuddle and fetch tennis balls...' or cats,who are both (as animals go)usually more intelligent than horses. Is it only because we 'can' compete them that we think they 'should'? Food,water,love,attention&maybe a bit of variety in what goes on around them/what they get to do(for the brighter ones) is probably all any animal needs(&that could apply to humans too!)
 
Sure I think my pony is wasted sometimes especially as I can gain confidence one day on him and lose it the next, of course I'd love to do him justice but its never going to happen. And obviously if I was brave enough I would get him hacking out/going to shows but I'm a wuss... HOWEVER!
He honestly doesnt care, he just wants fuss! Trots over when I arrive at the yard, does lots of things that are even affectionate towards me and is generally a rash but bring his tack out and its an "oh do I have to?" moment. So I agree with a lot of these posts that most horses don't care, yes some of them might like the mental stimulation but most are happily with lots of food, water and attention :)
 
are my horse wasted... Sy, defintately! she has the potential to be a BSJA pone, however I got her as a rising 16yo who'd done sweet sweet nothing, she looks miserable etc. Now she comes in, gets loved, brushed, fed, hacked a few times a week, jumps a few times a month, messed with bareback, in the school, do the odd bit of actual schooling, gets cuddled in the field, and she's a genuinely happier horse, not because of the work she's doing, that just keeps her ticking over and changes her lifestyle from grass and stable, it's because of all the love and attention she gets. I'd compete her unaffiliated if the possibilty was there, however i feel it'd be too dangerous at this moment in time, and to show in hand.. she's still growing her mane back from winter! maybe next year! haha.
x
 
I totally agree, although I must say some horses truly do get bored stiff 'just being in a field'.....there's a few on I know of for example who cause endless problems and have developed vices through serious boredom because although their owners check they're still alive and look after their basic needs, they're not ridden or kept in any sort of routine so they just get mindnumbingly bored!!!

I know for a fact both of my boys get bored stiff stuck not being ridden too....they both become depressed and bad mannered when not doing anything.

However, I don't think it's anyhone's place to say "Oh you should be doing this that and the other" or "that horse is too good for you", I've had that one myself.....my old boy (21 now) is a Grade B showjumper who could easily have gone to Grade A, he's jumped the Hickstead Derby 3 times, jumped at HOYS twice and has previously been described as 'would jump the houses or parliament if only you pointed and asked' by one of his professional riders.....I got him in a pretty poor state....as soon as he got back up to fitness and people could see him for what he is loads of people were saying "but you don't jump, why did you get him? He'd be ideal for someone wanting to move up the grades in BSJA".....he jumped again another half season with my best friend at the time, before I decided to call it a day for jumping. Don't get my wrong he LOVES jumping but he's not getting any younger and the longer I can keep him fit and healthy the better.....So we now do unaffiliated Dressage (although hoping to Affiliate for the winter season) and we're happy with that, he loves going out in the Lorry as it has been his life for so long but he loves me, and so he loves doing what I asak him to do....he knows he's not pushed and that's that.

I think the point I'm trying to make is, as long as you know your horse and look after his/her needs (including exercise to keep the mind working) then who is anyone else to tell you you're wasting them?
 
I am definitely...my 7yo ex-racer could do good dressage with someone who knows a bit more, but I can't get him out often (no transport) and when I do he gets very tense and stupid. I don't have regular lessons, but I try my best to do good by him. He's jumping more now, starting the 1m classes this month and going to regionals in August for working hunter.

It does disappoint me that I haven't done as much with him as I could. But he's my first horse, I got him as a birthday present when I turned 17...and I've tried hard with him. He's not perfect, and I am even further from perfect.

Having said that - he is taken care of, he has shelter, food, water and an owner who cares for him and loves him to death. He doesn't know he could be jumping in the 1.20m's by now or doing Medium dressage (instead of being stuck at novice) with someone who could get him out, or afford proper lessons etc...and his career after racing could've gone in a much worse direction.
 
Unless I had a horse that proved to be uber talented, i.e so brilliant eventing it could really go 4* than it wouldn't bother me. I will - slowly - get my horse out and upto a decent level. A professionial could get there a lot quicker but I have bought a horse for the lower levels of eventing and we will get there eventually. Novice is my aim again on him and we should get there - just a lot slower than if he was with a professionial.

Horses definately like going out but whether its competing or just going somewhere else for a change of scene would seem pretty immaterial to me.
 
I think horses can enjoy competing- my old horse loved going out to shows. He saw us packing up the lorry and would puff himself up and when he arrived he would strut around and show off. In jump offs, he was far more competitive than me- I would have to be very careful not to look where we were going too far in advance or he'd whip round to get there. If we didn't take him out with us he'd sulk for days. So horses can enjoy going out and winning- in line ups he'd grow 3 inches and nicker to people to get their attention!

He had no potential at all though- 2'9 at a push, worst dressage always and terrible manners!

Reg has potential and it's being used. However, he would also be a happy hacker as long as he was kept fit and ridden often- he works hard at comps because he likes to please and he is very capable. I would argue that he does love XC as his attitude is amazing- totally "let me at them"!
 
No I don't think so.

I do lots of bits and pieces with mine. He's a clever horse and he loves to be ridden and worked, he really enjoys shows (sometimes a bit too much!) and he loves learning and being the centre of attention.

He could do a lot better, bigger, more with another person but to be honest we keep each other busy and I think he enjoys having a fun, varied life with me. We're out in the lorry twice a month doing various things, we dabble in all the disciplines at a low affilliated level. If I don't go out competing for a bit we have lessons at home and hack and jump and school. I teach him new things and just enjoy him really!

It's probably nice for him because he has a big heart but with me he will only know how good he is and how easy he finds things as I'm never going to find out what his limits are :).
 
Must admit, my horse LOVES shows and going out! x As soon as the horse lorry is in sight she's neighing at it! x You could put the back ramp down and she'll go in there herself...she'd put her own travel boots on if she could! x

I would feel that i wasted her if i didn't take her out and about but if you saw how keen she is to get in that lorry anyone would! x She'd go in a matchbox if it meant going to a show! x She is most comical and clearly loves doing out and about......or maybe she hates her field! haha x

I'm sure if for any reason she had to stay in her field, she'd get used to it and would probably be quite happy to do nothing! x

No-one should tell you what you should/shouldn't do with your horses, i do think they enjoy going out, but others enjoy doing nothing. They are like people....couch potatoes and fitness freaks! x

Just enjoy owning them whatever you do with them :O) x
 
Slight change of subject, but I've always wondered why some sellers (sellers, not breeders) say they will only sell to a competition home. If the horse is well looked after and ridden by a rider of suitable ability/experience, does it matter if the horse competes or not? Or do they think they could get more money from a competition-minded purchaser?

I don't think a horse is ever worried about wasted potential but an intelligent horse is probably easily bored and soured by too much mindless, repetitive schooling (going in circles around the arena) if it's not balanced by getting out, either to a show or just going on a fun hack.

I'm not competitive in the least but if all I ever did was school in the arena, I think my pony would lose her Welsh mind. :D
 
EKW said:
I would never sell any of them unless I had to
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This is my only real concern in regard to any horse I own. I have no plans to sell either of mine and hope they die of very old age in my care. But things happen and there's no guarantee.

So to improve their chances in the event that I did have to sell, I want both of them to be in a position to get a good, safe home. That means being rideable, having manners, and being at least well on the way toward some desired discipline.

I have a friend who has a 12 year old Paint broodmare. Sweet mare, nice breeding, has produced some solid foals but nothing spectacular - just good, basic riding horses. The mare has never been trained to ride and has no real use other than hayburner and broodmare.

My friend has to sell unexpectedly. No one wants a 12 year old hayburner. No one wants a broodmare who can't produce quality show horses. What are this mare's chances of ending up in a bad place? Pretty high, if you ask me.

So that's my only caveat to this. My horses are happy and well cared for, and they certainly aren't pushed too awful hard. But if I had to sell them, I could find a solid home for them.
 
Potential is only that, potential not fact or a certain future so it's a bit hard to waste something that isn't a definate. If you are happy then be assured the horse will know no different one way or the other, It will probably have an easier life by far..
 
the only wasted horses are the ones who are broken and trained too young, go competing whilst too young or before they are ready, slaughtered age 2 -3 years cause they aint fast enough, or overcompeted at ALL levels and wrecked and made unsound.
 
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