Best horse, worst horse??

[Nadia]

Following on from WelshRareBit's post i just wondered about the best and worst horses you've had in your time?

I would have to say the best is my current horse, she has bags of ability SJ and i really think she is going to get me out competing at the level i want. She is a real sweety and we got her at a steal of a price.....otherwise it would have to be my first pony, who, although he was spooky and took off with me *all* the time - he taught me alot. My seat is so secure because the little chap was so hard to stay on.

The worst would have to be a gelding i had, a true chestnut. He was very talented and moved wonderfully....he had a good jump on him and i planned to event. But he had other ideas!! He was very tempremental, and some days would ride well and the next he'd buck and rear until i came off. I loved him to pieces but decided he was too much for me to handle, i ended up selling him to someone who was willing to work with his problems.

 

[Natalie_H]

Worst horse - my TB gelding - unpredictable, far too clever for his own good - can rodeo like a good un when the mood takes him, moody at times, crappy hooves that fall apart every summer, allergic to wheat barley, rye, oats, linseed, peas, soya oil, & storage mites.

Best horse - same horse!

He has such a huge personality & when we have a good day he makes all of the above seem worth it! Strange I know but true!

 

[Weezy]

Best: Cercano, without a doubt. I love that horse and it is the only horse I really, truely have cared about awwwwwwwwwwwww. He is really some sort of soul mate.

Worst: Toughie as all of them have had their pluses! Zante I suppose, just couldn't channel her phenomenal jump into it being a SANE phenomenal jump LOL!!!

 

[kayleigh_and_rocky]

Best horse - my current horse Rocky, got him as a 4year old and trained him myself. Such a talented horse, with a huge amount of potential and a smashing jump and really good mover, but most importantly his personality is to die for, hes so genuine and loving and a real one on one horse.

Worse horse - I had a 16.1hh ISH gelding, 6yo and he was psychotic. He reared and fell over backwards on me, injuring my leg. Bolted and jumped out of arena. Kicked me in the stable damaging my skull. Bit people. Bucked. But his major problem was the rearing, he would literally do a back flip. I remember having a very scary insident at my yard, him rearing and me just desperately trying to get off but couldnt, and kath (madam_max) trying to grab hold of him and him striking out at her head

such a shame as he was a TALENTED horse but by the end no one would ride him, my YM who rides racehorses even refused!!

 

[Nadia]

Natalie_H - AWWWWW How lovely!!

 

[Fahrenheit]

I have load of Best Horses but I have to say my pony (black cob in siggy) fabulous pony, my dad bought him for me after a serious riding accident when I was a teenager where I smashed the fromt of my face up and he bought him for me to look after, they didn't know if I would ride again, we grew together (as he was only 6 and hardly ridden and in abit of a state) from plods up the lane to competing in show jumping, xc and eventing - I lost him in 2001 and still miss him... whenever I had confidence issues with any later horses I could get on him and he'd put me back together.

Worse horse well only 2 could ever fall into this category my first horse that almost killed me after only owning him a week (I don't regret owning him and miss him but he killed my confidence and have never got over it) and a mare that turned out to be the biggest fruit loop ever to walk the earth totally unrideable and insane.

I can say the only horse I ever regretted buying was the fruit loop mare.

 

[apkelly01]

Best Horse: My current horse Super C D who has provided me with way more good times then bad

I'd sell my kidneys before I'd sell her

Worst horse was the 3/4 bred chestnut gelding we had for only 6 months. We were totally done when we bought him and he destroyed my sisters confidence and dented my own

We ended up giving him the one way ticket to Straffen as he was too dangerous

 

[LEC]

Worst was Fly a 15.2hh TB Mare a very athletic little horse either amazing and you would win everything or a complete cow and would totally refuse to co-operate. She still holds the hunt record for jumping the biggest ditch - a main rhyne. We sold her for polo something she was really good at.

Best was my 14hh pony Toya Model Copper he was phenomenal - so athletic and jumped everything. Won county workers, jumped everything out hunting, and a real tough competitor. He was also really lovely person and very sweet. He was the only pony my sister had after I grew out of him. We sold him to the ex jockey now endurance manager Bill Smith for his daughter. I really hope he had a happy life after us as he was wonderful.

 

[Bossanova]

Best- Boss, although I have the feeling that in a few years time I may say Moon and she has certainly been very enjoyable thus far.

Worst- hard to pick just one! Had a little tb mare that just turned nasty aged 5, started rearing whenever she didnt want to do something (ridden and in-hand) We were advised that it was due to pain so she had two foals, both of which turned out to do the exact same thing so the mare was shot and so was her first foal (2nd was bit more reasonable so went to be a hunter)
Whistle was another bad one, he was a serious little horse but it took me 6 months to get a saddle on his back and no-one ever managed to get on him.

 

[SusieJane]

Two bests, My 13.2 Welsh X mare, mad as a box of frogs, was a bit of a rescue case, but with kindness & time is still the most loving pony

~ And now BigBird. Too clever for her own good ~ needs a bit of an ASBO in the stable or tied up ~ suffers from autism, as she doesn't like new experiences, or anything near her or her stable ~ but with the kindest heart.

We've just started jumping, and even when I cock it all up, she still goes over, takes care of me. I luff her soooo much.

Worst. Wasn't a buy, it was a loan. The horse was fantastic, and I still get tearful over him.The owner was a fruitloop of the 1st degree. As a vegetarian, and committed pacifist, I could quite happily punched her lights out, then fed her to my dog!

 

[Seahorse]

Best horse - Rocky my wonderful big bay boy, who I didn't really appreciate just how good he was until I sold him

Axel is my 2nd best horse in the world, but don't tell him lol!

Worst horse - Kai, a horse I bought cheap from that dodgy dealer in Dartford and I managed to sit on once for 10 mins and the next day bronced me off and broke my elbow

 

[kirstyfk]

Best Horse: Glen, sadly I only had six months with him. But he was the best 15hander in the world, ever

He took my sister to 2 PC champs and 2 JRN champs. I struggle to discribe in so few words as he was so amazing

My 14.2hh comes a close second. he was 25 when I had him and was such a dude. Both are very sadly missed

Worst: Probably Breeze. He was the sweetest horse in the world, but his owner had pushed him too far too young. I had him on loan to do JRNs but you would be going into a 3'6 fence never knowing if you would be jumping it alone, most occasions i was flting solo! I often wonder what hes doing now as he was the nicest horse in the stable.

 

[Hemirjtm]

Best: A little 12.2hh Welshie, i had on 'loan', who took me from jumping 1ft to 3'6/3'9 in the space of 4 months...i was 8 and trusted him with my life.....mum would have bought him if the owne would have sold him, and i probably wouldn't be living in france now or have Hemir...!! I would gallop him round the fields bareback with nothing to hold onto other than his mane!!

worst: I can't actually say a worst because all the horses i have had on loan or ridden (excluding Hemir) have taught me sooo many things...how to stay on, how to ide properly..... i have had one bad experience whan i was 11, (compressed my spine after helping to break in a 5yr old!) but that wasn't my wost horse becaus ei learnt something from that too!! I ty to put all the negatives into positives because what happened last year hapens when i'm negative!!

 

[Enfys]

Best: My arab mare Stella, she didn't jump, turned into a quaking wreck if you tried to school her, broke down so badly on the race track we thought she'd have to be shot, had colic surgery and after that bred me four super foals, raced and hunted for years afterwards. Simply the sweetest kindest horse I have ever had the fortune to know, she was also the one my daughter learned to stand up by climbing up her legs. Not recommended I know, but I'd have trusted that horse with, well, my child. Heartbroken when she was injured by another horse and had to be pts before her time.

Worst: 16h grey mare called Arian (one of the stars of "In the Pink").......great little horse, lovely nature, would jump the moon, absolutely nothing wrong with her at all, she was just not the one for me. She was too big, too wide, too strong for me. Molly found her and made her famous and had a great time doing it too

 

[Ravenwood]

Worst Pony - was my first ever - he was a Dartmoor, jet black with just a little white star. He kicked, bit and he would only ever bolt flat out across the field taking me through the trees and the swing or stand rooted to the spot - wouldn't budge even towards home! Amazingly at home he would jump anything in the field but take him to a show and he wouldn't go in the ring - If I managed to get him in he refused three times a the first fence - My God that pony taught me to ride. Now being a grown up and Mum myself I wouldn't let any of my kids near him if he was still alive!

Best Horse - my current one - I couldn't want for anything more (okay perhaps one that loaded!)

 

[smellsofhorse]

I cant believe you had the horse and her foal shot.
There must have been something you could do or someone that could help.

I know how hard they can be i had a chestnut TB mare who was an exrace horse.

Its the way you said it too, as though you have no feelings.
" the mare was shot and so was her first foal"

Maybe im just over sensitive?

 

[PapaFrita]

Toughie. I'd have to say PF is best, although she's by NO means the easiest ride I've had; I just love her best.
Worst... Antifaz in his bad period. Now he's second best

 

[PapaFrita]

[ QUOTE ]
I cant believe you had the horse and her foal shot.
There must have been something you could do or someone that could help.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm positive Boss wouldn't have taken that decision lightly. Some horses just can't be fixed. Much better to have them PTS than shunted from pillar to post in ever more unsuitable homes, perhaps eventually hurting or killing someone

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe im just over sensitive?

[/ QUOTE ]
Maybe.. maybe not... Tis an emotional subject though, so quite understandable. I doubt they shot the foal as a wee thing... probably when they tried to back her.

 

[htobago]

What a fascinating thread!

I've only ever had 2 horses, and I'd be hard pushed to say which is best! The first was General Lee Gold a 15.1 Arab stallion I bought as an unbroken 4yo - really sensible choice for a novice, eh? But he went on to be one of the first pure-bred Arabs to do affiliated eventing - and also did affiliated sj and dressage, as well as hunter trials, drag-hunting... everything really. A tough, strong, brave, wonderful little horse. I was devastated when he died aged 13, and I spent the next 12 years in mourning, refusing to ride let alone even think of having another horse.

When I finally came out of mourning last year I bought H Tobago - a then 2yo pure-bred Arab colt. Extremely beautiful - an international in-hand champion - he took my breath away when I first saw him and still does. Only 3, so not even backed yet, but proving very popular in his first season at stud, and looks like a promising athlete as well. More important, he is a lovely character - high-spirited and playful with great presence, and yet the most affectionate horse I've ever met. I love him dearly and still can't believe he is really mine!

 

[catembi]

My best horse - Cat, a Rolls Royce of a ride, so smooth, so much power. Got me so much further than I ever dreamed I'd get. We were a proper team & as close as a horse & a person can get. Lost to Crohn's disease in Feb 07.

1st ride on new horsie today & he rides exactly the same, so maybe I will achieve the same relationship in time.

My worst - a nutcase TB. He hardly ever had 4 shoes on & was lame as soon as he lost one. Severe headshaker. Absolute lunatic to ride. I nearly gave up riding as he scared me so much & I dreaded riding him. Had to buy a totally safe ID mare & spend 2 years getting my confidence back.

 

[apkelly01]

Sorry to hear about Cat, especially since Cat was your best horse

 

[JessPickle]

well have only owned pickle, but will use horses from another RS I used to ride at

Best- Pickle by far, true confidence in everything, my jumping has come on in leaps and bounds thanks to him

Worst- A one eyed horse that used to constantly buck people off, oh and a horse on a riding holiday that just didnt steer or stop! we actually went into the back of another horse because he was so mad!

 

[harrihjc]

it's difficult to choose which of the 2 I own are best, they are so different. I have never had such a close relationship with a horse as I do with flash tho, I absolutely adore the daft animal.

Worst horse....tough one! When I was younger I used to be given problem ponies to sort out, and had some really evil little things. But simply because she shattered my confidence, worst has to be Mary, the chestnut anglo arab I battled unsuccessfully with for 4 years. Used to kick everything and would suddenly turn from as quiet as anything to a rearing bucking psychotic maniac when ridden. It was her unpredictability that made her dangerous. She was sadly PTS last summer, for various reasons

 

[Agent XXX999]

Best horse: Bruce my current boy....we have a really strong bond and I trust him so much - everything I have asked of him, be it hacking past cows (he hates them and when YO takes him past he spins and runs off, he is such a wimp) or jumping a course, he would do (he lost his bottle in the ring with his old rider, as did I with my old horse) Everything he does he does it with a very good heart, and I love him so so much!

Best Pony: My strawberry roan Frosty, 14.2 bundle of naughtiness, sharp as you like, and used to be a bugger - he bucked like you have never seen before, used to jump out of his stable, wouldnt be caught etc BUT would jump anything you put him at, was fast against the clock and I won a fortune on him! He also dumped me in the water at Merrist Wood on pony club camp and then galloped round for TWO HOURS - but I forgave him. He was great!

Worst: Patrick ISH gelding, 4 years....had him 3 weeks wsa a typical youngster until he rodeoed, threw me off then went for me on the floor kicking me and pawing me - nice. YO and groom had to get him away from me with lunge whips as he was possesed and kept going for them too. I lost feeling from my neck down for 2 days, and buggered my spine (now have arthritis in my neck and back which is always good at 24) and lost my bottle for 2 years after. I would never have another Irish horse (had an irish mare and a gelding who I bought to sell and I never liked them much either, the mare made me feel like I couldnt ride and I lost all confidence I had after the accident with Patrick on her! )

 

[SouthWestWhippet]

Best Horse: probably my current horse - for all her naughtiness she is definately the smartest, has a tidy jump and knows how to sort her feet out. Plus she can go very nicely on the flat (when she wants)

Worst Horse: definately Molly, ex-flat racer I had on loan. She was lazy in the school and wouldn't pick her feet up properly. She would forge all the time because of it. Plus she had the most appalling catner transition which 6 months of work did NOTHING to improve. Her jumping was just a joke, she was terrified of fences so would hurtle in at about a million mph, and then either stop or collapse on top of the fences. She actually fell over bolting after a fence and hitting the corner of the school on totally the wrong leg because she wouldn't pull up. She was sold as a happy hack in the end and was much happier. Life as a competition horse just wasn't for her.

 

[gemz666]

Best horse: Robbie my current horse- because he is such a quick learner which can be bad at times lol. he is an amazing jump but always puts you in your place when you start to ride like a prat!

worst horse: my first pony taboo he wasnt awful i enjoyed him but man he was hard work it would take ages to get him out the gate to go on a hack he would rear spin buck bolt back to the stables. first time i rode him he near ment down a ditch with me! but yet i decided to have him lol

 

[Puppy]

Oh jeeeez,

I don't know if I can answer this....

Best horse - Star, AND Will......... AND I have a great gut feeling that Believe will feature right up there with them as she is something really special

Worse.... Oh crikey...

A pony called Molly that my ex bought even through I told him not to - absolute cow of a pony

Was VERY happy the day I got the ok to get rid of her!!

 

[benji_beaver]

i dont think ive come across my best horse yet, i have two horses at the moment and there the only two that i have ever had. the first saturn, was FAB he taught me soooo much, he was like a motorbike!!! i learnt how to ride in which i and everybody else thought was the impossible!!! he is a true little moody chestnut welsh section c!!! but in the end we got there together, as a team, he was nervous and sooo was i, i think thats what makes me and him sooooooooo special, we worked as a team and have got such a great bond its unbeivible. And then theres solo ive had her since october!! shes sooooo fab to sj, shes out of this world, but she needs sooo much work doing with her, and i love her, but it would be better when shes schooled up nicely!! shes a mare and a moody mare at that!!! my first horse needed me, or what felt like it but she doenst she does her own thing whenever she pleases, stuck-up.

 

[madgirl]

best- major no dobt about it and no horse wlreplace him he never says no!
wrst-monica or tigger the former reared with me \24/7 but was actually quite talented! the latter kicked me in the head lost my confidence etc! but again real potential and I taught him to jump!