Clever breeds?

my old connie cross was ridiculously clever, and brave. my first loan pony was a welshie, she always knew what i was gonna ask her to do before i did it! fox is a tb, a bit dimwitted, takes him ages to learn something new or ever to learn not to bloody do something but once he gets it he never forgets! excluding injuring himself of course
 
My Welsh D is incredibly smart, remembers people who have upset him and can outwit them so easily. But he's a herd leader and is stubborn and difficult with it. He's even managed not being caught in a stable before.

My TBxShire is clever but not in the same way, he's so laid back and wouldn't even think about not tolerating whatever is being done to him, he often appears quite 'dumb' but when it comes to schooling he picks things up so quickly, he learnt flying changes in a matter of a few sessions.

Intelligence is quite perceptive though.
 
Depends how you define "cleverness". If you mean trainable, then I don't think you'll get much better than a Spanish horse. And I have found a succession of Friesians to be a bit thick; very sweet, but not the towering geniuses of the horse world.
 
I have never met a more cleverly thinking horse than mine... and he is a Cleveland Bay.

I can often hear the cogs turning as his brain is working... he is really trainable - once he knows something is safe to do, he will do it no questions asked but he also works out ways of getting out of doing things he doesn't want to do, so you always have to be one step ahead... good job he also knows when it is best to give up and 'let mummy win'... makes for a very fun, rewarding relationship!
 
The problem is that everyone will see intelligence differently, and rose tinted glasses can make a difference too ;)

I don't think you can really slam it on a breed of "Welsh Ds are intelligent, WBs are thick". Maybe there's more chance of higher / lower intelligence depending on the bloodlines, but at the end of the day you have to take each horse as an individual.

Looking at it a different way, what constitutes intelligence? Interest in the world around them? Self preservation? Working out that something works in their favour? As an example, Rods was like a dog with a bone if there was food involved - he'd have tried until he got it (which he always did, not usually taking long). Pele isn't quite the same in that sense (he'd give up way before then), but he's very perceptive to stuff around him, and will stand and work things out before really reacting - as long as he's given the chance to. He also picks up on new commands quicker.

Which is more intelligent? Depends which side of the coin you look at. I wouldn't say either were dim, but priorities and mental workings are definitely different.
 
I always remember being told that"horses have intelligence and ponies have low cunning!" :D

My Belgian warmblood is the wisest horse I have ever known.
I do think though, that it isn't about breed, although some lines of any breed may pass their particular traits on. I tend to the idea that, as in people, it is all about the individual, and the ability or desire to learn has as much to do with training and life experiences, as it does with genetics.
 
Interesting that the OP cites 4 breeds only one of which doesn't contain arab blood! Personally I find arabs a bit too bl**dy clever for their own good and then they get to be a pain. My welsh d x (probably with extra arab in the mix) was highly intelligent, watched EVERYTHING and had the memory of an elephant. I'd swear she could read the dressage letters too, as having spent an hour working on striking off in canter at B and D in the outdoor arena, a week later I rode her in the indoor and she did it automatically in the same places. Problem was I wasn't planning to do that in the session so then she had a hissy fit when I tried to persuade her to stay in trot. One time I went hacking to a place I'd only been once before, 3 years previously but she remembered there was a big old river bank to gallop up (she was obsessed with galloping up hills) and promptly dragged me straight to the bottom of it , remembering the quite complicated route to get there, and zoomed up it. She was so darn smug afterwards. She drove me mad quite often but I'd have been bored with a plod. I miss her so much :(
 
It does depend on the definition of clever and I think it depends on the individual not the breed, just striking how all breeds seemed to be described as clever by those who own them - apart from warmblood breeds (maybe by people who don't own them?).
 
I have had an arab x new forest and she was one of the most intelligent horses I have ever met. I have also had a welsh D x arab and he seemed quite dim!

I must admit I have not met a huge amount of warmbloods as I tend to prefer natives/arabs etc, but all of the ones I have met have seemed to be quite dim. A TB x WB I had on loan must have been the thickest mare on the planet.

I don't think people should generalize though.

I have a border collie who is a bit...."special"
 
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I have a QH x Welsh and he is very clever. Thinks ahead about things, can open tricky gate fastenings with his lips. Rounds up the other horses (think cutting horse - but he does that on his own account out in the paddock, particularly with one mare, he used to cut her out the herd and keep her away for up to 45 mins at a time). Lays down if he does not feel like doing something when ridden. But learns quickly and if you have him on side he is fantastic. Bit of a one person horse, he really likes being ridden by my son, and my son does not like anyone else riding him either.
 
Poppy, pet name Thickko, 6 yr old Appaloosa is possibly the dimmest horse I have ever met, regularly falls over her own feet, "lost " the large bright blue water container in her paddock (despite being shown it on several occasions), never seems to know when she is heading home from a hack and has a facial expression which can only be described as simple. My farrier, who has owned several spotties says all his have been very dim too:)
 
It's not that I would class my horse as 'not clever' - however he has absolutely no imagination as to what mischief he might be up to should he try - he is always well behaved and predictable! At first I found him lacking character - then I realised that he has plenty of character - just a very obliging one.

He is as fast to learn as other horses, but to give you an example of his character, the fence between our field and a neighbouring stubble field was completely down - huge gap between 2 posts (thanks to mischeivous ponies), and he stood for 2 days neighing at them and refusing to go through the gap, until the repair was completed and poines returned to him.

So not thick, but certainly lacking in imagination!
 
I would have to agree about connemaras .I had one who could untie any knot I could put in a headcollar rope regardless of how elaborate. And he seemed to be able to do it faster than I could tie it. A friends Irish mare had the feed ball of to a tee. A very profesional nudge with the nose to turn the hole to the optimum angle .pin the ball with nose and give ball a sharp kick with front hoof. Jet of cubes from hole , ball empty in very short order. Of course not all Irish horses are quite so savy. I have Bob the "nota"cob who is the "Sheldon Cooper" of the irish dafts.
 
ShadowFlame said:
The problem is that everyone will see intelligence differently, and rose tinted glasses can make a difference too ;)

I don't think you can really slam it on a breed of "Welsh Ds are intelligent, WBs are thick". Maybe there's more chance of higher / lower intelligence depending on the bloodlines, but at the end of the day you have to take each horse as an individual.

Looking at it a different way, what constitutes intelligence? Interest in the world around them? Self preservation? Working out that something works in their favour? As an example, Rods was like a dog with a bone if there was food involved - he'd have tried until he got it (which he always did, not usually taking long). Pele isn't quite the same in that sense (he'd give up way before then), but he's very perceptive to stuff around him, and will stand and work things out before really reacting - as long as he's given the chance to. He also picks up on new commands quicker.

Which is more intelligent? Depends which side of the coin you look at. I wouldn't say either were dim, but priorities and mental workings are definitely different.
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I'm glad I'm not the only one - I've been sat here wondering how all these people know that their horses are intelligent or dim. Intelligence is hard enough to classify in a human, let alone in a species who's mind is still such a mystery to us. My current youngster picks up voice commands very quickly - in a very human sense that makes him intelligent, but he is bottom of the pecking order in every herd you put him in, so surely can't be that smart, but who knows...
 
My appaloosa X is far too clever. She is also a leader and very brave, rarely spooks but if she does, she faces the spooky object and assesses the danger then moves on. I've also found newforests to be exceptionally intellient.
 
I know an ISH that is very very clever, when he lived on a competition yard, he let himself and many of the other horses out their stables, he couldn't be stabled next to electric sockets or light switches as he would always turn the radio or lights on ! . My ISH used to be clever but seems to have become too laid back to show much brain activity :o He does know how to unlock doors and gates, and when out hacking he pushes the gates open for me. My new connie is very clever :) but well behaved with it so it doesn't cause any problems! just very easy to school. My dutch warmblood X mare however, is definitely the thickest horse I have ever met! I do wonder if she has a brain sometimes .
 
I seriously question the intelligence of my idxtb. Occasionally he has moments where he could be the next Einstein and yet other times I wonder how he has made it to 10. Most frustratingly though you just can't reason with him, trying to explain donkeys are a bit like horses really didnt do anything we still had to coil up and behave like a ticking time bomb with the odd leap and stop and shoot off and stop etc etc!! Silly animals!! Connie next I think
 
nix123 said:
I've made the mistake of riding dressage tests at home. Problem being my wb remembers them so after a couple of times he starts to anticipate when we're going to canter at C for examlpe or something similar.
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I remember my old girls first dressage test, we had done it ONCE!!! at home and practiced a second time... by the third movement in the test she was predicting the rest! After that point I could never ever practice a test fully again:o... She was friesian x tb
 
See, my TB is very clever in come respects (picks things up very quickly for example, and learns how to outsmart me almost as quick!), but once he gets overexcited or goes into worrier mode it's like his mind is blown. He also gets bored very quickly and switches off if I don't keep his mind occupied. So whilst I would say he was clever, I wouldn't call him a genius, and he's certainly not completely mentally stable... ;)
 
My Arab has a seemingly amazing memory, he remembers when something was there yesterday and isn't today. He can also follow where I point to pick up treats, and remembers training better than any horse I've ever ridden. However he also suffers from attention deficit disorder if he doesn't find what you're doing interesting, and will amuse himself if bored, in ways I do not enjoy. I have cut out the blue smarties and coca cola, but no improvement yet (kidding! As in, he never had them rather than I haven't really cut them out!).
 
My ISH is very clever - he picks things up really quickly. :) My Appy is also a clever boy but in a different way - he is quirky! And regarding Warmbloods - they don't get called Dumb-bloods for nothing lol! I work with quite a few of them and they are lovely characters but not the cleverest!
 
Welsh D's or Iberians - definately very clever IMO. I've never found a clever WB, I've had one in the past and have one currently - after the last one I said I'd never have another WB as I prefer them so much sharper to ride than they seem to be. However, I was given my latest one for free so couldn't say no ;) He's lovely don't get me wrong, just not nearly as quick thinking as my Luso x!
 
maryk91 said:
Lipizzaners are very clever. And gorgeous. I might be a bit biased ...:)
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This ^^^^

Cortez said:
Depends how you define "cleverness". If you mean trainable, then I don't think you'll get much better than a Spanish horse. And I have found a succession of Friesians to be a bit thick; very sweet, but not the towering geniuses of the horse world.
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I find my self agreeing with Cortez Spanish Portuguese horses for the most part are very trainable and quick on the uptake. But then I to might be a bit biased.
 
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