Hot or cold?

[blitznbobs]

So the PRE horse thread got me thinking about what we all like to ride... now I’m essentially a dressage rider but I hate sharp horses which people are surprised about when they see how forward going even my little cob is ... but forward going is not the same as sharp and if you gave me the choice of sharp or lazy I’d choose la y every time ... known for having an ‘electric bum’ I’ve never not managed to get a lazy horse to jump off my leg but I find it much harder work and more stressful to calm the super sharp horse down.., am I right in thinking I’m the odd one out ? Do most riders prefer something super sharp?

 

[Abi90]

Nope I like forward but abe to put your leg on. I agree there is a difference between forward and sharp

These days I would choose lazy over sharp... frankly I’m not good enough to ride sharp horses and I would rather pep something up than calm it down

 

[be positive]

I think riding a really sharp, often buzzy horse is far more tiring mentally and harder work than almost anything else, a lazy one can be sharpened up but trying to relax a stressy sharp ride can be a never ending challenge.
A local girl bought a really sharp pony this summer, against my advice, it is now starting to settle but is never really going to be an easy ride, is not something she will ever be able to do much with, although they are improving she would have been having much more fun with a less sharp pony, I find it exhausting at times watching her rush about everywhere and thinking up new ways to slow her down in lessons.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

No, I'm with you!
My preference is for hacking and I hate having a horse that leaps about at the sight of an odd coloured leaf or a dustbin in the wrong place. My Draft horse was sold to me as very strong and having run away with a previous owner. I thought she was fabulous, I had to teach her that we did not canter every time her feet touched grass, or even a track - and not to trot across every road junction that we came to but she happily went past a wind-turbine being transported to its new site, tractors with bales front and back, buses, bits of rubbish blowing about, even pigs that we came upon unexpectedly (although she did grow to 18hh). I can honestly count on 1 hand the number of times that she jumped at anything and that was more that she moved her shoulders while keeping her feet in the same place. I could relax on her, which I can't do on a sharp, spooky horse.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

My first luso was sharp-he got somewhat better as he got older and despite the sharpness, he was the boldest horse I've ever ridden and one of the cleverest. Awesome with traffic, could negotiate any terrain/obstacles somewhat like a pony but he was very sound reactive, especially when younger. He was very athletic and had a spin that scared the **** out of me until I figured out how to ride it. he was an incredible ride though, not ridden anything to match him.
Too old for that now The Fell is very forward, sometimes a little too forward lol but not sharp.

 

[scats]

I like them hot but not stupidly sharp. I had a pony years ago who I believed was the perfect mix, she was buzzy and hot, but as bombproof as they come. So even if she was bouncing down a bridlepath, I never had to worry about her spooking. In 9 years she actually only ever spooked once... at a mole hill of all things.

 

[splashgirl45]

when i was young i loved riding sharp horses that challenged my stickability and would ride anything. my last horse was very sharp and reactive and i bought her when i was 55 and still an ok rider. as i got older and stiffer i found her too challenging , she could spin on a sixpence and fly buck, she scared me quite often and i ended up only hacking out with company and that was still scary. i then got a loan horse who was very forward going but safe and i got my confidence back on her but not sure if i would get on anything else now...

 

[DabDab]

Ok, I'll buck the trend - I like a hot horse. I'm the polar opposite of you OP, as I have the opposite of an electric bum and can make most horses relatively laid back, but find it really hard work to have to jazz a horse up.

My two riding horses now are a good mix. The 'lazy' one is the more spooky, but he's so bulky that if he does startle there is so much horse under you that you struggle to even become unbalanced. Whereas the hot-to-trot youngster is relatively brave and doesn't really spook (luckily as she's so nippy, I would probably be out the side door).

Out hacking I still have to 'manage' her quite a lot though as she's still a very green baby, so it is nice to pop on the comfy pair of slippers, slope along horse afterwards. But I far prefer schooling the youngster, as she's much more my cup of tea in that respect.

 

[JFTDWS]

I'm with the OP - I like responsive, but I like to be able to put my leg on first! I like them to default to lazy. I don't mind spooky, I can train nappy little devils to mind their manners, but I don't like hot horses. I'm quite lazy myself - it's more fools seldom differing than opposites attracting with me

 

[BBP]

I can’t bear lazy horses, it drives me to distraction, I’m not a good enough rider to energise them and just get frustrated. I like to sit on a horse where every stride has energy behind it, but in a contained way. BBP is perfect for me in that regard when at home, every step he takes you can feel the energy, there is an instant response to everything you do, but you can really ride him, he’s a joy. However when out and about he is definitely too sharp for life to be easy. That easy energy at home builds into an electric reaction to very small things and definitely tests my skills at times! So I guess I prefer hot but see the sensibleness in cold!

 

[ihatework]

I don’t do lazy horses at all.
I like them very forward and responsive but these days I don’t ride tricky sharp.

 

[Leo Walker]

Hot and buzzy all the way! Not difficult though. They have to work with you.

 

[milliepops]

I have 2 that can be sharp -one more than the other - but both are inclined to be behind the leg. It's a tricky combination and you don't always feel very safe! If the horse is going to be a reactive wotsit and you don't have a reliable "go forward, now!" reaction that makes you feel quite vulnerable.

But that's kind of why I've ended up with them, beggars can't be choosers.
I like forward thinking horses but I can do a fairly good job of getting backward ones to wake up, it's tedious but very very basic training when all's said and done

 

[Mule]

I'm lucky with mine, he's pretty much bombproof but also forward going.

 

[paddi22]

I love hot horses once they have a good work ethic. I think you can have them hot without them being sharp. My main two would be very forward and look buzzy but I wouldn't describe them as sharp, they'd never spin or spook sharply. I think horses can be very forward without being sharp.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I don't like really lazy horses I would rather have a forward spooky one over lazy, one of mine can be lazy if you let him and that's when his spooking and spinning is worse, get him going forward off your leg and make him work he forgets to spook at thing's,the other one is much more forward and he can get worked up and silly but he calms down quite quickly, I find them fun to ride rather I much prefer a buzy horse than one dragging itself along.

 

[JFTDWS]

Lazy horses don't have to drag themselves along though - a mannerly horse is going properly, regardless of whether it's leaping off a touch off the leg, or reacting to a more obvious (though not excessive) aid. Don't think anyone's said they want to ride an ignorant, unresponsive horse!

 

[rosiesowner]

I have 2 that can be sharp -one more than the other - but both are inclined to be behind the leg. It's a tricky combination and you don't always feel very safe! If the horse is going to be a reactive wotsit and you don't have a reliable "go forward, now!" reaction that makes you feel quite vulnerable.

I'd agree with you here MP, mine is sharp as a knife but behind the leg. She's also more inclined to reverse/spin when she's being tricky than go forward, and interprets 'GO FORWARD NOW' as 'GO BACKWARDS FASTER'. So I've had to learn to diffuse it by literally sitting and doing nothing till she realises she isn't getting a response and then send her forward. But I'd really much rather have a reliable go forward button.

 

[huskydamage]

I'm kind of changing my mind at the moment. I have my crazy hyper pony so I bought an angoarab thinking it would be lively like her. However she is so laid back I actually found her a bit boring to hack. However I have just started hunting her and she is just lovely because she is so easy and quiet. My pony bless her was such a nutcase hunting, I'd come home with every muscle pulled and a sore nose were she woukd have headbutted me in the face jumping about. I still love hacking my pony but I'm thinking now I like a lively hack but quiet for more exciting activities! The combo is a bit much otherwise 😂

 

[SpringArising]

I absolutely can not abide lazy, slow or unresponsive horses. Even if they're responsive but slow I don't enjoy it AT ALL.

 

[Pippity]

I've spent the past four years riding a sharp, hot, reactive horse. I loved him, but always said I'd be looking for the exact opposite when I bought my own, even though I suspected I might find it a bit dull. I've only been able to hack the new girl once (neither of us is sound atm) but, oh, it was lovely. Her only 'spook' was a few strides of trot when a stealth cyclist shot past us, but she's still forward and responsive, both in the school and when hacking. I already feel confident enough to do more with her than my old share horse, so she's the exact opposite of dull.

 

[Tarragon]

I like to ride a horse that wants to go out for a ride. I am happy to be careful with a nervous horse, be strong willed with a willful horse and encouraging with a lazy horse but I would prefer not to ride any horse that either wants to get me off or doesn't look forward to a ride.
I would love it if those of you who have electric bums and can energise a lazy mount could pass on your hints and tricks though - I find that hard to do! I can either have a reasonable seat or I can try and get a lazy horse going - but NOT both at the same time!!

 

[FortheloveofBlagdon]

I'm done with sharp nowadays. My last NF pony was forward and sharp when the mood took (usually jumping) and being so small he could spook slam the brakes on spin and drop a shoulder in any combination quickly and if it ended with a dropped shoulder then it usually ended with me on the floor! Saying that boy has my seat improved! Forward is good, cant abide lazy, but you can keep your sharp ponies lol

 

[blitznbobs]

I like to ride a horse that wants to go out for a ride. I am happy to be careful with a nervous horse, be strong willed with a willful horse and encouraging with a lazy horse but I would prefer not to ride any horse that either wants to get me off or doesn't look forward to a ride.
I would love it if those of you who have electric bums and can energise a lazy mount could pass on your hints and tricks though - I find that hard to do! I can either have a reasonable seat or I can try and get a lazy horse going - but NOT both at the same time!!

The secret to the electric bum is to

A) sit down
B) take a decent contact it’s counter intuitive but a weedy contact does not make a horse go forward better think would you rather have a firm hand shake or a wussy one...
C) only apply each aid once... if it doesn’t work never do the same again but escalate. If I ask for trot and I don’t get at trot the horse gets a sharp smack with a schooling whip... if it doesn’t trot forward we go up again and ask for a canter then a gallop hooray round the school / field sod finesse just get it moving.. within 20minutes I have the horse jumping off my leg and I will throw everything at it in those 20 minutes to get a horse forward... I’d rather crack a horse hard once than nag it for the rest of its life which seems to be the norm these days... do not use your legs to maintain a pace that’s the horses job... legs are for changes not maintainence.
D) never punish a lazy horse for going forward.. if it makes a mistake and gives you canter when you ask for trot..at least you’re going forward... pat and bring back to the pace you want after a few strides then do it again but softer... horse is now in front of leg..

 

[Pinkvboots]

The secret to the electric bum is to

A) sit down
B) take a decent contact it’s counter intuitive but a weedy contact does not make a horse go forward better think would you rather have a firm hand shake or a wussy one...
C) only apply each aid once... if it doesn’t work never do the same again but escalate. If I ask for trot and I don’t get at trot the horse gets a sharp smack with a schooling whip... if it doesn’t trot forward we go up again and ask for a canter then a gallop hooray round the school / field sod finesse just get it moving.. within 20minutes I have the horse jumping off my leg and I will throw everything at it in those 20 minutes to get a horse forward... I’d rather crack a horse hard once than nag it for the rest of its life which seems to be the norm these days... do not use your legs to maintain a pace that’s the horses job... legs are for changes not maintainence.
D) never punish a lazy horse for going forward.. if it makes a mistake and gives you canter when you ask for trot..at least you’re going forward... pat and bring back to the pace you want after a few strides then do it again but softer... horse is now in front of leg..

My instructor has this ethic as well and it does work.

 

[Tarragon]

The secret to the electric bum is to

A) sit down
B) take a decent contact it’s counter intuitive but a weedy contact does not make a horse go forward better think would you rather have a firm hand shake or a wussy one...
C) only apply each aid once... if it doesn’t work never do the same again but escalate. If I ask for trot and I don’t get at trot the horse gets a sharp smack with a schooling whip... if it doesn’t trot forward we go up again and ask for a canter then a gallop hooray round the school / field sod finesse just get it moving.. within 20minutes I have the horse jumping off my leg and I will throw everything at it in those 20 minutes to get a horse forward... I’d rather crack a horse hard once than nag it for the rest of its life which seems to be the norm these days... do not use your legs to maintain a pace that’s the horses job... legs are for changes not maintainence.
D) never punish a lazy horse for going forward.. if it makes a mistake and gives you canter when you ask for trot..at least you’re going forward... pat and bring back to the pace you want after a few strides then do it again but softer... horse is now in front of leg..

Makes a whole lot of sense

 

[Alibear]

I like to ride a horse that wants to go out for a ride. I am happy to be careful with a nervous horse, be strong willed with a willful horse and encouraging with a lazy horse but I would prefer not to ride any horse that either wants to get me off or doesn't look forward to a ride.
I would love it if those of you who have electric bums and can energise a lazy mount could pass on your hints and tricks though - I find that hard to do! I can either have a reasonable seat or I can try and get a lazy horse going - but NOT both at the same time!!

Same I prefer to ride a horse that enjoys being ridden. Does the option of warm or middling exist?

 

[Abi90]

Same I prefer to ride a horse that enjoys being ridden. Does the option of warm or middling exist?

I think that’s a horse that does exactly what it’s asked when it’s asked but won’t offer any more

 

[JFTDWS]

I think that’s a horse that does exactly what it’s asked when it’s asked but won’t offer any more

That's my "baseline", not the middle ground! The middle ground is surely a horse who offers a bit more, but isn't bouncing off the walls!

Of course the horse has to basically be happy being ridden too. I mean, most horses would prefer to be in the field eating, but a certain joie de vivre is essential - I generally think horses who are completely sour to the idea of work have either been very badly trained, or have some physical condition.

Mine are all naturally idle, but they all go out with a spring in their step, and their ears forward.

 

[YorksG]

I have a theory that the type of horse you ride at the beginning of your riding education, is the type of horse that you enjoy for the rest of it Sis and I learnt at the same RS, she was a tall girl for her age (and is a few years older than me) while I was tiny for my age. She learnt on the cobby types who tended to need waking up a bit, whereas I rode the mad whizzy little ponies. This has carried on for the next fifty or so years We share our horses, but it is a rare day that we ride the others horse