How do you define 'sharp'?

[MagicMelon]

I have a Lusitano x TB who I competed (now retired), he was definately what Id call sharp but he was extremely intelligent and was incredible - my legend of a horse, I dont think I'll ever have another as good as him as he could just read my mind. By sharp, for him it meant he was very switched on. There was never any "nagging" or asking twice, he was forward going and would respond the second you asked. My mare is anglo arab (with a tiny bit cob) and she is also quite sharp but not nearly like him. The only slightly crazy thing he did was he'd get so anxious before XC that he'd start to spin and canter on the spot in a state in the warm-up, rather than battle him I just learnt to live with it and knew Id only manage one practice jump prior to going to the start box. However, he was also very safe and never misbehaved otherwise (never bucked, reared, took off, refused anything etc.).

To me, its definately not a negative but I do think a sharp horse could turn difficult if you didnt ride them a certain way like they might end up spooky / jumpy etc. so not for a novice. A novice Id expect might squeeze a bit too hard or occassionally catch the horse in the mouth jumping or land heavily etc. which a sharp horse wouldn't really tolerate as much as a more laid back type. I do think some people might call their overly spooky / explosive horse sharp though... which IMO isn't right.

 

[criso]

Interesting definitions.

I've always thought of sharp as defining a mental attitude rather than physical ability. Both my tbs are very quick physically and are capable of moving very quickly and leaving you facing the other direction in a nanosecond. But I would never have defined my old one as sharp as mentally he was very calm and bold. If you put a novice on him he might do what he wanted but he wouldn't be dangerous. Current one can be a little sharp at times as he can go into a situation looking for something to spook at and is more challenging, there's a quirkiness to him that means you have to be a little bit more on the ball.

However both had very quick and athletic reactions being bred for quickness and athleticism.

 

[MiniMilton]

For me sharp would be a negative description. The horse probably does a massive spook etc and I'd probably pee my pants then die.
To describe an athletic horse positively I'd use the term "very responsive" instead.

 

[scats]

I see two definitions of sharp really. One being reactively sharp to outside stimuli, i.e spooky and quick with it and the other being quick off the leg, quite sharp in its brain when working.

Millie is the first definition of sharp for me. She is not sharp off the leg, but she is lightening fast when she spooks and goes to high alert mode if she senses something is amiss and then she is prone to really quite jumpy and quick behaviour, including spinning and running. She is sharp enough that I would not take her in traffic, other than our quiet private lane. She’d have us on a bonnet in no time. But she is so rideable the rest of the time that the sharpness is not a problem.

Polly is not a sharp spooker. She will have a spook at things that you can forgive, like a pheasant, but it’s generally a ‘solid’ reaction, like a jump on the spot or a sudden stop and then move on again. Yet she is very sharp to the leg and reacts extremely quickly to even a slight aid.
This was amusing the other day, we were trotting and she started to get a bit too full of it so I did a quiet ‘whoa’, forgetting that when I do this on long reins she stops dead. Sure enough, she responded to the whoa by stopping dead from a very quick trot and I nearly went out the front door!

I think people’s definitions of sharp vary so significantly (as proved by this thread) that you really have to keep an open mind when viewing a horse that a person describes as sharp or not sharp.

 

[SpotsandBays]

Sensitive. Reactive. This can be a good or a bad thing. Depends on the context. Can be confusing though!

 

[mini_b]

Very reactive.

think that totally covers it tbh in all contexts. Reactive in every way you can think of.

 

[mini_b]

Sensitive. Reactive. This can be a good or a bad thing. Depends on the context. Can be confusing though!

Exactly this!
sharp to me just means reactive in ALL aspects and with the “good reactiveness“ you want, comes a caveat...sometimes that daisy wobbling calmly in the breeze illicits an almighty OMG at speed ?

 

[poiuytrewq]

I consider sharp as "might whip round and drop you when you least expect it" ?

This!