How would you define 'forward going'?

jkitten

jkitten

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Reading on here, I'm beginning to get the impression that forward going doesn't mean what I thought it meant, so I was hoping people could share their own understandings of it?

As a concrete example, the horse I rode in my last couple of years of riding school was described at the time as forward. He was a wonderful horse with a great character, extremely willing and with the power to back it up. He would tackle any jump you put in front of him, and needed only enough aids to communicate what you wanted. However, he was NEVER spooky or sharp. Even at full gallop, which he loved, his brakes were always fully functional. The only time he ever put a foot wrong while I knew him was when there was a huge crash just outside the arena and he took off in the other direction for about the length of the school before I was able to pull him up, at which point he was a bit sheepish and we carried on as normal. Since it was a perfectly understandable reaction, it never dented my trust in him (I'd had a lot worse on less 'advanced' ponies!).

The reason I'm using him as an example is that he was consistently talked about as being forward going, basically because he was enthusiastic and willing, however IMO he would have been a brilliant first horse. With the consensus here being that anyone getting themselves a horse described as 'forward going' for their first horse is setting themselves up to be overhorsed, I feel like there must be more to the term than that? Does it mean more like fizzy and needing to be held back a lot?

Many thanks in advance!

(Edit: I can't spell...)
 
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Now, I'd just describe him as well schooled. He sounds mannerly and lovely like hed be a pleasure to ride. I'd say the biggest thing you need to consider is that for a horse to be classed as forward going and be safe and useful in a riding school they still have to be mannerly etc. Something privately owned that's forward going might be quite reactive to the leg and not very tolerant of mistakes, could be a sharp or strong etc. So a horse can be forward going with manners or a bit of a thug. The former would have a considerable price tag and would be advertised as school master or similar. I'd suggest on a very basic level forward going refers to the horse's default as being to go as opposed to stop
 
It's so vague and so differently used I personally would ignore it and try and get at what someone means. I have definitely read it in adverts and thought it was code for "horse that tanks off and is rude" but equally I try and train mine to be forward thinking rather than stuffy and backwards.
I've ridden 'forward' horses that I've had to actively hold my leg off so they don't just race off all the time (one that I rode sideways most of the time as I like to be able to get my leg on and they can't disappear sideways!)

If there's a new scary skip on a usual hacking route - a backwards thinking horse might try and spin or take a wide route around it, a forward thinking horse would probably still stop, then walk up to it sniffing without a battle.

It's really subtle the difference and I suspect you could get 100 different descriptions, all of which would be 'correct'. if you're looking at a horse or advertising one for sale I would stick to facts and avoid glib phrases that could mean anything to anyone.
 
To me, the term is self explanatory. I have 3 horses, all are more 'go' than woah (I.e. you do not need to nag them with your legs), but I'd only describe my native x as forward going, as she really marches on without you even asking her to. Left to her own devices, her preferred pace is a jog. She's not spooky though, she may be considered sharp at some times by some people but not by me, and she has brakes at the higher paces, just not at trot/jog pace.
 
In a riding school a forward going horse is likely to be one you don't have to constantly remind not to slow down.
In a good situation a forward going horse is nicely in front of the leg, but willing to come back in the hand when you ask.
In a sales advert a forward going horse may be a white knuckle ride with zero brakes.
 
Horses have diffrent basic characteristics/insticnts.
Conserve energy in case they need it to run from predators or a strong run away instinct.

Also curious/playful versus nervous, fearful.

For some horses the conserve energy is stronger than the run and vice versa. And some horses curiosity is stronger than fear and vice versa.

So your basic lazy horse is just an energy conserver and your basic forward horse is a runner. Your spooky horse is more fearful, your curious horse is braver.

You can have lazy and spooky, forward and safe.

Dolly is super-brave and confident. And she has plenty of energy and is not particularly an energy conserver. So she is forward without being spooky.

Toby is a conserver. But he is well schooled so nicely forward most of the time. But he is not a 'forward' horse naturally. He is just responsive.

Both types need schooling. Both conservers and runners need to be 'on the aids' in which case both will be obedient to the leg. Being off the leg is no good if they won't listen to you and go faster than you want. So a bogging off horse is not being 'forward' he's being disobedient. In general I would say it is easier to teach an energy conserver than a very run-oriented horse to be on the aids.
 
A forward going horse is responsive quick off the mark and easy to ride. An onward bound one is one that has no brakes. It is much easier to ride a forward horse than a backward one or an onward bound one, but having said that a forward horse is unfortunately not quite what a beginner rider can manage but a backward one makes it hard to learn.
edited as was talking while typing
 
To me it means they are more of a ‘sit and contain’ sort of ride, they have the energy there and you simply need to direct it. I’d expect them to go forward from seat aids most of the time - or for me I train a click to mean more energy. So I can sit and contain a collected pace and click to put more energy in. To some extent you can train them but a well schooled, responsive but not naturally forward ride will feel different to one who already has that energy. The well-schooled horse will let you put in the energy and should ideally maintain it but it may not offer it from the start.
In a riding school I’d expect it to mean responsive. I’d say my one was fairly forward going and he’d scare the hell out of most riding school clients. He’s a saint, he’s not going to tank off but he’s waiting for you to allow him forward.
 
It’s an interesting one I think a lot of people mistake forward going for something that’s just running on the forehand, ie “he’s so forward going if I put my leg on he just runs off” in many cases when I see people say their horse is forward going it’s more because it’s just running through the bridle rather than being forward thinking. To me a truly forward going/forward thinking horse is one that is easier to keep in front of the leg not one that runs everywhere.

Some would say mine is a forward going horse as it likes run, but when working it in front of the leg and into the hand it can actually be pretty dead to the leg.
 
I suppose I think of having to control the energy of a "forward going" horse rather than having to work at generating the energy. It wants to go, you just dictate how fast.
I don't think that I would use the same term to describe a "sharp" horse. A "sharp" horse is more reactive to all external factors, where as a " Forward going" horse" just describes their willingness to go.
 
TBH I think the phrase is used in lots of different ways. some people would have said my previous horse was forward going but actually he was reactive to the leg with a tendency to rush but still actually "behind the leg". I'd describe him as not accepting of the leg, whereas the horse before him was rather dead to the leg. I prefer to think more in terms of forward thinkiing and backward thinking. Previous horse was forward thinking, he was energetic and if he was worried he'd go forwards or spook sideways, I only had to think of the upward transition and he was there but would rush. Rose is rather backwards thinking and if worried will nap and drop behind the leg, she has to be prepared for an upward transition although she reacts to a light aid. If I saw a horse advertised as forward going, I'd have to ask the owner what they meant by it.
 
As with a lot of things I think it can be interpreted in more ways than one. Both of my warmbloods I describe as backward thinking rather than forward thinking. They’re likely to spook, spin or slam brakes on and neither are that brave or bold. They require effort to keep them in front of the leg but they’re not slow or unschooled just personality wise they are more likely to bottle things up and become sticky to ride.
 
It can mean several different things it’s could be described exactly like what your saying or it be a crazy horse that hasn’t got proper manners. People think my horse is forward going but she is just lazy and sharp .
 
Tarragon said:
I suppose I think of having to control the energy of a "forward going" horse rather than having to work at generating the energy. It wants to go, you just dictate how fast.
I don't think that I would use the same term to describe a "sharp" horse. A "sharp" horse is more reactive to all external factors, where as a " Forward going" horse" just describes their willingness to go.
Click to expand...

yes - sharp and forward going you can’t use interchangeably! ?
 
Forward going means to me the horse produces the energy needed to do what’s asked of it without a lot of input from the rider , horses can and are often anxious and forward going and or spooky and forward going .
Horses can be backwards and reactive in a silly way ( cobs can be like this ).
Calm confident and forwards is what you are after .
 
Forward going seems to mean different things to different people

To me it should not be confused with speed, it's more about energy, a 'can-do' attitude and a crispness to the movement.
Also, (and I know this might sound a bit woo-woo) there's a huge mental aspect to riding and one can often sense that a forward going horse is enjoying themselves too.
 
I think there is a difference between how people use the term in adverts, compared to how it is used in every day life. Obviously some adverts are honest, but a lot will use "forwards" to mean sharp and reactive, or no breaks and likes to tank off with you- rather than forwards and well schooled.

I think it's also true that some horses people describe as "forwards" are actually rushing, often due to anxiety, and can respond very differently when they relax.

I think it's also true that forwards in a riding school, and forwards outside it can mean different things, and some people would be scared by a genuinely forwards but well schooled horse if they were used to having to constantly ride a horse forwards with strong leg aids. A lot depends on the riding school and the quality of the horses there!
 
I think forward is a horse that needs minimum leg aid and is generally forward thinking, I have one like this his an absolute dream to ride it's like you can almost think up a gear and he reads your mind, my other one can be forward but because his backward thinking he often needs a bit of encouragement and it can take a lot more effort.
 
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