Hugely controversial post. How intelligent are TBs?

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skewby

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Having seen yet another post tonight, about a TB injuring itself, and from being on livery yards with them always tearing half a foot off/getting mixed up in good fencing/getting kicked and basically being lame/off, I am wondering.

I am a big TB fan, I worked for a while retraining ex racers, found them extremely trainable and intelligent. If bloody nappy.

But...it leads me to wonder. TBs are always off work for one reason or another! Through no fault of their own, foot abscesses are a major do. Also mud fever.

I know the latter does not relate in any way to intelligence. But I have known a few TBs that are not the full quid also. Leads me to wonder, is this a result of over-/interbreeding?

What do you lot think? I know the hairy natives and my draught cross (fingers crossed, don't want a jinx thanks) never get themselves in half the trouble these "performance" horses do.

And, the main reason I am asking the question, is that the TB has the reputation of the "most intelligent" horse you can own. At least, from what I have heard, or been told.

Thoughts??
 
Interesting post. I've owned TB's and they're always doing something stupid to themselves or being a tit in general. That said my YO's TB (touch wood) is a knobber but ok so far on the injury side whereas my friend's TB is a bit accident prone.

I think being highly strung will always mean they're more susceptible to hurting themselves.

You'll have alot of people say 'my TB is soooo laid back' but they are HOT bloods whatever anyone says.

ETS that in actual answer to your question, I think they're as intelligent as any other horse but when the adrenaline kicks in alot of them tend to lose their sense of self preservation.....or perhaps it's a strong sense that makes them more nutty
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im not a great fan if TB's.. in my opinion there too 'accident prone' but thats my opinion. very trainable, and full of character. and thats about it on the subject of TB's for me lol.. i stick with the muscly,big boned, sturdy types. lol tehe
 
my last 4 horses have been TB's and I am a huge fan (all 4 being ex racers or ex pointers), i have never sat on something that gives 200% in everything they do. they may have a different way of doing things.....ie dont tell a TB to do something you ask it! but everyone ive had ive formed a amazing bond with, they are a trusting breed, but they also remeber every mistake you make with them!!! lol
my tb's all used to try their hardest for me, and jumped thier little socks off for me.
i do agree they are prone to more injuries i think, but teamed with a good farrier, foot problems should not be a problem, a lot of farriers dont nderstand TB feet, and they are different, so you need a good farrier.
i rate TB's very highly so im quite biased on this, but I would pick TB over anything else, warts and all!
oh and they are very intelligent and trainable, i just think TB's are too clever for thier own good most of the time, and know how to play us humans! its getting on TB'S mind level, then you have the perfect horse!
 
My 19 yr old tb is quite highly strung, but *touch wood* he's never been accident/injury prone. He is totally laid back 90% of the time, although the other 10% of the time I just don't understand him. He is the love of my life, but just like a man, I will never truly understand what goes on in his brain
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Hey love, how are you?

All mine are stupidly clever!! Esp Tragic (if she ever comes to live with you and Lorraine you will see!!) she can almost evil laugh!!!

Lilly must be clever to jump out of things ie her field, the school etc.

Harry on the other hand is a bit dim, but dont you just love him?!!? Esp now he can do proper 1 time changes!!!!!! Maybe he is clever!

I think there is a difference between clever and accident prone!!

x
 
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ETS that in actual answer to your question, I think they're as intelligent as any other horse but when the adrenaline kicks in alot of them tend to lose their sense of self preservation.....or perhaps it's a strong sense that makes them more nutty
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Completley agree 100%!!! i love my TB and shes normally very sensible and quiet, but since being in she has turned into the sterotypical hot headed sweaty TB!!
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two of my friends own TBs too, one is always loosing shoes and he is a total nut case and the other is always getting abcess and mud rash
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They think they are brilliant...
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Oi .... my one does not, he does not even know he is alive, he is soooooo thick
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Will put a post on at some point, with a picture of him looking super thick
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I have had my TB a year, and in that time he has never injured himself/done anything stupid/been off work or lame for any reason (other than the back/muscular problems he came with
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That of course will be the kiss of death and he will be lame tomorrow
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But certainly he doesnt fit the stereotypical view of a TB, he is fab, easy to do, a sweet and gentle personality, and everyone loves him
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We 'rescued' ours as a 19 yo. I think they may be a bit dim really! Lol. His tendons are shot after racing accidents. Plus, after that he ran off at some point attached to a 5 bar gate and ripped his tendons apart. Since we've had him he trod on his front shoe with his back shoe and pulled the toe bit into his foot, has put his shoed foot through sheep netting several times and ripped off shoes/ended up with swollen tendons again (sheep netting is now removed!)

He's been out hacking barefoot and somehow got glass in his foot!

All in all he's a bit of a div and a wimp as is always covered in bite marks. He's quite intelligent in his own special way just not when it comes to having any sense of self preservation!
 
depends how you define intelligence... is it the ability to adapt to their environment, the ability to learn, or the ability to problem solve?

IMO TBs can adapt to any way of life, although physically they can't i.e. you couldn't leave it on the middle of a hillside with no rug and a lack of food!

IMO I think they are very quick to learn and don't forget or forgive easily. This can be both a pro and con as they pick things up quickly but this also includes bad habbits!

Problem solve- well if mine got stuck in electric fence or something he would act like a complete numpty and panic. Not very good! Whereas my cob would calmly just find a way out
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I do agree they act like complete idiots a lot of the time and don't seem to possess much common sense. But they are loyal and definately like to express their own thoughts!
 
i've only owned 2 pure TBs (one now, one years ago) and neither were accident prone at all. Katy (the 1 i have now) is very careful of herself, quietly clever, pretty straightforward, never mischievous or anything.
the most intelligent horse i've ever owned (TBxID fwiw) was also by far the most accident prone - he would go looking for trouble and find it...
 
I've had two tb's one my own the other I re-schooled out of racing for a friend.

My own TB mare I had from her being 3 years old (I was 12) to her untimely death aged 16. She was the cleverest, most hard-working mare and always gave 110%

The one I reschooled for a friend was a touch cold backed but other than that she was a doddle and I loved her and her hard working ethos.

They were both bombproof on the roads and great to do anything with and were fab to compete.

It's weird this post is on as I was wondering whether to get another TB rather than WB's..................
 
How intelligent are TBs? That is like asking how intelligent are people from Cardiff?

For every stupid one, you will get a smart one, but people don't post about their normal horses as they don't make good posts
 
I've had two - both very clever and very trainable, albeit a bit nutty, but both terrible at injuring themselves. After the first one I said never again, after the second one I said never ever again! I guess time will tell!
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I always class intellegence as alertness / awareness, ability to adjust themselves, sort their legs or stride out etc - keeping out of trouble and learning quickly.

This doesn't mean they won't spook at things they've seen a million times, get a fright when their tail hits their face and stupid things like that - a bit like really academic people who can't function 'normally'!

I think a lot of TBs fall into this category.
 
I once had a full TB who would often put his foot through a sheep wire fence and would wait patiently for someone to resue him - he never pulled back or hurt himself.

I think that horses with more going on upstairs are often more spooky than the dimwits. I've had a couple who I'm sure spooked purely for amusement.
 
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How intelligent are TBs? That is like asking how intelligent are people from Cardiff?



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now this did make me laugth as i am from south wales and was born in cardiff!
 
Mine is very intelligent when he puts his mind to it, he is trainable and is clever enough to figure out he can climb through fencing however he has had a few dim moments where the lights totally goes out and he is in numpty mode:o but all in all I feel he is one of the most intelligent and willing horses I have ever sat on.
My friend owns a ex racer and he is dreadful for injuring himself, he would always come in with something new every day, whether it be just one single cut or a cut on every leg or scratching his face half off. However to ride he is very intelligent and does seem to be pretty much switched on upstairs most of the time.
 
Well I had the TB pictured below for 5 years and apart from an irrational fear of Sheep and goats (well Greek sheep come at you spitting) he was a cool calm chap.

Never had a vets bill in all that time apart from the yearly jabs. My WB on the otherhand I rang my vet last week to book him in for this jabs and was told she on on Holiday for New Year in the Seychelles.....mostly paid for by Vardi no doubt
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my tb is incredibly accident prone! "touch wood" i havnt had a major incident yet, just cuts and swellings. i dont tell him that we are going competing coz without fail he gets a fat leg or goes lame and cuts himself. but he learns incredibly fast. we doing aff dressage and i can teach him something one day and he will remember the next time i school him so in that respect he is fantastic and i dont think iv had a horse so clever!! but his excitment and adrenaline does get the better of him sometimes!!
 
My boy is currently sporting a lovely quarter crack on his front hoof, the farrier thinks he trod on himself…

I think mine’s clever, he learns freakishly well by repetition. For instance, if I work on canter transitions all session he will eventually go into canter as soon as I sit in the saddle before I even give the leg cue as he knows what is coming… which is great until you change the rising diagonal and he tries to go into canter as I’ve sat down!

But it does also mean that he learns bad habits by repetition to, I cannot canter in the same place on hacks regularly, over the summer we often hacked a particular route, so now when we get to that bridle path he naps towards it and gets very confused when we go a different way. But we both think in a very similar logical way so we do well together, if he won’t do something then I’m asking incorrectly. The other day I was teaching him turn on the forehand, he simply would not do it on the right rein. Tried the next day from the ground and I was able to work out that I was using far too much rein, did it on the ground several times and then got back on and did it ridden. There’s not a bad bone in his body and if he is naughty there is always a reason for it.

He is also very loyal, in fact he has been from the start. I’ve never had any problems catching him where as other people have found him tricky he usually walks over to me be caught.

We’ve also been having a problem with our jumping, one of my RI’s thinks the reason for this is because he worries about where he has to put him legs and getting it wrong so to avoid stressing himself out he avoids the jumps.
 
I've always thought my 2 TB's are quite clever and also quite sensitive. When out hacking my old TB used to hop on the verge when she heard a car coming which was always long before I heard it coming. She also had her 'mad' moments but would never do anything to endanger herself. Her daughter used to live in a stable with a built in stone manger the length of the stable. When I appeared with her saddle she would put her front hoof up on the manger to stretch.
 
I can never decide if Luca is the most stupid horse I've ever met or the brightest! Lol!

He's a full TB and is quite 'backward' for his age. He is physically quite awkward and will walk into stable doors, headbutt anything hanging up etc, however he learns (good and bad things) very quickly and is the master of routine.

Again - he's pretty laid back and there isnt a bad bone in his body - but he does get confused if you dont break things down into small enough chunks for him, and when confused will throw his toys out of the pram. He is also INCREDIBLY sensitive to my mood - if I'm stressed there is no point working him - we just fall out!

I've always had native crosses before him and its a learning curve - I'm sure the future will tell if its one I'm willing to repeat but I do adore him, his gentleness and his character!!!
 
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