Is it just me...(buying a schoolmaster)

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kittyb

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I'm starting to wonder if I have a different definition to schoolmaster horses to everyone else.

I am looking for a dressage schoolmaster and the majority of the horse I have tried have been REALLY sharp (as in off like a rocket at the slightest excuse).

By my definition a schoolmaster should definitely be nicely off the leg and forward going, but sharp no. I thought the whole idea of a dressage schoolmaster is a horse that knows its job and reacts easily to the aids but is also quite forgiving?

Some have been completely dead in the mouth too which to me is also a non-schoolmaster trait

Is it just me? Am I too fussy?
 
I've been browsing through some adverts for a friend who is looking for a horse and I've come across a few 'school master/mistress' adverts. 99% of them are of horses dragging themselves along, totally on the forehand with horrible hollow backs. I don't think people know the meaning these days!
 
I wouldn't say they are 'forgiving' as such. I wouldn't expect a schoolmaster to be sharp or liklely to bog off with you, however the schoolmasters I've ridden aren't forgiving; if you don't ask them in the right way they won't do it.
 
hm yes in my view a lot of 'schoolmasters' would be better described as 'university lecturers' as you have to be at quite a high level to ride them. I need a kind nursery school teacher myself! IMO from looking at ads I think people usually describe anything over 10 as a schoolmaster!
 
kittyb said:
I'm starting to wonder if I have a different definition to schoolmaster horses to everyone else.

I am looking for a dressage schoolmaster and the majority of the horse I have tried have been REALLY sharp (as in off like a rocket at the slightest excuse).

By my definition a schoolmaster should definitely be nicely off the leg and forward going, but sharp no. I thought the whole idea of a dressage schoolmaster is a horse that knows its job and reacts easily to the aids but is also quite forgiving?

Some have been completely dead in the mouth too which to me is also a non-schoolmaster trait

Is it just me? Am I too fussy?
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perhaps when riding them you were applying to much leg? and they were purely responding to what you asked.....
however i would expect an advanced dressage school master to be sharp and reactive....and quite unforgiving. if you get it wrong/ask something else then the horse will respond with what you ask and not what you want!
 
You also have to sit really still and have a steady lower leg. Even our PC pony who I would describe as a schoolmaster would be a bit more forward going if the child was used to not having a still leg or use seat aids. My daughter tried a WHP schoolmaster, loads of wins county showing, lovely small horse, but I factored in it would have taken 6months for her to be able to ride properly and not be a passenger.
 
Schoolmaster means different things to different people.
For lower level dressage (prelim/novice) I wouldn't expect something sharp, but I also wouldn't expect to be particularly 'well trained' ... they need to be blunt enough for P/N level riders to deal with.

Moving up the levels it isn't unreasonable in my mind for a horse to be sharper. But then sharp definition has a sliding scale and one person's sharp is another persons plod ;)
 
I think there are schoolmasters and schoolmasters and everyone has their own definition.
My previous horse would turn his hoof to anything, looked after me all the time, 100% in every way (bit keen hunting but not totally unexpected!), I taught my OH to ride on him including learning to canter for the first time out hacking (as we didn't have a school then) - I'd class him as a schoolmaster

Then I now have the big horse - he does EXACTLY what you ask, if you sit crooked he goes sideways, when I first jumped him we would gallop/ halt/ gallop/ halt into the fence as I squeezed/ took a hold - my previous horse had clearly ignored all my fiddling and just nicely cantered to the fence! It took me a year to learn to ride him properly - now he really is a schoolmaster as he has taught me sooooooo much as you have to ride him properly. He isn't naughty when you ride badly he just does PRECISELY what you are asking - it really makes you have to think
 
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