Is meeting your horses potential important?

[ginginandtonic]

Do you think we humanise our horses too much?

I mean, horses don't really have ambition or a desire to compete do they?

Do you think it is a waste NOT to compete a very capable and potential future star?

 

[attheponies]

No I don't think it's important as long as the horse is happy and not bored. My chap has lovely paces and a super jump but is really lazy and just doesn't have the right temperment to excel but he is a really good PC/RC all rounder.

 

[V1NN]

No not at all, my horse is looked after fantastically (imo) he wants for nothing has lovely field, companions and warm cosy stable in winter and i love him to bits, surely thats all that matters. When he is older and broken in he will be mainly a happy hack possibly do some local showing, a bit of jumping xc and a bit of dressage nice allrounder hopefully..x

 

[dibbin]

Not at all Dylan could do a lot more than the hacking and faffing about he does with me, but he's well looked after and we're both happy. I'm pretty sure they don't have any concept of their "potential", so long as they have plenty of grass and companions

 

[RuthnMeg]

Last year when I didn't do much with Meg at all , I seriously thought she was being wasted and was on the verge of finding her a new rider.
Glad I didn't, she is happy just doing what we manage to do, and I know we have achieved alot in the last 10 years so I have absolutly no reason to think that ever again!
Silly me.

 

[Kellys Heroes]

Kelly was rescued and is looked after, seen by 2 mums (!) twice a day (!), fed, watered, ridden, cleaned, brushed and turned out for an hour - she wants for nothing (I'm sure she would have asked for the new rugs and boots if she could ) She has all the love she could ever ask for and we have days out at the local shows and the beach. I'm pretty sure she'd not want to do anything else with her life

 

[lialls]

Iv always thought that it was important for me to meet my horses potential but just thinking about it maybe i feel that its important for me to reach MY potential(?) Obvs im not over horsed, shes not some kind of top eventer or sj horse, shes just a general ridding horse whos happy plodding about and going to the local shows, shes quite a lazy mare so i cant imagen her doing much more lol.