Is there such a thing as a straight forward horse?

[DabDab]

I dont agree entirely. Everything changes for a horse when you put the weight and balance of a rider on its back. I have only once or twice ridden a young horse (6 years old) and they dont automatically go srtraight. One needs to create the straightness with ones hands and legs, as well as teach the cues for transitions. Look at the books by the vet Sara Wyche, which include The Anatomy of Riding, Understanding the horse's legs, and Understanding the Horse's back.

Well I suppose it depends what you consider 'staightforward'. For me it doesn't mean that you can sit there and do nothing, but just that they are straightforward to deal with, which most are. But yes, every young horse will wobble about a bit at first and has to learn to carry a rider around corners in balance etc

 

[marmalade76]

Yes there is but who wants one of them?

Me.
I have had some quirky ones but I just don't have the guts, the time or the patience for that sort of horse anymore.

 

[Accidental Eventer]

Both my horses are very straight forward. i think coolie was born that way, though he isn't without his quirks, he can be very spooky but you learn fast what he ill spook at i.e. a stick that wasn't there yesterday but he is solid as a rock for actual scary stuff. So Maybe not really straight forward but he is easy to me!

Henry hasn't always been easy, he was actually a tricky horse until the last 12 months 2 years and now hes a dream. I'm so ridiculously proud of him!

both horses are easy to ride and straight forward but both are quite zippy and fairly hot. They are not boring!

 

[Orangehorse]

I used to leave my horse with a local livery yard if I went on holiday and the YO said that she wished all horses were like mine as he was so straightforward in every way. He never deliberately unshipped me (although I did fall off occasionally) and was just eager to do whatever I wanted every day. He did have occasional moments, but overall he was very good. (apart from pigs!)

OK, his breeding, I deliberately wanted a good temperament and Morgans are renowned for being co-operative and friendly.

But I think it was also that before he was broken in I did a lot of ground training with him, from the Linda Tellington-Jones books - lots of poles on the ground, S bends, wearing rugs that fell to the ground and he got a "reward" for stopping and going back, etc. etc. Now I am riding a horse that is well schooled and done a lot but I realised just how timid he is in certain circumstances and he probably didn't have this early work that mine had and it left a hole in his education and attitude.

However, mine was slow as a boat when it came to galloping and he never was much good at jumping - not a natural jumper, I always said that it seemed his feet were a long way from his brain. So I guess that if you want a quick thinker, a fast horse, then you are looking for something with a lot more "go" and that will translate to being ridden too.

 

[AandK]

My horse is straight forward in the sense he has great manners, hacks alone/in company, doesn't spook at stuff (my late boy loved a good spook!), great in traffic, to load etc. But he is not a dobbin, he is forward and can be sharp, he is a bit of a hot head and I think in the wrong hands, could end up being very challenging. In his routine, he is a happy chappy, but going somewhere strange (i.e. out in trailer) he can be on his toes. The pics I have of him being led around racing, he looks rather lit up!

I think there is nature and nurture at play with how straight forward a horse is. My late boy was as straight forward as you could get, apart from his love of spooking! Fine in all types of traffic, but suspicious of road markings, patches of tarmac, bright fillers etc.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Mine is very easy and straight forward. Easy to do in all ways, catch well comes to call, load, clip.

Rarely ever spooks at anything and she’s 5, she’s forward going and keen but just not scared of really anything!

I do think breeding accounts for some of it, my Welsh D was always a nervy baystard but also how they’re bought on and broken. I did SO much groundwork with my mare at 3/4 when I started to ride her it was like she had done it all her life.

 

[Ambers Echo]

I dont agree entirely. Everything changes for a horse when you put the weight and balance of a rider on its back. I have only once or twice ridden a young horse (6 years old) and they dont automatically go srtraight. One needs to create the straightness with ones hands and legs, as well as teach the cues for transitions. Look at the books by the vet Sara Wyche, which include The Anatomy of Riding, Understanding the horse's legs, and Understanding the Horse's back.

I don't mean straightforward as in 'ready to ride'. I mean they are peace-seeking, co-operative animals so if they:

a) Understand what we want
b) Are physically capable of giving it to us
c) Feel safe and confident about the question being asked of them
d) Do not fear making errors

- then most horses will happily allow themselves to be trained into the weird requirements of humankind.

But getting 1-4 right consistently is challenging. Well it's the work of a lifetime actually! I have inadvertently messed up all 4 many times.

 

[mini-eventer]

IMHO - Straightforward doesn't = you can put your granny on it / never has a spook / never questions things

But they are willing, not too sharp, predictable - if they do ask questions, they are willing to accept your answer. If they don't understand something they do not throw their toys out of the pram. Assuming what you are asking is fair

 

[mini-eventer]

I don't mean straightforward as in 'ready to ride'. I mean they are peace-seeking, co-operative animals so if they:

a) Understand what we want
b) Are physically capable of giving it to us
c) Feel safe and confident about the question being asked of them
d) Do not fear making errors

- then most horses will happily allow themselves to be trained into the weird requirements of humankind.

But getting 1-4 right consistently is challenging. Well it's the work of a lifetime actually! I have inadvertently messed up all 4 many times.

We posted at the same time, - This is a better way of expressing what I feel

 

[Ambers Echo]

IMHO - Straightforward doesn't = you can put your granny on it / never has a spook / never questions things

But they are willing, not too sharp, predictable - if they do ask questions, they are willing to accept your answer. If they don't understand something they do not throw their toys out of the pram. Assuming what you are asking is fair

Yes and also 'straightforward' does not necessarily mean 'easy to ride'.

Some will be so athletic they are hard to sit to. Some will ping you out of the saddle with a turbo charged back-end. Some will throw shapes when excited etc etc.

 

[abbijay]

2 of mine have been straightforward, the shire was anything but! He'd had a pretty unsettling youth though so it wasn't a huge surprise. We improved him and made him more confident in his surroundings but he will never be a horse you would describe as straightforward.
The baby clydesdale arrived as a mostly blank canvas with a lovely temperament but he wasn't ready for a novice at that stage - because he was a 4 year old giant baby! However 2 years down the line, after a lot of life experience and quiet consistent handling and training he is incredibly straightforward as a 7yo. I expect him to only improve as time goes on.
You are unlikely to buy a perfect (for you) horse from the ads but you can buy one that will become that with a little patience and consistency. I believe good horses are bought, great horses are taught. They don't know what your idea of perfection is when they arrive!

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Yes there are straightforward horses, although I’ll admit I’ve owned precisely ONE & even he had slightly dodgy brakes and a spook in him if he was feeling that way out.

Fuzzball might be eventually but for now he’s young enough to need his hand holding sometimes / to find certain things difficult.

The Welsh D I came to realise could suddenly teleport in any direction for any reason at a split seconds notice. Only horse I’ve ridden that could for one thing NOTICE a bit of grass that was too green and then spook sideways at it mid gallop. He did learn to be semi sensible most of the time but was never a horse you could let your guard down on. You just basically had to be always prepared to leap sideways or come to a sudden stop!

Fingers crossed things get better with yours / you can get to the point you can laugh about it.

You could have described my Welsh D to a t! Likewise once he'd been perfectly sweet through a lesson was cooling off on a long rein when he spooked sideways at a patch of dry sand that had emerged from the wet layer!

He'd almost look for things to spook at and like you say come to a sudden stop or go sideways, even if going at speed! Yet things like fly tipping would generally cause only snorting/ slight hesitation

However there was no nastiness and also no bucking etc. he was well behaved on the ground but didn't do beard trimming/ear trimming/clipping any higher than halfway up his neck unless he was heavily sedated. However he was head shy and vet also suspected he had been ear twitched however even without that I still think he'd have been iffy with those sorts of things

 

[Bernster]

I think most have some things that are not as they are living beings after all, it just depends what those things are and if you can cope with them or help reduce or mitigate them. But in terms of riding, yes, there are plenty that are fairly easy but often it’s a mix of temperament and training and handling.

Finnegan is a fabulous confidence giver to ride, very safe, straightforward and as bombproof as they come. But he’s a bit of an oaf on the ground and not easy with things like the vet (needle phobic) so he’s not a complete robot.

 

[NooNoo59]

Thanks everyone for all the input, I am struggling atm to the point where I do not want to ride, which annoys me as that is not the person I am, but I have been through the mill with the horse and external factors as well and I just dont know what to do anymore. He has been consistently lightly hacked on vets orders for 2 weeks as rehabbing from PSD in both hinds, but yesterday he was very agitated and stressy, constantly snatching at the reins which he does on every ride kicking at this tummy as if he had a fly, snatching at his chest on very high alert the whole ride but wouldnt walkout just did a very short striding walk I gave him a soft rein and kept my leg on but nothing worked couldnt wait to get off. I am not the ballsy rider I was but I do ride forward and keep a steady contact. He been getting spookier over the last few weeks, this is not how he used to be be. Vet says he looks sound on video sent today. If I cant do an hours hack on a quiet Sunday morning then what hope is there, sorry to be gloomy!

 

[Barton Bounty]

That kind of behaviour indicates ulcers to me, possibly try some aloe vera?

 

[ihatework]

Sounds like he is telling you all is not right

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Sounds like he is telling you all is not right

Agree, he doesn’t sound happy

 

[MagicMelon]

Ive had various types and generally found a good pony is easier to find than a horse. All horses Ive had (generally spicy types like TB x's, WB's etc.) have had quirks so I wouldnt call any of them "straight forward" although the mare I have now is actually very well behaved. Pony-wise when I went through a phase of buying, backing and selling on young ponies - 2 stand out to me which was a lovely pure Eriskay, the most cobby looking sort Ive had and he was safe as houses (even at age 4) and a 14.2hh highland (who was a lighter type) who I had for years and won pretty much everything with. He literally never put a foot wrong and was the easiest pony in the world, never argued, always tried his best. So really Id think your best chance is with a native pony! Although you can get nightmares of those too!

 

[Jenko109]

When I was a teenager, I had a lovely NF who eventually became the most straight forward ride.

Taught the bf at the time to ride on him. Could ride this pony literally anywhere. Used to just hack around the local town, have a gallop across the football pitch, have sedate canters along the verges alongside the roads. No traffic phased him. Rode him to college. Rode him home and tied him up outside the house regularly (typical suburbs where you don't see horses)

He was cracking.

Straight forward isnt always fun though, especially when you're a teenager. He ended up going out on loan and eventually being gifted to the girl loaning him as I found him boring!

 

[NooNoo59]

He is a native pony!! Welsh D! I agree that he isnt happy but do I ask to get him scoped or ?

 

[NooNoo59]

When I was a teenager, I had a lovely NF who eventually became the most straight forward ride.

Taught the bf at the time to ride on him. Could ride this pony literally anywhere. Used to just hack around the local town, have a gallop across the football pitch, have sedate canters along the verges alongside the roads. No traffic phased him. Rode him to college. Rode him home and tied him up outside the house regularly (typical suburbs where you don't see horses)

He was cracking.

Straight forward isnt always fun though, especially when you're a teenager. He ended up going out on loan and eventually being gifted to the girl loaning him as I found him boring!

I am no teenager! I have also had a sudden death and cancer, I love riding and just want to get on and enjoy, I also dont think my boy is comfortable so then I dont want to aggravate that as I dont think its fair

 

[Hormonal Filly]

He is a native pony!! Welsh D! I agree that he isnt happy but do I ask to get him scoped or ?

Book the vet to come back out and explain what’s been happening, your concerns etc. He’ll probably watch him trot up and hopefully on the lunge. My vet asked me to ride mine a few times for him to see. I wouldn’t ask to get him scoped without having the vet out first to look at him and see what the vet’s plans are going forward.

Lots of people scope, find ulcers but there was an underlying problem they missed.

 

[Alibear]

OP, you have my sympathies. I've been feeling a little that way myself. Amber is very straightforward and easy, but she is cow bred so if she does spook, I find it can be tought to sit to. She's not actually spooky either; cars, bikes, other horses, planes, hedge trimmers, men working on pylons you name it all fine. Roadwork she's sound as a pound relaxed reins and wanders along very happily. But off-road, now and again, she suddenly drops out from underneath me and spins a bit. Never a full 360 either. In summer, this is rare, but in the cooler winter weather, it's more common, and she's now being a bit jiggy-joggy on the fields. Despite us just walking 99% of the time, we've cantered one of these fields once so far. But jiggy-joggy it is, add in she's not the most sure-footed of beasts, she's nosey and rubbish at considering where she is walking when off road. So I have to ride, and work hard to stay soft and relaxed and encouraging, whilst being well placed should we suddenly ping off. We did have a little accident off-road at the start of 2022, but she's done over 50 hours off-road since then and she's done these routes a lot and almost dobbin like on a hot summer day

We moved to this yard in March, and she can be fine in the arena, but there is a wooded area at one end, and if she feels like we're asking more than she wants to give, she'll again drop and spin in that area, so again I've have to be on it all the time.
She's 7, and I know in another year or 2 she'll be easier again, but this is hard work at the moment. She's physically 100% fine at the moment. We've had some thorough workups over the year, and all is good. If anything, she's just feeling a bit too good.

I know making a good horse takes time and effort. I'm just struggling a bit with the effort at the moment! We'll get there and I've got a youngster so got to do it all again in 3-4 years time!

 

[Love]

Mine is (despite having his moments occasionally) and my rose-tinted glasses have me mis-remembering that he has always been that way. In reality, he was a sh1t from the age of 4- approximately 8

 

[SEL]

He is a native pony!! Welsh D! I agree that he isnt happy but do I ask to get him scoped or ?

I never thought mine looked massively lame when she damaged her suspensory - but she threw some almighty bucks going into canter and was incredibly nappy.

Could you rescan to put your mind at rest? Aloe vera is a decent gut supplement as is anything with slippery elm.

 

[expanding_horizon]

I do think quirks are often pain, discomfort or fear related.

Equally I think one person's straightforward horse can be another person's quirky horse. Many horses are straightforward with clear boundaries, and leadership, and fall apart without it. Horses, confidence and behavior are never as straightforward as they seem.

 

[Goldie's mum]

@NooNoo59
I am very sorry that neither your life nor your horse are going along nicely at the moment. I have heard that you are dealing with your horse. I really hope things improve soon & the following is not aimed at you.

@The world in general
1)A comfortable animal is always more straightforward.
Horses have always been my hobby, I work with dogs and sheep. My most recent dog arrived biting. He would bite anyone, whether a stranger or familiar to him. He bit me a few times at first (& I'm usually pretty good at diffusing situations, or at least getting out of the way!) He was said to be "untrainable" & certainly seemed unable to concentrate or remember the simplest of tasks. Long story short, he is now on hypoallergenic diet & is a very relaxed, gentle, clever and obedient working dog - he had pain due to IBD.

2)A horse can have quirks/opinions and still be straightforward. G would absolutely not ever be ridden by a novice, especially if they moved around a lot or used big, exaggerated aids. She never once hurt anyone. She would jog slowly back to her stable & stand there until they got off. Opinionated? - yes, complicated - no! (Welsh, though!)

 

[toppedoff]

Yes there is but who wants one of them? It’s the quirks that make them fun and keep it interesting IMO

My sort of temperament is one that won't try to kill me I like @Barton Bounty 's Orbit temperament he's so chilled out

I say I like the non murderous ones as I head over to the industry of energetic tbs

 

[LEC]

Yep, it’s the owners who either love to think they are complicated or make them tricky.

 

[9tails]

I honestly thought I had the most straightforward horse on the planet. She's so good that I'm sure we communicate through telepathy. She's never naughty and we have the best time.

Then my fellow livery got on. She planted. When that didn't work, she reversed. Then she span. Eventually we got forward with me leading her, but as soon as I let go she slowed right down to a grinding halt, stuck her nose high in the air and locked her neck.

I guess she ain't anybody's ride after all.