Is there such a thing as the perfect horse

Luci07

Luci07

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I have been pondering this looking at wanted ads and also reading posts (here and elsewhere) where the new relationship has rapidly turned sour.

The ideal seems to be a gelding, 15.3 to 16.2, 6-8 years old. Capable of BE 80/90, good in traffic, on own, confidence giver, upto elementary dressage etc etc. No vices. Budget normally around the 4K mark for this horse.

Now to me, something like that which is geniune, and will be a confidence giver is probably worth at least twice that budget.

Mares seem to be disregarded immediately., yet my best eventer ever was s mare.

People seem to expect an awful lot and to have an absolutely perfect horse. Is this because amateur riders now have higher aspirations? Or riders have less basic skills than say 20 years ago. I am an amateur rider. I know what I can and cannot ride and have really done my share of bouncing and hospital visits over the years.

Are people less flexible? Or are we better informed? Are we less tolerant? I whole heartedly approve of the fact that the horses history is normally easy to find but it also seems that people expect perfection. I would argue that one persons perfect is another persons horror! I also understand that as an individual who has time and money for 1 horse, our options are restricted but there seems to be little middle ground.
 
Generally no, a horse can behave totally different with different owners. For example, mine was advertised as a perfect first horse, however she's napped and occasionally tanks off in hand. Not exactly first horse material. Though a horse is what you make of it. How many people on here have bought something unsuitable on paper but turned into their horse of a lifetime.
 
If I were looking now, I'd want:

Gelding, 6-12 years, 14-15hh. Good to hack alone/in company. Capable of jumping up to 3ft and willing to learn in the school. Not necessarily a school master as I'd be happy to put some work in, but something sensible to build my confidence on and have fun with. No bucking/rearing/bolting but something a bit bargy on the ground would be OK. I'm not looking so I don't have a budget but I'd be hoping around £3-3.5k.

Generally speaking I don't get on with mares as well as I do geldings and I lack confidence on horses, much prefer a pony stride. In an ideal world I'd buy a 2-3yo and bring it on my self but the reality is that I just don't have the confidence nor the skill after a few years off. So something that has seen a bit but wants polishing to make a reasonable RC all rounder would suit me.
 
That type of horse would normally be 8k or thereabouts. If I were to sell bill I'd be wanting no less than 8 for him - and can say that he would take even the most nervous rider round a be90 as he'd only need steering to the fence! Plus it helps he doesn't need to be ridden everyday and happily lives out.

Another reason for the price of the type of horses you describe is that once you have one, you don't tend to want to sell them - so because there are less of them, price shoots upwards! It's a bit like the perfect lead rein pony who looks after her rider, does everything and is a dream to handle, who is the same ridden off a lead rein. Golddust!

Ets. The perfect horse is usually what you make - I've had bill since he was 4 and have brought him on myself. So he's been brought on to suit my needs - so to me he's perfect :)
 
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No, there's no such thing as a perfect horse and even less perfect owners ! People also want everything very cheap these days and are not prepared to pay for what they want (myself included) - I blame the supermarket culture!

The better horses I find tend to stay put or sell via word and mouth. You also see some people (very few I must add) say that their horse is too boring - almost too perfect, but obviously not for them.
So it comes down to what is perfect I suppose.
 
I could never be happy just having one horse 'forever' - to me, the fun is breaking, schooling, bringing them on, see them turn from a scruffy scrawny unhandled 3yr old into a 5yr old who is jumping 80, doing a prelim, schooled xc, hunted- a general well behaved all rounder....... then I'm bored, sell and get a new youngster...
 
No horse is perfect and neither are their owners!
It's amazing how many faults one will overlook if the chemistry is there though!!
 
My loan horse is perfect for me. Bar him being a pig to hunt there is absolutely nothing I would change about him. He's green but such a confidence giver!
 
I don't understand why so many horse people (and often women) are so sexist towards mares.

When people treat mares differently because they 'don't get on with mares,' even without knowing that they are doing it, the horse will pick up on it and react to that, so you get vicious circle of distrust.

I don't find that sex makes a jot of difference. My gelding is quite awkward with some things and the mares are super easy, but his issues are not caused by the possession of a Y chromosome, it's due to some experiences that he's had.

My dream purchase is a chestnut, arabian, yearling filly.

Chestnut - my favourite horse colour
Arabian - my favourite breed
Yearling - I have two that I bought as yearlings and it was very successful
Filly - I would want a potential broodmare

However in reality, breeding my own in the future is a bit of a pipe dream.
 
One of my horses is perfect to me (apart from when she's misbehaving, but i tend to forget about those bits). However if she belonged to someone inexperienced (as she has in the past) she would be their idea of a nightmare
 
To me my horse is the perfect horse, for me. She's a mare (I prefer mares as a general rule, but wouldn't rule geldings out), she'll work really well in the school, and is a careful jumper and loves showjumping.

However what's perfect for me wouldn't be perfect for someone else, she's not keen on eventing, will go xc but hates ditches - but I have no desire to event so we share the same sentiment. She will hack alone and in company, but will take the p if she thinks she can get away with it, can have the tendancy to ****** off from stand still if she's feeling cheeky, and her favourite party trick is the giraffe in the school if someone new gets on her (there have only been a handful of people who have got on her and had her working correctly straight away), but for me she is the horse of a life time and I wouldn't have her any other way!
 
What's perfect to one person isn't for another. I rode my friends 'perfect horse' that fit your specifications. But I couldn't get a tune out of him and he was nappy with me! Whereas I've gotten on horses that have been idiots for other people that have gone brilliantly for me. I don't think there is the perfect horse, but the perfect partnership.
 
Luci07 said:
The ideal seems to be a gelding, 15.3 to 16.2, 6-8 years old. Capable of BE 80/90, good in traffic, on own, confidence giver, upto elementary dressage etc etc. No vices. Budget normally around the 4K mark for this horse.

Now to me, something like that which is geniune, and will be a confidence giver is probably worth at least twice that budget.
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Haha, not to me. Too big, too old, I don't jump, don't need a confidence giver or a dressage horse. I wouldn't pay £2k for that now.

Isn't the market flooded with this stamp of sports horse? Trying finding something nothing like the horse you describe and they're much harder to find, maybe because breeders think there's no longer a market for equines that aren't fairly large performance horses.
 
I do see what you mean. Everyone wants exactly the same horse something easy and safe that can take them to high levels in eventing. They want an all rounder school master that has seen it all done it all. But it can't be old. I have noticed too that this is very often the only horse ever suggested to be bought when people ask what they should get.

But no horse is perfect. I know someone that will only buy mares because they are more spirited. The more spirited the better to her. If they are trying to kill her that is the perfect horse. Explain that one lol. That kind of horse would terrify me.
 
Flame_ said:
Haha, not to me. Too big, too old, I don't jump, don't need a confidence giver or a dressage horse. I wouldn't pay £2k for that now.

Isn't the market flooded with this stamp of sports horse? Trying finding something nothing like the horse you describe and they're much harder to find, maybe because breeders think there's no longer a market for equines that aren't fairly large performance horses.
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The market isn't flooded..far from it but as one of the posters said earlier if you had a horse like that you tend to hang onto it. My point was more around expectations. My friend has what I think is a pretty perfect horse. 16.1 lightweight cob type, never says no to a fence and can put up with novice and nervous riders with a bit of supervision. Yet because he would be classified as a lightweight coloured cob he wouldn't be top of the wanted list.
 
I have had two "perfect" horses in a million in my life, one was my old pony, the next was my first horse. The Welsh D mare I have now, is the third........

Yes they do exist, and IMO they come to you not the other way about.

Having said that, I'm desperately searching for that special horse again; who is proving very elusive. The ones I've been to see so far have been either under-produced and over-priced; or downright lunatic/dangerous.

Am hoping that kindred spirit IS out there somewhere and will find me........... please......
 
I never expected to get a horse but always browsed adverts looking for 15-15.2hh gelding that was an all rounder and confidence giver. Ended up being given a 5 year old 14.1hh mare who doesn't like traffic, rears, poorly schooled etc but now she has settled down with me she is perfect and exactly what I could ever hope for.

People need to widen their options abit more, never know what you could miss :)
 
LibbyL said:
I never expected to get a horse but always browsed adverts looking for 15-15.2hh gelding that was an all rounder and confidence giver. Ended up being given a 5 year old 14.1hh mare who doesn't like traffic, rears, poorly schooled etc but now she has settled down with me she is perfect and exactly what I could ever hope for.

People need to widen their options abit more, never know what you could miss :)
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Agreed. I wanted and needed a horse that would give me confidence to get on horses again (sounds stupid to get a horse when scared to get on one but I was fine once I was on). I was looking for that perfect horse a cob mare preferably as I felt safer with mares and nothing fancy just a nice horse. I bought a half warmblood. He is perfect for me though he can put up with my stupidity and nerves but he has the ability to kick it up a lot of gears when i am sane and feeling brave. We have issues of course he has learnt that by scaring me he doesn't have to work but I am working through that and it's making me braver. I even had an incident recently where while getting on he walked off and left me dangling from the saddle. He didn't freak out as a normal green horse would he just looked at me like "you are an idiot can you still not get on properly".
 
Most people want a safe competitive all rounder with a good temperament- size and breed will depend on personal preferences and possibly rider size.
 
Mine is perfect for me .. But he wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea .. I have owned him 7 years ( bought him as a 2y old ) so I know him very well .. He is perfect because.. He pushes me to improve.. Improve my riding.. Improve my knowledge.. He has given me ambitions far higher than I ever thought .. He has taken me well out of my comfort zone .. He has carried me around when I believed i wasn't good enough ( at a championship show I was in tears with nerves waiting for the bell the ring ) yet he has trusted me to carry him when he as been unsure .. We have had highs and lows .. Sickness and good health.. I believe I am incredibly lucky to have him .. He owes he nothing and I owe him everything!

So I do believe there is a 'perfect' horse .. But like any relationship there has to be give and take .. And u have to form a team to succeed.
 
stormox said:
one persons perfect horse is another persons nightmare!!
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I agree with this

My horse is so perfect to me, and I think he would suit a lot of people too. The only type of person that wouldn't get on with him would be someone who likes to bully their horse a bit, be it on the ground or in the saddle (it's hard to describe what I mean on this but I'm sure use get the just) He's a bit like a mare in that you have to "ask him" not "tell him" I do feel that we have a strong bond and complement each other. He's very reliable too, and with a more competent / competitive rider he would Have been unstoppable!
 
Others have already said it, but what's perfect for one person isn't perfect for another. People need to look for what's perfect for THEM and be honest about their ability, capability, expectations, wants, desires, dislikes and deal breakers. That doesn't means being super picky . . . but it does mean being super honest.

I know now, for instance, that were I looking for another one, I would absolutely rule out something that wasn't a nice "person" . . . what I loved most about Kali was that he was kind and affectionate - he was a real people person and loved attention. I need this in another horse. I also know, though, that I really don't want another fence marcher . . . he didn't fence walk, he marched . . . it was stressful to watch and it drove multiple YOs nuts - it is testament to his character and personality that none of them chucked him off their yards - he wrecked so many fence lines.

I'm waffling about my boy and I should stop. What I'm trying to say is that there is NO such thing as a generic "perfect" horse, but savvy horse owners will build a list of deal breakers to fit their own specific circumstances. I know I'm building mine ;). Novice owners, however, are a different kettle of fish - and I don't mean to sound condescending when I say that. Until you've owned or managed a variety of horses, you don't know what you can or can't (or will or won't) tolerate. Ditto under saddle. If you've had a rearer, you know when you choose the next one whether or not you are willing to put up with another (for example).

When you've been around the block a time or two, you are realistic about what you want/or don't . . . I, for example, wouldn't rule out any breed or gender or colour - for me temperament, ability and fitness for purpose are most paramount. Other people will have different criteria, but IME those who've already owned or loaned long term, are likely to be more pragmatic.

Hope my ramblings have made sense. It's late, I'm tired.

P
 
stormox said:
one persons perfect horse is another persons nightmare!!
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Exactly. But I do think people are less tolerant than they used to be - people seem far quicker to believe they've been misold a horse when it puts one foot wrong and that the only way to solve it is to simply sell the horse rather than actually learn to ride / work with the horse. It's so hard to sell horses these days as people think so differently - to me, I think an "easy" ride is a push button horse but to others they may find them overly sensitive etc.
 
MagicMelon said:
Exactly. But I do think people are less tolerant than they used to be - people seem far quicker to believe they've been misold a horse when it puts one foot wrong and that the only way to solve it is to simply sell the horse rather than actually learn to ride / work with the horse. It's so hard to sell horses these days as people think so differently - to me, I think an "easy" ride is a push button horse but to others they may find them overly sensitive etc.
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That's very true - obedient to aids is completely different to sensitive. I'm also a bit wary of riding school graduates (sorry guys) as they've learn to ride on steady usually reliable dead-to-leg horses. Some think they are experienced yet have never owned a horse or ridden a horse xc, or even hacked alone. They are usually the ones that find themselves over horsed with the horse taking advantage.

I suppose the only way people will get their "perfect horse" is if they are realistic about what they want and what they can handle - and are willing to overcome their weaknesses to improve. It does sometimes get my goat when wanted ads say no bucking/rearing/vices - their perfect horse could be the one that has a small Buck when going into a field first time or kicks door when feed is coming. or cosmetics - if a horse has a splint they refuse, even though they only want to do riding club.
 
I have two perfect for me mother and daughter and a different as chalk and cheese. One you could teach your granny or a toddler to ride on but can up her game to do a reasonable pony one day event. The other is a sensitive speed merchant who would probably be loved by many and in the same breath terrify others, jumps like a stag always works from behind and on the bit can be a bit strong in her neck but has a good mouth. I love them to bits could never part with either if I was able to care for them (I am getting old) and as they are both brilliant on the ground they are perfect to me. I get a lot of pleasure helping the local kids learn to ride and handle horses and the youngster has a fabulous 14 year old competing her and I really get a kick out of watching them compete.
Neither fits the criteria above
both are
Mares (I dislike geldings)
younger or older than ideal
have wonderful manners on the floor but can be a challenge to ride in different ways
both are traffic proof and pretty bombproof
Both are good doers
Both need good riders to get the best out of them

I also own a hateful brat of a dartmoor gelding who can never leave me as he has the potential to seriously injure a child on the floor never mind the rodeo display if they get as far as sitting on him
 
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'Perfect' is entirely a matter of what you're used to, I think. I mean, I'm plenty tall enough for a 16hh-16.2hh beastie (indeed, I used to ride one on a semi-regular basis, and got comments about how it was nice to see me on something the right size for once), but having spent the last 11 years almost exclusively riding a 13.1hh Highland, I don't want something that tall because they feel ridiculously high up.

Then again, I can't actually look for one under 15hh because I want to do some showing aside, and several classes dictate 15hh+. Also that it be a Hack, Hunter, Cob, or Riding Horse. The traditionalist in me says hunter or hack, and the Highland-owner in me says hacks are far too dainty; so I'll probably look for a good full-up 15.2hh small hunter with a nice deep girth when I actually have money. Green-ness or idiosyncrasy is fine, but rearing is a total no, and it'd be nice to have something at least 5 so that I could put a side-saddle on it more or less straight away (knee issues mean I struggle in a cross-saddle).

Needs to be able to do (sanely) the odd half day's hunting with a decent provincial hunt (I will never be brave enough to face the likes of the Zetland's hedges), and be correct enough to show up to county level (there's not a lot of side-saddle classes below county, unfortunately), but no need for something HOYS quality or a potential 4* eventer - such things would only be wasted on me.

Preferably a mare (I like mares, they're great fun), and preferably a dark, solid colour (current pony is grey, and a holy terror to clean; coloureds are just not my cup of tea, for whatever reason), though neither of those would actually be a deal-breaker.

As for price, well... If it ticked all my boxes, it'd be worth the world to me, but obviously one has to set a budget. I don't think I'd go looking unless I had at least £5k to spend, though (not including tack-buying money etc.), and preferably more.
 
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