Is your horse good to do?

H's mum

H's mum

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 November 2003
Messages
4,196
www.coligone.co.uk
I'm just sat pondering H's virtues... and it made me wonder if she would be classed as "Good to do"

She's relatively clean in the stable, good to turn out and catch (comes to call) - she hacks out alone and in company - hunts with manners, jumps, schools very well... so in an advert she could sound like the perfect horse for a novice...

However if I thought about it - yes she is good to hack but she's capable of napping badly so you have to have your wits about you - she isn't over keen on large traffic/motorbikes (although I'm used to her and know how to settle her down) - and when she's schooling, she can become extremely defiant if life's becoming a little too hard - She can be bossy and sharp but she can also seem to be a plod and very laid back... IMO she's definitely not a novice...

So what is "good to do?" and what would you class your horse as?
Kate x
 
Id say your horse is good to do, just not a novice ride. My horse is good to do (most of the time) but he pulls faces which could intimidate some people. He can be a lazy so an so but then spook and spin at a push bike or something daft. Today was a large boulder??? He schools well, can pop a jump and hacks alone or in company but freaked at the dressage bell last itme we went out. Id say my horse is quirky??
 
LOL! I like quirky...
smile.gif

Kate x
 
I'd say good to do would be to handle, and general manners.
In that sense my horse is good to do. Good for farrier, to box, shoe, catch, handle etc. Cleanish in the stable, children can lead her around, groom her, go in the stable with her. However she is a quirky ride..
wink.gif
 
That's a good point, Birdy is an angel most of the time, but can definately not be a novice ride, when he's feisty, he's REALLY feisty. However, put a beginner on him and he will be a plodder, he would be excellent for learning to ride on, so long as nothing excites him, he can just tell when a beginner/novice gets on.
But even put a good rider on him that doesn't know him, he takes advantage so much which really puts people off 'cos he turns into a right looser and will only do EXACTLY what you tell him.
But he can live out haha
smile.gif

I'd say he was a good doer but maybe not in a riding sense?
 
I think I would be ashamed if a horse I had had for 12 years (like I have Marius) wasn't 'good to do' for me, at least. Actually Marius is very easy to care for on the ground by anyone who has any horse sense. He is, on the other hand, very definite in his likes and dislikes. He has a fear of narrow spaces - gates and doorways - and will bolt through if he is worried. He will pull the most awful faces, threaten to nip and actually bite when being rugged, especially if he thinks he will be too hot. But he doesn't barge, pull, fidget, kick or usually bite.
So I would say that he is 'easy to do', but you have to know his quirks.
 
Genie's excellent to do. Good to catch, box, shoe, clip etc... Not so great to worm with a syringe, but with powder or the tablets she's fantastic. I am happy for my nephews to be around her, always supervised of course.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Good to do to me means manners on the ground and in and around the stable etc nothing to do with the way they ride. Both of mine are good to do - anyone can catch them, bring thrm in, change rugs, groom etc

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with Slinky on this one. I posted a recent similar query on how you define a "novice" horse. Anybody can handle Minstral in so far as rugging, picking up feet and catching and he loves attention and being groomed. He can be a little excitable to lead depending on where you're going, but will never drag or barge you, he'll simply jog which I suppose could unnerve someone not used to him.

He is good with nervous riders if I'm at his head to reassure him but he will take the P if he thinks he can get away with it. He will also try and nap if he's not in the mood but is relatively easily persuaded. He has mostly TB and a little Welsh blood in him and has the best and worst qualities of those breeds. So I wouldn't describe him as a novice ride.

On good days- kind, willing and considerate and worth more than double his weight in gold.
On not so good days- stubborn, cheeky, spooky, very forward and an "exciting" ride.
grin.gif


I love him- he is quirky and fun but I have to say, safe both on the ground and ridden as he will never buck, bite, kick or rear and overall has a great temperament and personality.
 
One is - angel to handle and lead, his worst habits are to try and snatch grass if he thinks that he can get away with it and pulls horrible faces as he's girthed up - never bites, kicks or pulls away, will stand on the yard for as long as you like. Anybody can handle him, novices can ride him (as long as you do things his way, haffy style)

The Section D is a nightmare, has to be led with a leadrope round his nose, will rear if put under any pressure, fidgets constantly on the yard. If he gets a fright he will pull back and tank round the yard frightening himself even more. There are only 2 other people who are allowed handle him, only in an emergency, everyone else is strictly forbidden to even go near him, mainly because we have too many numpties on the yard who have read an article in a horsey magazine and think they can crack the "problem". I've had him since he was 8 months old, he's now 13 and while I find him annoying in his stupidity, I don't find him particularly difficult - just don't take any chances with him.Oh and he can't be stabled without sedation....but is a dobbin to ride as long as you give him all his confidence...

Mind you,when I went l looking for another horse the first thing on the "must have" list was good in traffic, the second, easy to handle/good to do.....
 
[ QUOTE ]
Good to do to me means manners on the ground and in and around the stable etc nothing to do with the way they ride. Both of mine are good to do - anyone can catch them, bring thrm in, change rugs, groom etc

[/ QUOTE ]

I take 'good to do' as meaning this too. Riding, to me, is a different matter.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Good to do to me means manners on the ground and in and around the stable etc nothing to do with the way they ride. Both of mine are good to do - anyone can catch them, bring thrm in, change rugs, groom etc

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree, I don't think being 'good to do' is really anything to do with riding, just their ground manners. Mine is very good to do, comes to call, stands for the farrier, has never kicked or bitten in her life, doesn't rush to the gate/stable door and is polite in gateways and narrow spaces. Pretty much anyone can handle her.

She loses her manners slightly around food; being a native she is extremely food orientated but will move back instantly when asked (albeit with a lot of tail swishing and impatient stamping, but she knows better than to move forward again until told, lol!).

I can't abide rude horses - her fieldmate is extremely bad to do, is dangerous and bargy in gateways and being led, and has pinned people up against stable walls before now. She picks up on nervousness immediately and totally takes advantage.
 
Katy is the best to do i've ever had, she's an absolute angel, i'd happily send a small child to do her, she's so careful and gentle. Daisy (4 yr old) is okay, but still has tank-like moments and is very good at doing bizarre moves and jumping on my feet, i thought i was ace at seeing it coming but she got me big-time a few months ago and again 2 days ago (managed to pull toes back in boot but she really scraped and squashed the boot!)
Moosie is very good but i do have to remind him i'm down here sometimes, he's so huge it's like handling a big friendly dinosaur!
 
Your mare sounds good to do to me, i think its a general willingness and general good manners, i would consider my girl good to do, some days she has her quirks but on the whole she has been a dream to own all these years
 
Good to do to me means easy to handle on the ground. My horse SP is good to catch - he runs down the field to meet me or is already waiting
laugh.gif
he loves going on his lorry
smile.gif
he loves to be kissed and cuddled and fussed over
grin.gif
He is good to shoe, feed (boy does he love his food) and very chatty and a really an angel in most ways
smile.gif


BUT he can be a complete wally
grin.gif
grin.gif
when ridden - he is the most ADHD horse I have ever met and sees fairies or gremlins everywhere although sometimes I swear he does it for fun!!
grin.gif
grin.gif
 
Fany is good to do, you can lead her 1 handed, if you wish. She is as bombproof as any horse can be, she is easy to tack up, groom, catch and load. Excellent with other horses, children and dogs. Her only issue is that she is dirty in her stable, needs a full mucking out at least 2x a day. Not just 1 full, 1 clean round.

Captain is clean and tidy to do in his stable, comes to call, is easy to tack up now, load, shoe, lead etc. However, he can be unpredictable with other horses, if he takes a dislike to them. He can also be incredibly picky about his food and water. When we moved him he did not eat for 3 days!
When ridden he can be excellent out hacking then again he can nap, spinning and trying to rear, spooking at things one day that he walked past the day before. He refuses to go out alone, even an advanced instructor, at our old yard, gave up trying with him. He is unpredicatable and as far as I am concerned that makes him unsuitable for novices. He certainly keeps us on our toes, no daydreaming when out on Cappy! Still we love him!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top