Market for spicy horses?

I describe my mare as spicy. She never takes off, nor does she tend to kick to hit someone. She's not overly spooky. But she is very opinionated and typical for a chestnut mare (despite being bay). She's overly ambitious and will get annoyed at me for asking her for things she can't do, which may result in kicking and jumping. If something is uncomfortable or just not right (horses are for example not allowed to canter beside her when she's trotting, that's wrong), she will say so clearly, usually by kicking or jumping. If she doesn't want to go in the trailer, she'll rear and be quite dramatic, but will also go on very quickly afterwards if you just ignore her. She'd be terrible for a rider on an intermediate level, who thinks they can tell her what to do but does so incorrectly. She is however just fine with having someone on who has no idea and just lets her do what she wants.

My connemara is forward and sensitive. He wouldn't tell a rider what to do, but he'd get scared if someone lost balance and would sort of take off. He wouldn't bolt and he's fine with an experienced rider, even on an intermediate level as long as they're balanced enough. I wouldn't call him spicy.
 
I’m not sure why some people here seem to think forward going or spicy means ill mannered or poorly trained.

Spicy to me means hot and forward.
Hot like chilli, spicy like chilli so similar terminology.

Some might have a killer spook or be sound sensitive or similar but imo spicy always want to do the job you ask them, even if it comes with some extra bells and whistles!

Some of the hottest horses I’ve known have also been lovely to hack, feather light to school and you never get off them in a sweat as they are so sensitive and wanting to please you, you just need to keep your balance and think about what you want to happen and voila!
However they would be upset by unbalanced riders or people pulling at their mouths, hence why they aren’t very popular. They aren’t so forgiving as a lot of other horses.
 
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To me if someone says their horse is spicy (routinely rather than the odd day!) I assume they want a pat on the back for managing something ill mannered or in pain.
Responsive, forwards, sharp. Yes that’s all potentially good. But to me spicy is tipping into the red unpleasant danger zone.

Thankfully there’ll always be a surplus of not made the grade sports horses to fill that void. It’s a minority of breeders breeding for the amateur market, everyone hopes they’re breeding the next big thing.
 
millitiger said:
I’m not sure why some people here seem to think forward going or spicy means ill mannered or poorly trained.

Spicy to me means hot and forward.
Hot like chilli, spicy like chilli so similar.
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Probably because that’s not what spicy is usually being used to refer to?

I see ‘spicy’ used very frequently on YouTube, predominantly by young amateur riders. As others have commented here, the horses are in the main unhappy, tense and uncomfortable. None of them are forward or in front of the leg.
 
I do think sharp can be used in the same way. I use the word a lot, but am super aware that you can get good sharp and bad sharp, so I’d always qualify it!
Good sharp is pretty essential for a competition horse. Bad sharp is a distressed horse for a variety of potential reasons.
 
mariew said:
Lol it's probably a generational term. One that means a different thing in everyone's own head.
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Yep, language use changes.
In the north, ‘spice’ is an older term for sweets, as in ‘do you want some spice?’ pulling out a bag of boiled sweets. One of the quietest, most inoffensive ( perhaps what used to be called ‘simple’) people imaginable was known as ‘Spicey’, on account of his pockets permanently full of glacier mints and humbugs.
And then there’s the urban, street, drug culture use of ‘spice’ and spicey people….
Clearly, if trying to describe and sell the horse today, plenty of buyers would be apprehensive rather than assuming that horse has a bit about it.
 
Korg said:
I describe my mare as spicy. She never takes off, nor does she tend to kick to hit someone. She's not overly spooky. But she is very opinionated and typical for a chestnut mare (despite being bay). She's overly ambitious and will get annoyed at me for asking her for things she can't do, which may result in kicking and jumping. If something is uncomfortable or just not right (horses are for example not allowed to canter beside her when she's trotting, that's wrong), she will say so clearly, usually by kicking or jumping. If she doesn't want to go in the trailer, she'll rear and be quite dramatic, but will also go on very quickly afterwards if you just ignore her. She'd be terrible for a rider on an intermediate level, who thinks they can tell her what to do but does so incorrectly. She is however just fine with having someone on who has no idea and just lets her do what she wants.

My connemara is forward and sensitive. He wouldn't tell a rider what to do, but he'd get scared if someone lost balance and would sort of take off. He wouldn't bolt and he's fine with an experienced rider, even on an intermediate level as long as they're balanced enough. I wouldn't call him spicy.
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That wouldn’t be my obvious description for your mare’s behaviour - obviously a wide range of interpretation!
 
rhino said:
Probably because that’s not what spicy is usually being used to refer to?

I see ‘spicy’ used very frequently on YouTube, predominantly by young amateur riders. As others have commented here, the horses are in the main unhappy, tense and uncomfortable. None of them are forward or in front of the leg.
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I think as we've all agreed, different terms mean different things to different people.
Same as 'green' it can mean something that is lightly educated but not competed and ready to progress. Or it can mean sat on twice in a field and broncs unless you're John Wayne.
 
Had no idea 'spicy' had such negative connotations... I often use it to describe my exracer as he can be enthusiastic about life if he hasn't had enough work, or if he hasn't been 'out out' in company for a while. ETA, when in good, varied work and going 'out out' more regularly he is still forward, but with less airs above ground..)
 
AandK said:
Had no idea 'spicy' had such negative connotations... I often use it to describe my exracer as he can be enthusiastic about life if he hasn't had enough work, or if he hasn't been 'out out' in company for a while. ETA, when in good, varied work and going 'out out' more regularly he is still forward, but with less airs above ground..)
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Me neither!

I rode with a little Section A and his little rider before xmas and I would have described the pony as spicey. Very, very Welsh!
 
rhino said:
None of them are forward or in front of the leg.
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^^^^ This. In recent years I have seen a good few ponies or horses described as sharp, spicey, or hot to ride. Almost without exception they were actually rather more badly produced and had an enormous gap of schooling skills instilled in them, usually because they had often been produced by someone not capable of doing the job correctly. Or by equally less skilled riders just wanting to bomb around looking 'competent' as they wrestled to get their ponies and horses to navigate anything much other than a straight line at speed.

I loved a horse that was forward and quick of the leg, but that didn't come without decent schooling and impeccable manners. I do agree though with what someone else said earlier, it is probably much to do with youthful riders without experience and just wanting to enjoy flying around the place. When some of us older ones were younger and more ignorant we probably rode a good few ponies that were very 'hot' and perceived by us to be the best fun to ride and displayed our fledgling skills for the world around us to be in awe of 🙄 .......oh how wrong we were and how ignorant not to even notice if our pony was rushing forward in pain, or very poorly schooled with only half an idea of what the rider wanted.😂
 
Spicy to me implies a degree of argument or opinion coupled with what I would call fresh behaviour. So energy and attitude. Doesn't always mean forward going, probably more reactive and with slightly anti- human (whether rider or handler) overtones.
 
AandK said:
Had no idea 'spicy' had such negative connotations... I often use it to describe my exracer as he can be enthusiastic about life if he hasn't had enough work, or if he hasn't been 'out out' in company for a while. ETA, when in good, varied work and going 'out out' more regularly he is still forward, but with less airs above ground..)
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Same! I call my ginger boy “spicy” when he’s freshly clipped as he’s prone to throwing the odd interpretive dance move in mid-canter, to me it’s just another way of saying fresh and a bit opinionated in the moment.
 
My ginger mare who is a TB/Welsh is VERY spicy and incredibly reactive to the leg. She thrives on work. Shes the most intelligent horse I’ve ever owned. I’m sure she has ADHD. Her mind goes at 100 miles per hour. She’s beautifully schooled. Jumps like a stag. Bold. Fantastic to hack. Even solo. Huge striding walk. Despite being only 15h and petite. I find her easy to ride. But, there is a knack. You must keep your leg on at all times. Lots of outside half rein halt to steady. And definitely engage your core at all times. You have to be very balanced. I’ve had friends ride her, who are experienced, but struggled. She was too forward going. And it unraveled very quickly. Think it was because the hand was too heavy and not enough leg on her side. She then pulls down against you and goes at 100 miles per hour. I’ll admit she’s been too hot even for me at times. We went to a jump clinic and she was sooo wired, she wouldn’t listen and when she’s nervous she chomps on her bit and pulls down. Goes too far below the vertical. We didn’t pop a single fence! Just walked around the school. And that cost me 50 quid 😀. She would be tricky to sell. She’s not easy. But I’ve had her since she was 2 years old. So she’s not going anywhere. You cannot let her get away with anything. She’s too clever. I’m very strict with her.
 
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Smogul said:
That strikes me as dangerous, not "spicy". Does everyone who has to share an arena with you know this?
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The people going on hacks/drives with us knows of this, yes. I'm very strict when hacking out that we can't be first, we stay slightly behind the others. Same principle for when I bring her when riding another horse, she's not allowed to pass me with her head. Then it works fine.
 
Interesting how people interpret language! I’m very far from young but not over the hill either so this is t a ‘trending’ term and I don’t use tik tok or you tube!! 😆 I won’t have a bad mannered poorly schooled horse around me so when I use the term ‘spicy’ I mean hot, naturally responsive, alert, sensitive, switched on, knows their job, boss of the yard type who likes to let everyone know their awake and ready for the day, likes routine and regular work. I have 4 horses and only one ‘spicy girl’ (she’s 25 and still as hot & sensitive as when I got her as a 4 year old) I’m realising perhaps ‘spicy’ is the wrong word for this day & age!!
 
Titchy Pony said:
I agree, an "on/off switch" is a brilliant thing.

My Little Madam was once (and I think accurately) described by a YO as "a cold blooded head in a warm blooded body", which is the best of both worlds as far as I'm concerned. She is clever, calm and thoughtful, takes everything in her stride, and isn't phased by much. Things we've passed without issue includes: cars, tractor, combine harvesters, buses (including double-deckers), trains, bridges, sheep, a whole herd of galloping cows (that did get us to the semi-piaffe zone, TBF)... She will help me block other riders that have lot control on group hacks. However, she is no plod. She was about 10yo before she stopped jumping the "invisible jump" every time she jumped and still puts in a free buck and jump for joy if she feels like when jumping or out hacking (17yo, coming back into work after having a foal last year).
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Your post rings a bell :) I don't really call Amber spicy but others do, but often that's just on seeing she's chestnut (sorrel) but I recognise so much in your post it's nice to know she's not alone. We have invisible cow instead of jump :D
 
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pinkypug1 said:
Interesting how people interpret language! I’m very far from young but not over the hill either so this is t a ‘trending’ term and I don’t use tik tok or you tube!! 😆 I won’t have a bad mannered poorly schooled horse around me so when I use the term ‘spicy’ I mean hot, naturally responsive, alert, sensitive, switched on, knows their job, boss of the yard type who likes to let everyone know their awake and ready for the day, likes routine and regular work. I have 4 horses and only one ‘spicy girl’ (she’s 25 and still as hot & sensitive as when I got her as a 4 year old) I’m realising perhaps ‘spicy’ is the wrong word for this day & age!!
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Me too! I would have described my boy as spicy on the return home from hacking yesterday - it was a new route and he was very alert and very on his toes. Nothing nasty and absolutely listening to me, but very much a sit quietly, heels down kind of ride.
 
Alibear said:
Your post rings a bell :) I don't really call Amber spicy but others to but often that's just on seeing she's chestnut (sorrel) but I recognise so much in your post it's nice to know she's not alone. We have invisible cow instead of jump :D
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It's great when they're full of life, but not stressy about it as some can be. I'm sure my little Madam wouldn't mind rounding up cows, though she might still jump an invisible jump at the same time, just so it's not too easy. She's 17yo and coming back into work after having a foal last year, and I'm just so happy that she still seems to enjoy it.
 
I think theres a market for what you describe as spicy. Especially if they are a 'nice person'. Also, in my experience, what you described as 'black type blood sports type' can be produced as a family pony rather than a pro ride. However, if they are talented, I'm sure it is a lot more profitable producing them as sports horses.
 
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