Silly or sensible? what do you prefer

RubysGold

RubysGold

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I love Roo because she is sane. I can trust her in any situation without her being too sharp. She may have the odd spook or get excited. And shes not a plod. But she's easygoing.
I've started riding a sharp horse recently.

My instructor says she likes horses like him, that are sharp and a bit challenging. Whereas I like horses that aren't sharp, that just do the job and look after the rider.

So what do you like?
 
Sensible, but still awake and alive!

I'd rather not ride something that spends every second leaping at shadows, but I don't much like riding things that just amble about the place not reacting to anything either. I like a happy medium.
 
I like sensible with a spark. Mine even when he's messing around, most of the time I am confident he won't do anything too crazy. But a couple of times recently he has made me doubt this - think its the clip and new food :rolleyes:
 
A bit of both. My one horse can have his daft moments, but nothing that I can't handle. My little mare has become sharper as she's become fitter and I must admit that I found her a little bit dull when she was as quiet as a church mouse. That said, I don't want to be bounced off the floor every day either!!!!
 
If i had to pick one or the other i would chose silly. But i don't like spookers so much as ones with 'spirit'. I like horses with lots of energy and spark, and i don't mind the odd silly spook at all, makes me laugh. But i'm not a fan of the massive over reactors who feel the need to literally run a mile every time a leaf blows. I don't mind bucks at all, can do it all they want. And i don't mind little bunny hops/ tiny rears, but i'm not as bold as in my teens so won't stay on anything going right up. Don't mind them getting strong/ fast etc.

I hate plodders that need the leg on all the time. And i even strongly dislike horses who never put a foot wrong. You always know where you are with them... no surprises. Guess that's good for most people but not me. Nice to school one every so often though so i can concentrate on me for a change.
 
having ridden both ends of the spectrum, my preference is for middle ground tbh. I have nothing to prove by getting injured constantly!
"nicest" (safest lol) is something ploddy- just whack my electric knickers and a few transitions=sorted

most satisfying, getting something thats not quite 100% to look effortless
 
Well my parents have tbs so they are a bit silly at times i have a variety of others wb welsh cob and after getting a young fell spent the whole time saying can you beleive how quiet this youngster is but sweet.

We as a family have always had horses, i bring on and sell a bit and was just discussing with a friend how i have never had a horse even if i didnt when i first got it because it was awful have always ended up loving and enjoyed riding them so i am a hopeless case.

I always think i am not perfect and was a terror in my youth so i cant help but frogive, and i like the enthusiasm of the young ones and now i am reaching the big 40 feel admiration for the wayward older ones god there is no help for me is there.
I like a bit of terror excitement sometimes but expect a bit of improvement unless i keeping the horse them we can negotiate then whatever the journey has been if they have to go whail and bubble and am truly heartbroken.
But usually keep the truly naughty rouges for my very own beacuse no one else can love them like their mother ME.

And there is nothing like a bit of high octane excitement why do you think people bungee or free base or get a nutty horse .:eek:
 
Forward going but sane and sensible every time for me. I'm long in the tooth, I want to have fun without fear these days!
 
A bit of both! I like a challenging horse that needs "riding" otherwise I get bored, but I also want to stay in one piece. My horse is the perfect combination :D
 
Welllll, beanie is a bit of both. She is sensible when others around her are losing it. Looks at them with an expression of ' you know you shouldn't do that!'. But on the other hand she is a wee bit spooky. Especially when the monsters in the hedges start moving. She doesn't however try to 'lose' me in the process. Show her a jump and it's a different story. In that scenario she thinks she can jump the moon. She is sensible with a lively streak but never stupid. Unless,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, you take her hunting! Then her eyes glow red!!!! :eek::D what do I prefer???? I just like her the way she is. Have got so used to her I would be worried if she was any different. At the end of the day she is as safe as she can be. Much as any horse I suppose.
 
Depends on the size it its 13.2 or under it can be the silliest thing ever and I would love it :) My old games pony was 12hh and was an absolute nutter he bucked, reared bolted and I just loved it but as soon as he got on the games field he behaved as he knew it was time for business

Anything over about 14.2 has to be reasonably sensible but can still have a bit spark to it. I don't mind bucking though as I just find that fun.

Anything over 15.2 does have to be quite sensible as I'm very small on a horses this size and if they play up there is not much I could do but again I don't mind bucking :p
 
Sharp...but in a small package:D

I'm always drawn to the sparky ones.....I love my arabs/PBA's - not more than around 15.2hh. Any bigger than that and I feel overhorsed.

When I lost my PBA back in summer the plan was to stick to the other 2 over winter...a highland and a cob belonging to OH and daughter. Very very nice horses, nice to hack out etc......but they just don't set me on fire like a sharp horse does. Hence the new young arab- he really puts a smile on my face:D
 
Sensible now (but with an engine!) as what I mostly want to do is hacking and endurance. I've had enough of horses that like to find any excuse for a drama or upset themselves, whereas I used to enjoy working with them.

My old gelding was pretty good, he'd plod round the lanes on the buckle but take him out in the lorry to a hunter trial, pick up the reins and he'd be hot, squealing ball of fizz and adrenalin. I totally took how much fun he was for granted whilst trying (and failing) to do better competitively.

I'll say I quite like hot horses, but not silly as in nervy and/or nappy.
 
I ride as part of my job and get to ride a large variety of different horses. I don't mind the silly ones, but I prefer the sensible ones which are a bit quirky and have a cheeky streak!
 
I like a safe horse. They have to have a good engine and are allowed to be spooky and sharp

My loan horse can be a little naughty when hacking, rears and rears if he doesn't get to go the way he wants (though he never gets what he wants with me. It's my way or we're both in the ditch as we've almost found... lol!) Over several months this only happens on the very odd occasion.

My previous horse when he was a baby would spin/rear if he got worried by something, but I always felt safe on him.

So, I don't mind a horse being silly/spooky/nappy etc. But as long as I trust the horse it's no problem.

Though I would not have a horse who was so sharp it naps/spooks everytime it goes to a new place or in a competition ring. One of our previous horses would do this mostly in dressage and would be awful for my sister tryng to event.

So I think it depends on the horse and how silly it really is :)
 
Sensible I think, My older boy is sensible schooling, jumping apart from if he hasn't jumped for a while he may try a little excited buck but its very rare that happens. He does spook at stupid things on hacks but i trust him and he listens so i don't mind.
I added the 'I think' at the start as i also have a nearly 4 year old who i'm backing myself so I must like a bit of silly aswell :D
 
My old boy was perfect as he was completely both. He had no qualms in calmly telling that the tractor he had willing walked past for the past 3 weeks was now going to eat him, resulting in the farmer getting out of the cab (he was eating lunch, having a break- wasn't even on!) and dragging us past telling me that I musn't worry, all young horses have to get used to things like this. Didn't dare say he was actually 24 at the time, and had lived on farms for the past 14 years... But Cheeky was like that. Perfectly willing to throw all cauton to the wind, rear, nap and bugger off home. But he always did his level best to keep me on board and if he felt I was being scared by him he's chill and be sensible... Got to love an oldie who'll spook and throw hissy fits with you yet my mum's friend who hadn't ridden in 4 years went on a hack and he nannied her round perfectly and was a total gem.

So I like both, but only if they're being silly because they know that you can deal with it. If I had a sharp horse I wouldn't want to ride it- it has to have a nice sensible sort of brain under all the frills and fancies...
 
I don't mind too much, I'll get on almost anything! I do like my own horses to be a bit lively though, but they're not naughty with it, I'd get bored on a plod!
 
Silly I guess but may have learned my lesson with this one who is quite honestly, nuts. My old mare was bananas in a boingy, happy go lucky sort of way. I bought a second mare at 4 who did everything I asked of her, evented at novice as a 7yo, did all I asked of her but never really challenged me - we didn't 'click' so I sold her on as a good novice eventer. I then bought current mare as a 4yo and only this year as a 7yo have we got anywhere near competing. We've got up to pre-novice (sorry, BE 100 to you youngsters!) this year but it isn't pretty, she's capable but stressy, quirky and generally pretty hard work. Should never have sold the good one but my heart wasn't with her. Leg at each corner for me next time!
 
on a scale of 1-10 with silly being 1 and sensible 10...

i'd settle for anything upwards of 3ish.

I like something with a little flare and get up and go, but something that isnt going to try and jump under oncoming traffic...
 
Trinity Fox said:
Well my parents have tbs so they are a bit silly at times i have a variety of others wb welsh cob and after getting a young fell spent the whole time saying can you beleive how quiet this youngster is but sweet.

We as a family have always had horses, i bring on and sell a bit and was just discussing with a friend how i have never had a horse even if i didnt when i first got it because it was awful have always ended up loving and enjoyed riding them so i am a hopeless case.

I always think i am not perfect and was a terror in my youth so i cant help but frogive, and i like the enthusiasm of the young ones and now i am reaching the big 40 feel admiration for the wayward older ones god there is no help for me is there.
I like a bit of terror excitement sometimes but expect a bit of improvement unless i keeping the horse them we can negotiate then whatever the journey has been if they have to go whail and bubble and am truly heartbroken.
But usually keep the truly naughty rouges for my very own beacuse no one else can love them like their mother ME.

And there is nothing like a bit of high octane excitement why do you think people bungee or free base or get a nutty horse .:eek:
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What a nice post. :)
 
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