Talented but challenging or less talented and easy?

[Bonnie Allie]

Love my sensitive chestnut mare to bits. Way more talent than I will ever be able to use but gosh is she a challenge some days. Today she deemed my position wasn’t to her liking in transitions and it took me ages to sort myself out sufficiently to get her to settle.

Some days I can’t be bothered with all her drama and others I’m so pleased she lets me know when I’m rubbish as she is just amazing when it’s all going well for both of us.

For my own confidence and reassurance I’ll get on my husbands very average but super reliable and consistent dressage mare who regardless of how rubbish my riding is will make us both look like champions. It feels so easy on her.

Both horses btw were backed, trained and competed by my husband. Both are at the same level. Even he has admitted the chestnut mare is a tricky ride.

So what is your “type”. The sharp sensitive one or the less flashy but more reliable one?

 

[Jenko109]

Old reliable.

I'm too crap for something unforgiving

 

[teddypops]

I like midway between the two! I like a lively feisty mare but one that just cracks on with the job in hand.

 

[Ownedby4horses]

Perhaps it’s an age thing for me but definitely now sensible and reliable. Feisty doesn’t do it for me these days. I was always a crash test dummy for others in my younger years but definitely not these days. ?

 

[Gloi]

A couple of ones I loved in my youth would scare me to death now ?

 

[Winters100]

If you had asked me 20 years ago I would have said challenging and talented.......now less talented and easy every time!

 

[marmalade76]

I used to like sensitive & sharp but I'm too old for that now so would prefer reliable but finding one is not easy. Current horse (bought in October) is great in almost every way but he will put in a buck which I'm not used to and is unnerving me somewhat (and the nerve was already pretty shot). Oddly enough, most of the livewires I had in the past never bucked ?

 

[Bernster]

I kind of have one of each currently. I tend towards the reliable and easy and have been able to do tons of fun stuff with those types but in my heart I do prefer a more forward ride and those can be a bit trickier. So know I have my ‘comfortable slippers’ (not in a derogatory sense), Finn, who is one of the safest horses around and still can work to a decent level. And Bertie, who is a bit more sensitive and reactive, but is more of a comp horse.

 

[LEC]

The easy horse will always go further as they try harder.
It such a myth we sell ourselves that quirky horses are winners. One or two maybe absolute freaks but the rest are just trainable. King Edward being a prime example.

 

[Mule]

Sensible and reliable for me

 

[HelenBack]

Is talented and easy not an option?

More seriously I'm old now and have no great ambition so would go for less talented but easy. I like my horse because he's fun and can be a bit of a prat when he gets excited but in a safe way that doesn't scare me at all.

 

[View]

Sensible and reliable - I’m toooldtobe a crash test dummy anymore.

 

[abbijay]

Give me straightforward and talentless everyday of the week! The lack of natural talent doesn't mean you can't achieve lots and have fun. That was my retired clydesdale.
The loan shire was sharp but impressive. On his bad day you would have to nurse him round a test trying not to upset him and hacking solo needed me to pluck up courage knowing he'd probably take offense at something.
I want a pet i can compete not a competition horse I'm trying to shoe-horn into being a pet.

 

[Squeak]

Having had both, I would go for the horse with a good attitude and brain. It doesn't matter how talented a horse is if you can't utilise it.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Absolutely useless but sound would do me!

 

[Rowreach]

So long as it's fun, either

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Safe and talentless all day long.. I am there to have a whale of a time with my partner and I want to go through life with a smile, not wondering whether I will be on my head in 2 minutes or 20 today.
My previous warmblood had talent in spades, and wasn't too sharp but I did have to micromanage his hacks a little as he was sensitive, and he would stand on two legs (not try and deck me though) in the school if he got the hump.. Or if he thought he was finished and we then resume.

 

[Alibear]

Sensible and reliable every time. I ride horses for fun, there's enough drama in my life already.

 

[[59668]]

I don't need talent....my aspirations end at 80cm eventing! My current youngster has WAY more than I will ever need, and is "easy" for his type, age and talent, but feels like he is enough of a challenge/project for me at my age, ability and lack of self belief! To me he feels sort of in the middle of the 2 descriptions, but I'm sure better people would have it at the "less talent, better brain" end, as I don't think he would go above 100....but that is MEGA HUGE for me!

 

[Widgeon]

Yep, no need for above-average talent here. My sensible cob has far more jumping talent and ability than I will ever use. So long as they're kind and sound and enjoy doing something I also enjoy, that'll do fine.

 

[Tarragon]

I just like an enthusiastic ride!

 

[AandK]

Somewhere in the middle for me I guess.. I don't need bags of talent, no desire (nor the balls) to go further than BE90/100, but I like a horse that is forward with a bit of spark! Current one is like that, very trainable but not too silly. Haven't got as far as taking him out yet, but he raced 11 times so has been 'out out' but not quite the same as a lesson or dressage comp so we'll see how we get on I guess

 

[EventingMum]

Having had a superbly talented horse in my youth who wasn't easy, that would have been my answer back then but perhaps not being easy was partly down to me. I got him as a 4yo when I was 12 and did PC teams etc on him and some team chasing before settling on concentrating on show jumping taking him up to Grade A. Others seriously struggled with him including a respected show jumping coach who apologised after he got off him!

Now I'm older I would definitely like an easier type but if possible one with some buttons installed so I could enjoy a pleasurable ride!

 

[SEL]

Absolutely useless but sound would do me!

And me!!

Although the microcob is off games right now it is nice hacking out a sane pony who just wants to have fun. The Appy has bags of talent when her legs and muscles are working - but the teleporting, spooks, bucks, rears and general 'what are we going to get today' really does get tiring. I'm too old for it now!

 

[RachelFerd]

For eventing, less talented but easy is pretty much always the right answer. There are exceptions (Toledo de Kerser comes to mind) but they are not the rule. Some fairly untalented horses have jumped clear around Badminton and Burghley because they were easy and trainable. They also tend to put their bodies under less stress, meaning you get longevity too.

I think in the dressage and SJ world you do require freakish ability to get to the top - although was listening to Dickie Waygood the other night who was explaining that Valegro in the dressage world proves that the whole package exists - a horse with an incredibly good trainable temperament, and every last drop of talent you could possibly need too.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I think in the dressage and SJ world you do require freakish ability to get to the top - although was listening to Dickie Waygood the other night who was explaining that Valegro in the dressage world proves that the whole package exists - a horse with an incredibly good trainable temperament, and every last drop of talent you could possibly need too.

This begs the question though why despite Valegro being the pinnicle of what you want in a dressage horse, all of the other top riders keep choosing to produce the complete opposite type to him.. The more svelte, huge action, long, tall and highly strung types. In my mind Valegro was quite economical with his movement and quite chunky in build, but extremely strong and correct.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

Somewhere in the middle for me! I’ve always gone for the more quirky ones, but equally wouldn’t want something trying to kill me on a daily basis.

Pepsi is a lovely middle ground. Bags of talent, but is a sensitive soul who takes some getting used to and has a lot of stuff that needed work. But once he trusts you he’s a quick learner, and he’s not spooky or silly. Plus he’s a brilliant hack! Definitely wouldn’t be a lot of peoples cup of tea though!

 

[Annagain]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record I had both in spades in Monty. Way more talent than I ever needed - got told by my ex (what was then) 4* eventing instructor that he'd have gone advanced in the right hands (i.e. not me) but he was the sweetest, most forgiving, genuine horse you could ever wish to ride. He'd make a 90 XC course (my absolute limit) feel like a stroll in the park. He'd occasionally jump a bit big and I'd be wobbling and he'd always go dead straight, slow down gently and lift his head to pop me back in the saddle. In 20 years, nobody fell off him, we just fell over with him a couple of times.

God I miss being able to ride him.

 

[Peglo]

I can’t see me ever needing a talented horse and it would be wasted with me so happy and healthy will win out for me.

 

[Cortez]

Oh, I like a bit of talent, never have liked a boring horse, and I'm always about training the quirks out. Downright bonkers is not talent.