Talented or Genuine? Which would you choose?

soupdragon71 said:
So sick of people telling me their horses are nutters but they put up with it because they are talented, therefore quirky (yawn!!) IME that just means they are just making themselves out to be better riders, but if you look at the professionals they soon weed out the ones that are maybe talented but aren't going to cut it.
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This so reminds me of a girl I know! :rolleyes: Talking down to those with their well behaved home produced horses because her horse is so naughty but shes amazing so she can ride him ;).
 
Well obviously this is a bit of a trick question as they generally need to have a bit of both!!;)

However I would take genuine, as talent without being genuine is worthless. Being genuine adds a bit of "talent" I find. They have to want to do it and without that attitude they could have oodles of talent but be the most frustrating horse ever to deal with!
 
I think it depends how much of each they have.

I wouldn't want a genuine horse that's scope was limited to 3ft jumps.

I wouldn't want a talented horse who won't jump a crosspole if he is an inch off the perfect take off spot.

My current horse leans more towards the talented end of the scale but his rideability has come on a lot in the last 6 months- hopefully soon I can confidently say he is both :)
 
Tbh, I'll take either at the minute, having got an untalented horse who has no faith in his abilities :rolleyes::p Although genuine would be best for me!

Charem said:
I think there are a fair few hugely genuine horses out there competing at top level only because of their heart rather than their ability.
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^ I know of one. He doesn't look/move/jump like an event horse but he is so genuine and tries so hard for his rider that he ended up going 4*! I'd pick him over any of the flashier, more-likely-to-win types ;)
 
There are plenty of horses out there tallented enough to be able to jump round Badminton but there are only a precious few who are genuine enough to actualy do it.
 
Genuine is better for me right now. I dont aim to compete at high levels in any discipline and would rather have a horse that I can enjoy and have fun with rather than worry that i'll get dumped on the floor if I dont ride perfectly! I see some very talented horses competing at the yard im on (they run BD events) and I really dont think i'd even manage to sit to their trots! So expressive. I'm quite happy with my sporty Irish cobby thing who can turn his hoof to anything up to a certain level! Wish he would get sound though. He's just been diagnosed with possibly the beginnings of bone spavin in both hocks :(
 
One of my previous horses would have been talented enough to get to 1*. wouldn't have gone any higher as he didn't really have the scope for it; but he would have made an excellent amateurs horse and winning would have well been in his capabilities.

However he was very ungenuine, and had a dirty stop, ran out, played up and could be a total nightmare. This caused by some moron who had him before me, let him get away with blue murder, and in essence, ruined him.
 
I asked my daughter this question & we're probably in the minority. It depends how "un-genuine" the talented horse was.

If its something that would do the job more often than not, have occasional arse days in the ring, chuck a dirty stop in once in a while, be a sod to handle/lead/load on occasion, I would (& have) go (gone) for talent. If it was a battle with problems more often than not then I'd just look for something else with some talent :D it wouldn't have to be 100% genuine for us. Obviously the size of a knobber would come into consideration as both me & the daughter could not cope with a huge plank of a horse!!

We have had very talented competition ponies (small knobbers) before who were nightmares to lead in & load at times & would rear in excitement when in a start box or in a line up, it didn't bother the daughter or me as their talent & ability were outstanding on most days xx
 
As I have no talent myself, it would seem unfair of me to insist that the horse has to have talent instead, but I do have a great fondness of all my limbs and body functions, so would generally prefer to ride a horse that has no desire to injure me in any way.
I think that the reason that I miss big Ruby on a daily basis was her completely genuine nature, whatever terrible error I made she took in her (oversized) stride:)
 
Another who desires both, and I feel has succeeded in finding and cultivating it I think. How many horses can win at 1.10m speed classes on Saturday, be lead by a four year old boy at the venue and jump from my perpetually **** shots, then get 73% at dressage on the Sunday in my first ever novice test and then take my total novice boyfriend round the 12 inch clear round?
She forgives me time and time again, and has only ever gone into the ring and not tried her heart out once, with extenuating circumstances. She's only 7, she's not flashy or exuberant, but she's a solid 1.10 horse at the moment and will happily be a 1.20 diesel horse next year I would think. She hunts, she jumps iron railings etc and will go elementary dressage. I don't really event do I could assess her for that. I think that's talented in my opinion, certainly enough for most of us, and I feel her biggest value is her cooperation.

I appreciate she is just one example, but there must be others. I genuinely don't think talented needs to be quirky- I hate that word!!- if it was a useless horse it would be described at an arse, but because it is capable it's "quirky"!?! No, it's still an arse lol

I like to have my cake and eat it, and make trifle from it.
 
I think if I had to choose I would go for genuine but agree with Llanali and others above - i don't think they need to be mutually exclusive at all. My 6 year old is both - I certainly won't ever make use of his jumping talent to the limits of it but my very very experienced jumping trainer assures me he would easily be a 1.30 horse for a good amateur or more with a pro. He would probably event to a decent level too, but for a fairly talented youngster he is completely genuine. He has put up with my relative inexperience from day 1 (we backed him at home) and has never once tried to ditch me or been really obstructive in any way. And he's been on box rest now for 10 weeks with a mystery lameness - now coming back into ridden work with no sedation/acp/having to be lead around. I just got back on and started walking around the school! Definitely a genuine boy.
But I'd rather keep his genuine side and have less talent if I had to give up one or the other i think.
 
Daughter has had 2 talented but quirky, produced them to a good standard but they were hard work and the most recent one decided after 2 BE placings that he wasn't going to do XC! She now has an extremely genuine, honest horse who will hopefully give her some fun, shame she did a tendon 2 wks after getting her so is now on box rest. Bummer!
 
Genuine for me, I've no talent for riding myself and have no plans to compete so if i need a horse with talent, it would be a talent for putting up with and looking after me.

Eta sorry just realised this is the comp riders forum
 
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I dont mind horses with a few quirks, so wouldnt mind a talented beast. :)

although buying I would probably go for the genuine, slightly less talented one, as Im not buying a burghley winner. :)
 
Current boy is genuine, without a shadow of a doubt and that's exactly what I wanted and needed when I got him :) But now I'm about to purchase the next one (although only young) and I hope to have a balance of both (fingers crossed!). Temperament is still the most important element for me, like others have said this is my hobby, what I do in my down time. However, I really want to compete at higher levels than I am able to with current horse and be in with a chance.
 
I have a lovely genuine horse who tries hard and never says no, but without an ounce of athleticism or talent; it's just as soul destroying as a talented one you can't get to play the game.

Right now I'd cheerfully swap for talented even if I fell off every day :(
 
Genuine. Though having said that we have a little coloured who is both, in spades! He's a xc machine with at least 1 extra leg & will not refuse, anything, ever. He'll climb what he can't jump (which isn't much to be fair to the lovely boy!).
 
I'd like both though too much talent would be wasted on me. As it is, I have a home bred mare who is seriously capable but also a bit of a diva with a definite sense of humour. I guess that, in terms of the original question, she would be described as not genuine because, if there is a way out, she will find it & exploit it.

If her rider makes a mistake, she is most unlikely to 'help them out' & much more likely to take the opportunity to have some fun. She can be effortlessly jumping round a SJ course & (if her rider isn't 100% switched on) put in a seriously dirty stop just because she can. If an aid isn't completely clear, it will be disregarded, even if it is obvious what is wanted.

We love her to bits. She fits in perfectly to our family, giving 'pony rides' to my younger children & is teaching the older ones how to ride (rather than just sit & look pretty). I do sometimes wonder what she would be like in a proper competition home but it is irrelevant as (to us) she is priceless & would never be sold.
 
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