Weak youngsters...how do you evaluate future potential?

[seabiscuit]

Was just thinking about this today, as a friend bought a new horse over from Ireland a few months back that he thinks has 'so much pontential' and talent but I've watched it/ ridden it a few times and think it has like zilch ability- it is so weak and incredibly unbalanced ( despite being 8 years old) and gives you absolutely no feel of scope over a fence nor does it look like it really operates over a fence ( more like it can hardly heave itself over!). And it appears to not be improving at all. But obviously that is only my opinion and I'm certainly not an expert.

So it got me thinking, how do you evaluate future potential in the exceptionally weak horse? Surely any horse that is that weak will start to show some ability after a few months of reasonably correct work in reasonably experienced hands?

With other youngsters, they might be green and weak, but they will every so often give you a really fab 'wow' feeling that makes you want to keep going with them, because that little inkling gives you an idea of what the end picture of that horse is going to be like. It might be simply that they managed one transition especially well, or it might be that they just gave you one particularly special feeling over a jump. Just little clues like that that give you an end idea. Of course the extra special horses give you a wow feeling from day one, but do think that there are other horses that are very weak and just need more time to grow..

So any thoughts/ideas, or even stories about horses that have shocked/surprised you about how they have turned out once theyv'e matured and strenghthened up?

 

[lastresort]

I am in/was in a similar position. I bought a 4 year old ISH who is well bred and good confirmation. I bought him backed only so very green, weak and had done nothing. For the first 3 months I hated riding him, thought id made a big mistake he wouldnt go forward and cantering was a nightmare to keep. 6 months on he is now going well. Has been out XC schooling and a few HT to see how he behaved (impeccable I have to say) and his jumping has turned out to be fantastic.I know he is still weak but my trainer says he just keeps getting better and better. He is bold and will try his best. She was a 4 * eventer so she should know having bred lots and lots. I ask her to be honest all the time. I recently asked her did she think he would be ready for his first intro next spring. She thinks yes definately and she said he is definately a future eventer without doubt.

If she had told me that she couldnt be sure or had any doubts about his ability I would have sold him. She has said its due to his bold attitude, and he is a great mover. He is still very weak but looks great, and he has now erased any questions of his potential I had to begin with.
I was totally reliant on her honesty about his potential.

 

[Maesfen]

Sort of relevant to your post!
In the good old days when 'imported' meant Irish and Irish only, thousands of gangly, ugly very poor specimens would be shipped over to begin their careers over here as mainly hunters. Without exception, they all needed at least six months to acclimatise, mainly to the new grazing, water and feed as it was very unlikely that a young Irish horse ever saw a grain of anything other than bog standard grass which was usually very poor in quality but did have extra mineral quality. It was not unknown for a five year old to have already done two seasons hunting before they came over meaning they were in hard work at three; not good for any developing skeleton. You would get the new intake in April, turn it away for the summer and bring up a totally different horse in August, it would have changed and grown that much by being given the time it needed to recover; after that, you'd maybe hunt it once a fortnight gently for that season. The next season, you would have a lion that could virtually hunt every other day it would have strengthened up that much.
I know you say this horse is eight but it's not beyond the realms of possibility that he is still maturing to a point and adapting to our systems, feeds etc. Has it had sufficient time to recover/acclimatise before it was put into work, that could be a factor too? Have they had blood taken do you know to rule out low grade virus or anything like that.
If all of that is taken care of, perhaps it is simply that your friend and you have different slants on potential; what is good for them is only mediocre for you or vice versa! Either way, I wouldn't write him off just yet, give him a bit more time.

 

[Bossanova]

Even a weak horse should be balanced and should show promise in its jump. A weak unbalanced horse can be improved but I think natural balance is one of the most important things to look for in a young horse

 

[kerilli]

even if they're a bit weak, the good ones show balance and talent from the outset, imho.

 

[LEC]

You have ridden my horse and when you sat on him last year you thought he was horrible. He shows little effort over a fence and does not really have a go getter attitude actually I think he disgraced himself when you watched at Aldon. I think the only reason I bought him was because he looks the business even though he does not act it.
This year that horse has come out a changed horse - he still shows little effort over a fence, is still horrible sometimes but he has made the upgrade to novice and the feel he gives is that it is still PN as no more effort goes in. I think time is so important and the Irish ones sometimes have an old head on young weak shoulders.

 

[burtie]

I think at 8 years I would expect it to be pretty much mature, if it's that weak I doubt it'll develop into much.
My 4 year old can only manage 20-30mins in the school and after that you may as well be riding a dead donkey but during the time he operates you know you are sitting on a quality lovely young animal (IMHO of course

).

So wirth youngsters it normally easy to assess potential but you only get a short window to access it before they tire themselves out.

 

[seabiscuit]

Jeez Lucy, this horse is FAR worse than yours was! ( would never have considered R in the same kind of light anyway!)Yours has always looked light and easy when going over a fence, and has always been very soft in the back-an easy mover in general- this Irish one however, is soooo stiff and cumbersome, and when watching it jumping it looks like it is barely heaving itself over. It is v.closely related to some of the very top eventers in the world,so I guess that is why the owner thinks it has so much potential!
MFH, I accept that it might need more time to acclimitise, and it has had a thorough check over. I think it had only been hunted before it came over, so it prob finds the complete change of work very difficult. Am just struggling to see the potential in it, when there are a few people who seem to think it is 'incredible' !!

 

[Baggybreeches]

I think I know what you mean, I have ridden some really messed up or rubbish horses, the good ones will always show a little bit of something special and leave you wanting to do more with them. On the other hand my mum's mare is quite possibly the worst horse to ride on the flat, but put her in a ring of showjumps or in the start box and she is a tiger! As Pat says I would give him the benefit of the doubt over the winter and see what he turns into!