What is a boring horse?

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FinellaGlen

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I have heard lots of people talk about horses that are safe but "not boring" and I am suddenly wondering what a boring horse does (or doesn't do)? Is it a horse that's not spooky? If so, I think I probably prefer boring horses.

I always call my pony a "fun horse" because she's forward going and can keep up with much bigger horses despite her stubby little legs. I love her cheeky ways but she's not especially spooky. She can spook, of course, and she can (rarely) throw in a spin for good measure but, as a general rule, she has a calm temperament so maybe she is actually "an incredibly boring horse"?
 
I would imagine they mean something that has no personality??
I like to think my mare is quite well behaved, but finding her in my shed with her head in my handbag is one of the many traits she has, things like that when she makes me laugh makes me think she isnt boring...
 
Seems an odd thing to say to me TBH, one mans rubbish is another mans treasure and all that.
I suppose they mean it can't do what they want it to. I do know some adrenaline junkies who love spooky/nappy horses with no brakes but IMO that is just a horse with no manners.
Yours sounds lovely!
 
IMO a "boring horse" is not one that is just well behaved and bombproof.

In fact I would struggle to call any horse "boring"..however a "boring ride" to me would be one that continually needed a leg aid to move forward, one that ambles and is reluctant to do more than shuffle and plod. The kind that are always at the back of the hack and everybody has to stop and wait for...mainly because you couldn't get it into trot with a rocket.

My lad is a cob and is certainly not boring and for that I am grateful...however at times he is far from enjoyable! Some days I would happily swap him for a rocking horse.
 
I would say 'not boring' = 'not predictable', and as yet, I have not met many 'boring' horses by this definition (your girl certainly does not sound totally predictable, so I wouldnt say she was boring!
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) I think I have only ever known one such horse, Mousie...we actually had the opportunity to buy him, and I rode him a fair bit during the summer after I lost my boy. He was an absolute gent in every way - perfect in the stable, foot-perfect if not flashy flatwork, fearless across country, and totally capable of jumping well around a 1.20 course. But he had no real buzz about him - going for a ride out on Mousie was the ultimate in predictability - you knew that he would not spook, would not refuse to move off the leg, would not take a hold. And in this respect, riding him was often what I would deem 'boring'. Now Ellie, on the other hand, is the polar opposite. Sometimes blades of grass are scary, sometimes they're not. Sometimes flying changes come easily, other times she decides that they are an impossibility - crabbing sideways is a much better option. Sometimes she will walk past the scariest of tractors without a second glance, other times she will plant her feet and stare with her heart pounding. In fact, there are only three predictable traits with my Ellie - she will always buck three times at the beginning of a gallop, she will always ask for a backscratch the minute you open the stable door, and she will always jump when asked. Everything else is up in the air!

And as for what I prefer....well the fact that after six months of searching, we ended up with an Ellie as opposed to a Mousie says it all
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Probably Daisy but then I see that as a huge achievement because we bought her cheaply from her last owner who she had scared so much she had stopped riding her and general opinion at my first yard was that she was only worth meat money. I'm not well enough to ride at the moment so I gave my friend a lesson on her this afternoon. I very rarely let other people ride her and I've never watched any ride her before and I was so proud. The nutty dangerous horse has become anyone's ride and thats all because of what we have achieved together.
 
To me, some horses have more "interesting" personalities because they connect with you, whereas some horses that only mind their own business and perhaps are less intelligent are more "boring". The horse can be extremly well mannered yet intelligent, inquisitive and a big personality. I personally prefer hanging out with more intelligent/inquisitive horses though they can sometimes be more challenging.

I guess "boring" can be many different things to different people, horses that are not forward going/energetic, an aloof horse which does not like cuddles, or a horse with no quirks.
 
I had a boring horse. I'm sure not everyone would have found her boring but I did. She was about as complicated as a block of wood. She was so dim it never occurred to her not to just follow instructions. She couldn't think for herself. If you dropped the reins she fell on her knees, literally! She was the sweetest, kindest most honest horse you could hope for, but she was also the simplest which to me personally, amounted to boring.
 
One of ours is boring. He goes where you tell him, never does anything wrong but won't put the extra bit of effort in to really sparkle. His schooling level is good, but he thinks he knows everything so wont listen to anything new :P. He could get anyone placed in prelim dressage, but he is unlikely to make the top cut further up even with an ace rider.

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I knew a really boring RS pony. He was only 13.2hh but could clear 5' upwards, just with no style or effort. He used to shuffle round the school with his eyes half shut, again had good paces but no effort involved and no-one could ever get a tune out of him - he was truly the dullest horse i've ever met.

He did have a tendency to bolt in traffic, though - proper bolting too - wouldn't stop until he was back at the yard- but that didn't make him interesting, just bloody dangerous!
 
Thanks everyone. I think that I now understand that "boring" means different things to different people, but it seems that it is mainly a case of the horse and rider not having a "connection". I guess that one person's "boring" horse is another one's "safe" horse, but not necessarily, as it's a bit more complex than that from what everyone has said.
 
Our mare is pretty quiet, altho she can have real madam moments and has had to go back on the regumate as she's impossible when in season. She's also really spooky to ride out on windy days and will spook as an excuse when she doesn't want to work - even at another horse coming towards her.

But she went on an outing to school at a big indoor venue this weekend after virtually no work all week and no turnout because of the wet weather and was good as gold - really proud of her.

We're looking for a second horse and had heard of a young gelding that was out competing successfully with his very experienced owner. But our trainer reckons that he's nothing special compared to our mare and we'd be really 'bored' by him as he's a bit dull and quiet. I was quite surprised by his opinion initially but on reflection can see what he means - after our opinionated but generous mare a steady old gelding might be a bit boring!
 
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