Which quality is more important in a competition horse?

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Ginn

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While the ideal is to have a very talented horse with the right attitude sometimes, for us ameteurs who compete for the pleasure of doing so and the enjoyment of seeing hard work pay off as you progress as a partnership, this isn't always an option.

Soooo, assuming that the horse was conformationally up for the job would you go for a horse with oodles of talent but that was very quirky and perhaps did not have the right attitude or a horse that was perhaps more average and maybe wouldn't take you as far, but had a really good attitude to work and always tried its best??

From an eventing point of view I'd go for attitude over talent every time as I wouldn't want to be hurtling toward a solid xc fence when the horse decided to so its quirky nature - I'd want a horse that I could trust to do its very best to get us safely home, who was bold but considerate and who was a pleasure to ride.

Discuss....

Edited because I am illiterate
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Attitude, every time.

If the horse doesn't have the right attitude, you're losing from the outset.

I'd rather have an average horse who tries his heart out than an arsey one with tons of talent.

Actually....i'd rather a talented one with a lovely nature
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I must say i have both my mare (Show jumper) is very quirky and sharp BUT will jump anything and is good at her job - she is a cow to have in a stable or field or genuinly do anything else with !!

my old horse had the best attitude and would do anything for me but not the talent to take me all the way - we did have a fantastic partnership though !!

Then my 6yo who has both - he has the most lovely attitude ever and has loads of talent (then i ask myself why im selling him and keeping the others) !!
 
Hard one.
I have two very different *eventers*
One who has the most loving nature always wanting to please and although is talented isn’t very athletic and doesn’t have that 5th leg - he’s a bit slow in his brain and isn’t the bravest.
Where as the other is HUGELY talented, HUGELY athletic but is the most opinionated little twat you could ever wish to meet!
He LOVES jumping and will take anything on! He does *in his own way* want to please you all the time. However, he tries to work at 200% all the time which means he gets frustrated with himself and throws himself around a bit. He can also be bloody nappy! In that will stand on his hind legs if he finds things hard.
However, you only ever have to teach him something once and that’s it, ive never ridden anything quite so bright. Which to me means he has an exciting future ahead of him, even with an amateur like me
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Attitude without a doubt - I had the most talented little 15.2hh who would win or be eliminated at the first fence. You cannot work with a horse like that!
 
My two are so different in their mental attitude: it never occurs to Ross that he couldn't do something, after all, if I've asked him to do it, it must be a reasonable request surely?! Hector on the other hand does things because he's been asked to, and by doing them (even if he finds them a bit scary), his confidence grows and he gains more trust in me. So the over-riding thing that should make them develop into good horses is their temperament and attitude. I'd always rather have that, particularly knowing that if they didn't get to where I wanted to go they'd be easy to sell on as they are so straightforward.

Quirky is fine if it doesn't stress you out, and you have the time, inclination and mental attitude yourself to cope with it. TBH I rather like my ponies to be low-maintenance!
 
Attitude I'm far too windy to deal with quirkiness!
I need a friend not a diva
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Not that my Diva is a Diva - she's lovely she just has an unfortunate name!
 
Most definately it has to want to do it, so attitude in abundance!
I also had a very talented horse, he was amazing on the flat but lacked the guts at Intermediate level, so much so, after jumping 5 fences, he'd suddenly stop in the middle of nowhere and start napping. When I took him back down to pre novice and had a few lesson with a certain NZ trainer, I managed to get him round a course again.
But he would NEVER help you out, if you presented him wrong to a fence, he'd put in a stop, didn't do much for my confidence!
After I decided he'd had enough, my new horse was at the other extreme, he was a fab jumper but hated the dressage, even my trainer couldn't do a thing with him!! But I preferred him over the other one because he would jump anything for me, even if I was a bit wrong, he'd just do it.
 
I can't help feel that if you can find the key to quirky horses often these can be turned around to be the best. They can have more presence and sparkle and often think for themselves. It can be risk to get them channeled but if you do I have to say these can then really make it. I would probably take a risk and go for talented if I thought with corretc training it could be produced.
 
I'm in two minds about this one. Personally I prefer attitude, but I don't want to compete at high levels, or even affiliate.

It's no good having a fantastic attitude to work if the horse has only got the scope to go to a certain level and you want to compete higher than that.
Most horses with attitude and talent cost sooo much that they are out of the league of mere mortals, therefore it may be better to have a quirky horse which has the talent to go as far as you want, and either working on getting them over their 'issues', or adapting to cope with them.
 
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I can't help feel that if you can find the key to quirky horses often these can be turned around to be the best. They can have more presence and sparkle and often think for themselves. It can be risk to get them channeled but if you do I have to say these can then really make it. I would probably take a risk and go for talented if I thought with corretc training it could be produced.

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I completely agree with you there - known so many people right horses off as they couldnt be bothered to take that bit extra time !!
 
Having had a very talented but supremely quirky horse, and now having a trainable horse I know which I'd go for! As a happy amateur I want to do things like:
*Go on holiday and not be killed when I get back because the horse hasn't been worked for a week.
*Be able to stable away and go to the pub without worrying.
*Know that my horse is on my side!

Trainability is so, so important, and for me is the over-riding factor. Ok, so my horse is never going to win Badminton, but then again, neither am I!
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Have to say that I agree with Sarah-Jane, I can't resist a horse that has a spark and a bit of a twinkle in it's eye! I think you can always tell if you click with a horse though from the moment you first sit on it and gut feeling is always the best guideline!
 
Is the quirkiness something they're born with, or some problem that's been created in their training along the way? If its the latter, then if you know how deeply embedded it is in their head you can take the calculated risk of trying to sort it out. I just wouldn't want to feel that I was running to stand still the whole time, not unless I got a glimpse of brilliance now and again!
 
I agree when I evented moons ago my horse wasn't the most talented but he had a heart of gold and I trusted him with my life. I don't trust Molly enough to do much jumping so we just stick to dressage. In that respect she isn't the flashiest or the most talented but she is above average and she has the greatest attitude to work. My instructor always says how I will never find another horse that is so willing even when I really don't know what I am doing, the minute I get it right she gives it to me, such a fantastic teacher eventhough we are really learning together. For now I would much rather have her attitude over pure talent, the next one I will go for a bit more talent as I would have learnt so much from my gorgeous girl.
 
i think good attitude is really important, they have to want to work with you.

However as i have one with a little more attitude than standard (!) i must say that sometimes i do enjoy his quirkiness - it depends when he decides to display it tho!!
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Attirude for me without a doubt, there is no better feeling than doing well and knowing that a horse has tried his heart out for you
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Even doing bad for that matter if they have tried can still be rewarding!!!

We had a VERY talented mare a few years ago with the most horrendus attitude, we sent to her to very talented riders but her heart just wasn't in it. She didnt want to jump
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So she is now living a lovely happy like as one of the broodmares
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You can make a horse want to jump....
 
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I think you can always tell if you click with a horse though from the moment you first sit on it and gut feeling is always the best guideline!

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Well with Tilly I just knew straight away she was my horse of a lifetime. I don't know what it was but I have never had such a strong gut feeling that it was right! She looked a mess, had some nasty injuries that were still heeling, was underweight and only 15 months old so I can understand why people thought I was barking! But you could see her termperment instantly, she was gentle and trusting while confident and curious.

But I think my gut was right - she may not be anything special and probably only has that "wow" factor for me - to everyone else she is miss plain boring average - but her attitude is amazing! She has enough of an edge to keep her sharp and interesting, is so quick to learn and just tries so, so hard. If she never made it as anything more than a happy RC horse I'd never part with her as her personality is far more important than her ability though I do hope she has enough talent to take me to BE novice one day
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If you have a quirky one that you can gel with then its great - its when you get the quirky ones that try and kill you and you dont trust that i dont like !!

mine isnt quirky to ride just to do everything else with !!
 
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Where as the other is HUGELY talented, HUGELY athletic but is the most opinionated little twat you could ever wish to meet!

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Now which one might this be I wonder......hummm, let me see.......
LOL
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Same goes for his bro.
 
I agree, mine has a great attitude to work she always tries but doesn't mean she isn't quirky, I spend A LOT of time on the floor when I first got her. She can be VERY spooky and sharp and has a great buck on her!
 
Agree it depends what the quirk is - when I bought my lad as a 4yo he was definitely quirky rather than green - and appeared not too trainable - it was simple to him - if it's difficult then buck/rear/spin/nap until the rider gets off (read that as falls off!
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He had me in casualty 14 times in the first 2 months but eventually it reached the spot between his ears and he came good.

He's definitely not quirky now and hasn't been since he was about 6 (he's 18 now), quite happy to be left a week with no work and brilliant away from home. Definitely the type you can stick in a temp stable and go for a beer!
 
I would go with talent. If it was nasty with its quirkiness then I wouldnt buy it as nasty horses are just downright dangerous. By that I mean if it was determined to get you on the floor no matter what rather than just being high spirited.

I like horses to have that edge to them, it makes them stand out.
 
I don't mind a bit of naughtiness, so long as it can be focused when it is needed. I think a bit of spark makes horses stand out and get noticed.

Trainability would be my most important quality I think.
 
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