which would you rather have......

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redmerl

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Would you rather have a very talented but inconsistent horse or a less talented but one that gives his all?

I know the good natured one would be easier to work with but may not get amazing results, but is a fab one that is totally inconsistent soul distroying?
 
Yes totally

Depends if you are an amateur hobby rider who is doing it for fun or a pro after the big win, who can live with all the times the horse will let you down on the chance it may just one day not be its normal self and actually do something useful.
 
Its meant to be F-U-N, so the 2nd one. Life's too short.
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That kind of sounds like the difference between my horse and mums horse. Mine has a lot more ability and although I do think he tried hard we seem to have a lot of little things go wrong quite a lot, resulting in a fun but not that competitive day out! Mums horse would never be a world beater but has never ever let us down and always seems to do really well and never puts a foot wrong!

Suppose it depends what level you want to compete at and how much effort you want to put in.

If you want an easy fun horse go for the trier, if you want to put in more and probably get out more in the end go for the talented one.
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Depends, if the less talented but gives all still has one down every time out and can only ever pull off a 40 something dressage that would be just as disheartening for me, where as the talented but inconsistent, may have similar days but other days when it will outshine every one!!
 
Have to agree with Marymoo - mediocrity would never be enough for me.

I'd also love the ongoing challenge of trying to sort out the issues - just think of the high when it all comes together, so it would be the first horse for me everytime I'm afraid.
 
There defo isn't anything wrong with him, he is just V highly strung and gets bran melt under pressure.

I am 1 one horse owner, in for fun kind of person
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He has been with loads better ridders than me just likes to do what ever he wants
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I do it for fun and am a mediocre amateur rider who is as liable to make a mistake as the horse. I don't have brilliant results with my chap, but he tries his heart out for me and helps me out all the time. I know he'd do better with a better rider, but crucially, I always come home from a day competing him having had fun and thinking how lucky I am to have such a generous, kind horse. TBH even if I had a superstar horse, I don't ride well enough to do it justice so I'll stick with consistent and always knocking on the door of being competitive - which is what makes me keep going. I know if I learn to ride better one day we'll get through the door not just keep knocking on it!
 
the grey in my siggy was very talented but very nappy. in his two years of doing BE he would either be a superstar and pull off a super dressage test and a lovely dbl clear and you felt like you could point him at anything XC, be on the buckle end and he'd jump it for you. on other days he would refuse to jump the first fence in the SJ and then the second or would point blank refuse to go near the water jump. its why i sold him- i loved him when he was being well behaved but as a hobby rider it was demoralising not even getting round the xc because of a piddly water fence and not knowing what was going to happen. i know all horses have their 'off' days but this was always to extremes and it was nothing that you could train or prepare for....
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the second one for fun, the first one if i was trying to get to the top, tbh! it would also depend whether the inconsistent one was inconsistent because of temperament, or something physical.

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Totally agree, it's amazing what you can get a cooperative horse that meets you half way to do.
 
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Would you rather have a very talented but inconsistent horse or a less talented but one that gives his all?



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One of each
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Kanter - i was thinking the same. I favour the brilliant but quirky/difficult types, but they can be very very frustrating. If i had a fun diesel horse as back-up I think it would balance things out. I tend to get bored with "easy" horses though and like Marymoo and M_M mediocrity is never satisfying for me, so if I had to choose one Id go for the first.
 
I think I have the first, talented but inconsistent - when he is firing he is awesome and a blast to ride - when he is not he is worse than mediocre...=/
Fortunatly he is consitently good XC it is just the other 2 phases that we lapse in (I think he was born to team chase just on the wrong continent) and fortunaly you can go XC in Aus (at non FEI level) even if eliminated in SJ or DR as long as it wasn't for a horse fall.

Getting cricket scores or elim is fustrating, but I am not too bothered as I know he can do it, and if he gives me a great ride at home it makes up for it. We were doing canter piruoettes on the trail the other day becasue he was in an obliging mood...
If I was serious I could probably get him going more consistently but what ever.

But in all honesty I would quite like one of each, it would be nice to place more than once every 3 mnths =)
 
i have one of each!

pilfer tries his hardest and is fabulous horse to jump- at PN level.
you simply point and steer and he does the rest.

i also have a 5yro who is immensely talented but a right little diva for no reason sometimes.
yesterday she refused to go in the sj ring and had to be led, then jupmed a beautiful DC over 3'3ft to come 2nd... then napped coming out of the ring... then took 40 minutes to load!

it is nice to have the easy horse to get back on after a bad session with the annoying one; just to remind you why you have horses in the first place!
 
Less talented that gives me his all definately. I had the talented one a few years ago but his attitude sucked! Talent means nothing without a good attitude. Luckily, my current horse is talented enough for me AND is extremely honest and consistent!
 
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