"moves like a freak..." - what does this mean?

[DownYonder]

I have been seeing this phrase quite a bit lately, esp. in reference to hunters.
Can someone please explain what it means? And is it a good thing to have a horse that "moves like a freak"? :confused:

[chrissymack]

Yes, that's a good thing. We hunters have a saying "freaky talented" and "freaky mover" which means that they are exceptionally talented or exceptionally good movers; "freaks" or exceptions to what you see everyday ;)

[tri]

It means moving top of the line for whatever discipline is being referred to - a horse moving like a freak for hunters would not be moving like a freak for dressage...means the same as shit hot. Don't you like shit hot horses?

[zelensky]

This is a great example of the difference between American English and UK English :lol: ... if you said that a horse moved like a freak in the UK the owner would probably sue you - and if you were trying to sell it, any potential buyers would run a mile!!! Basically, you would be saying that this horse is seriously weird ....

[pintopiaffe]

HAY... don't blame *all* Murkins!

Up he'ah that would *not* be a compliment either.

Then again, we are rednecks in the boonies at the edge of the earth... :uhoh:

And I've never heard the 'hot' comment before either. :no:

[Jessi P]

I have heard of "that horse is really hot $hit" or "She (horse or human) really thinks she is hot $hit" but not vice versa.


In the racehorse world a "freak" is generally a very, very good thing. :cool:

[Leather]

Yes, that's a good thing. We hunters have a saying "freaky talented" and "freaky mover" which means that they are exceptionally talented or exceptionally good movers; "freaks" or exceptions to what you see everyday ;)

Ditto to this. The horse is a "freak of nature" but in a good way, meaning that it's exceptional.

Weltall is (in my non-educated opinion) an example of this for dressage.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHvMIgJqsfU (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHvMIgJqsfU)

[Fairview Horse Center]

That video does show wonderful expression in front, not so much behind. Freaky dressage movement to me is Quaterback.

[YankeeLawyer]

That video does show wonderful expression in front, not so much behind. Freaky dressage movement to me is Quaterback.

Ditto. I believe I described his movement as freakish in another post. Freakish as in extreme.

[Daydream Believer]

But is freakish or extreme movement really a good thing? I personally am not so sure....

[canticle]

I think it's a bad thing. :no:

[YankeeLawyer]

But is freakish or extreme movement really a good thing? I personally am not so sure....

I am not so sure either, which is why I think the term freakish can be particularly a propos.
In the case of Quaterback, I find him to be very compelling to watch. However, I am not yet convinced that that movement is correct or even necessarily desirable. I am reserving judgment until I can see how it is passed on in his offspring.

[canticle]

Has Quaterback ever even done anything besides trot and canter around a ring? I'd be wary breeding to a horse with such a record of non-performance.

[Jessi P]

Has Quaterback ever even done anything besides trot and canter around a ring? I'd be wary breeding to a horse with such a record of non-performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPa7cTjlvA8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQImQwVMCUE&feature=related

[canticle]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPa7cTjlvA8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQImQwVMCUE&feature=related
Thank you! My point exactly... :no:

[YankeeLawyer]

Has Quaterback ever even done anything besides trot and canter around a ring? I'd be wary breeding to a horse with such a record of non-performance.

He is still a very young horse, so that is a bit of a silly statement.

Also, he does not have a "record of non-performance," which implies he tried, but failed, in competition. He does lack a performance record, i.e., he is arguably still unproven, but given his age, I can't imagine what more anyone would expect to see from him.

[flshgordon]

I've never heard good HUNTER movement defined by the word "freak", only dressage movement. I have heard it in regards to a hunter jump though. And I can't imagine you would ever want a hunter to move like a freak....it's called 'daisy cutter' for a reason :D

[canticle]

He is still a very young horse, so that is a bit of a silly statement.

Also, he does not have a "record of non-performance," which implies he tried, but failed, in competition. He does lack a performance record, i.e., he is arguably still unproven, but given his age, I can't imagine what more anyone would expect to see from him.
I'm just disturbed that so many people choose to flock to the latest stallion du jour. If I wanted to breed a campaign horse for the 20m circle, I'm sure Quaterback would be great, based on his past performances. But the burden is on him to prove that he is capable of more. Are people really that stupid?

[RiddleMeThis]

I'm just disturbed that so many people choose to flock to the latest stallion du jour. If I wanted to breed a campaign horse for the 20m circle, I'm sure Quaterback would be great, based on his past performances. But the burden is on him to prove that he is capable of more. Are people really that stupid?
Hes five. What would you like him to have done? Grand Prix?

People on this board love to cry go slow go slow when someone asks about breaking their colts or fillys, yet finally someone appears to be taking things slow and they are getting put down for it. Doesnt make sense to me.:no:

[Showjumper28]

This is a great example of the difference between American English and UK English :lol: ... if you said that a horse moved like a freak in the UK the owner would probably sue you - and if you were trying to sell it, any potential buyers would run a mile!!! Basically, you would be saying that this horse is seriously weird ....

Where I come from I haven't heard this term used in this way either and I am born and bred New Jersey. Sh*t hot is a new one for me too and sounds stupid if you ask me. However I can see where the term freakish or like a freak could be used in this way in a form of slang. It makes sense, I guess.

[Fairview Horse Center]

Quaterback's movement is freakish, but IMO, I don't like to see a 3 or 4 year old asked for passage. He is clearly being ridden with a LOT of in your hand, rider asking for elevation. You can see the gait change at the transition. Canter, trot a few steps, half halt, half halt, passage. I hate to see this become what youngsters have to show. It will be interesting to see what the horse shows later in his life when really trained to passage. My guess is we have seen it all.

What really thrills me about his trot, is at the end, when his head goes down, his back loosens and his joints do that incredible articulation. I could watch that part all day long.

[EqTrainer]

What really thrills me about his trot, is at the end, when his head goes down, his back loosens and his joints do that incredible articulation. I could watch that part all day long.



It gives me chills. In a non-freakish way :yes:

[rcloisonne]

That video does show wonderful expression in front, not so much behind.
Looks lame behind... :eek:

[tri]

I hear it all the time in the pony hunters - that pony is a freak of nature - it is a very very very good thing. Also with jumpers - that horse jumps like a freak or that horse is a shit hot jumper. You can not like it but the trainers will keep saying it. I am sure there are lots of people in lots of areas that think saying Y'all is stupid too but it doesn't mean it isn't said.

[Leigh]

This is a great example of the difference between American English and UK English :lol: ... if you said that a horse moved like a freak in the UK the owner would probably sue you - and if you were trying to sell it, any potential buyers would run a mile!!! Basically, you would be saying that this horse is seriously weird ....

Yes I'd be offended if someone said my horse moved like a freak lol but if they said it was Sh*t hot I'd be happy ;)..that's quite widely used over here as a compliment.

Btw am I the only one that hates those collected trots that look like a passage gone wrong?

[MagicRoseFarm]

could "freak" be a synonym to the more current - "fierce" ?

[VirginiaBred]

As previously stated, when someone of merit says "Black Beauty" moves like a freak.....

That is a huge compliment.

[DownYonder]

So basically, this comment is supposed to be considered as a compliment? Hmm, I don't know if I could get used to that. It just sounds weird - when I hear "moving like a freak", I think of some kind of spider thing with legs flailing all over the place. :lol:

[Oakstable]

DY, I agree with you.

The word, freak, has always been a perorative.

I also think "yummy" is a bad choice of words when discussing horses.

[Fairview Horse Center]

Slang versions of language often is much different than the original usage.

A freak of nature can be extreme to the bad, or to the good. I actually don't think Quaterback is a freak of nature, but actually a return to adding the suspension and elasticity back into Warmbloods. Breeding has gotten away from this with the huge, extreme leg movers, and I have hated that direction. All I see when I look at modern stallions is Thoroughbred movement. That is great if you want to breed TBs, but I want to breed Warmbloods. His movement adds some old type to the modern, and I just love it!

[faluut42]

I myself am a huge fan of QB (Quaterback). But like all stallions he has faults as much of a freak as he is. I dont agree with saying he has a record of non-performance record or guessing he that his foals won't be nice when he only has 1 (2 if you count the few foals in his 4 year old year). This is how rumors start and I hate to see that happen to any stallion.

I have heard that they Gerd Sosath has chosen to not show QB again until he is at grand prix, which could really hurt the number of breedings he will get over the next couple of years, people do tend to run to the latest and greatest (myself included).

I can see him taking a long time to get to Grand Prix, his gaits are so big they are verging explosive which will probably make collection hard. But when he gets there, he will still be a freak.

Like all the big name stallions, QB has his pros and cons. But until we truly see those pros and cons, or that of his offspring, it is unfair to criticize him as a sire.

[canticle]

He's not going to be shown until he's at GP? :confused: What makes them so sure he is even going to make it to GP? And what are they going to do with all of the levels before GP, just skip them? :rolleyes:

When I see a so-called "super-horse" struggling on a 20m circle because his haunches keep swinging out, I am going to speak up. Maybe my standards are a little high? :lol:

I'll be curious to see how this freak horse makes the jump from training level to GP, and if he is really doing GP, or if he is just doing tricks like so many other horses these days.

[RiddleMeThis]

Hmm I dont see a horse struggling....

[Fairview Horse Center]

He's not going to be shown until he's at GP? :confused: What makes them so sure he is even going to make it to GP? And what are they going to do with all of the levels before GP, just skip them? :rolleyes:

When I see a so-called "super-horse" struggling on a 20m circle because his haunches keep swinging out, I am going to speak up. Maybe my standards are a little high? :lol:

I'll be curious to see how this freak horse makes the jump from training level to GP, and if he is really doing GP, or if he is just doing tricks like so many other horses these days.

I would assume this would be for marketing. There is a huge interest in him now. Any less than spectacular outings will only lose him breedings. They probably feel it is safer to keep him training at home, and bring him out only when they know they can improve on his previous performance (or not, and stay at home).

[faluut42]

He's not going to be shown until he's at GP? :confused: What makes them so sure he is even going to make it to GP? And what are they going to do with all of the levels before GP, just skip them? :rolleyes:

When I see a so-called "super-horse" struggling on a 20m circle because his haunches keep swinging out, I am going to speak up. Maybe my standards are a little high? :lol:

I'll be curious to see how this freak horse makes the jump from training level to GP, and if he is really doing GP, or if he is just doing tricks like so many other horses these days.

What I meant was that he is not going to make a public apperance until he is at GP. It could be years (and probably will be), I have a feeling he is not going to be a Don Frederico (succsefully showing GP at 7yrs). But I do think that once he gets there, he will be specatcular!

Seeing how experienced Gerd Sosath is, I would guess that he has a pretty good eye for seeing GP potenial in a horse.

[canticle]

I hope their gamble pays off. :)

[YankeeLawyer]

He's not going to be shown until he's at GP? :confused: What makes them so sure he is even going to make it to GP? And what are they going to do with all of the levels before GP, just skip them? :rolleyes:


If I owned the horse I would do the same as Sosath. The last thing you want is for every peanut gallery person looking to nitpick as the horse moves up the levels. It is, by the way, why many very popular stallions have very little performance record -- the cost of not winning is so great that some prefer not to take the risk, not to mention the cost of campaigning the horse and the risk of injury. Also, some believe that horses that excel at lower levels tend not to excel at upper ones, and vice versa.

FYI, I believe Rosenthal debuted at Fourth Level when he had to establish a performance record to obtain his licensing. He apparently was trained to that level at home without a problem.

[tri]

Some of you guys are whacked. That is a very nice stallion.

[MagicRoseFarm]

I have a concern with horses that are extreme movers, that their bodies are not intended to carry this type of movement, and that it causes different stresses on joints and soft tissue than the body is naturally built for.

IMHO, the strengthening process while developing these types must be very carefully carried out, and is more important than performing at each individual level of competition.

[not again]

Now here is a freakish mover:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=hNpSTh6r1kM
:lol::lol::lol::lol:

[sporthorsefilly]

I went ooooh aaaawhhh at Quaterbacks trot!

His canter however, is really ugly to me...he appears to be "slapping the ground." Sorry, I like floating TB movement, and a canter like Quaterbacks would never appeal to me.

Guess I flunk Warmblood 101!

[tri]

That is funny because I never get all excited over a trot - it is the walk and canter (I'm a jumper breeder) that appeal to me. I thought his canter was very good and was pretty surprized to find myself thinking "I bet he might jump very well" which doesn't usually happen with these horses that are the more extreme dressage movers.

[talloaks]

That is funny because I never get all excited over a trot - it is the walk and canter (I'm a jumper breeder) that appeal to me. I thought his canter was very good and was pretty surprized to find myself thinking "I bet he might jump very well" which doesn't usually happen with these horses that are the more extreme dressage movers.

If you look at Quaterback's pedigree he is loaded with jumpers!!:cool: Quattro, Brandenburger, Beach Boy.

[Mozart]

Dirk Hafemeister used to have a jumper called "The Freak". I'm pretty sure that was meant in a positive way.....