Once you ride the mellow ones, do you ever go back?

[danceronice]

While I'm definitely good with "better lazy than crazy", yes, after you dismount with screaming hip pain after trying to kick along a VERY stubborn redheaded mare (thanks, brother, for telling your trainer I can be 'timid') who makes your dead-head OTTB look like a fire-breathing dragon, you may find you want something a bit more..awake.

[Miichelle]

While I agree with "better lazy than crazy" I also think that it's too much WORK to have to push ALL the time! It kind of takes the fun out of it. :S

[SwampYankee]

I like forward and animated, "involved" might be a good description--a horse who wants to be doing what YOU want to be doing, and giving it his all without your having to nag, beg, or demand. I find "lookers" aren't "spookers." It's the ADHD types who jump out of their skins because they weren't paying attention to BEGIN with!

My favorite of all are the ones with some "go" but with a lot of self-preservation and brains to back it up. They're taking care of you because they're taking care of THEM!

[Lazy Palomino Hunter]

My life time motto:

"Better Lazy Than Crazy"

I have said it a bazillion times--funny though how kids who have grown up at our barn understand it a lot better as they have gotten older.

Hahaha I was just going to post that exact same thing as my motto! I was a camp counselor one summer, and my advanced students made me a little sign at the end of the summer with "better lazy than crazy" on it.

I like a big, athletic horse with a huge step, who also happens to be lazy. I'd much rather kick than pull (and don't mind if I need spurs AND a stick), but it needs to be big enough to easily get down the lines, even at a slow pace. Few things scare me as much as a horse that needs to gallop down the lines to avoid coming up short.

[Lucassb]

My quiet horse - who is quite responsive to the leg, just not naturally super forward - can easily trot a 5' fence. He has more scope than I will ever need, but what I love most about him is his even temper and calm demeanor. I will never go back to a hot one if I can help it.

[drawstraws]

My heart horse is my eight year old, homebred gelding who was basically broke from the day he hit the ground. He's not a deadhead but he's SO level-headed and at this point we just know each other so well (I broke him out myself and did 99% of his training) that I joke that we're like an old married couple.

A friend of mine just had me take home her 3 year old greenie to ride and try to sell for her since she has no where to ride at her house. It's an adventure every time I work with him and when I ride him and then immediately get on my other gelding, when I settle into the saddle on my old trusty it's "like going home". I used to think that having an old reliable was boring but now I appreciate him more and more every time I ride.

[carolprudm]

I like smart, athletic, and forward, but willing and sensible with minimal spook. I only like riding deadheads once in awhile, such as on large group trail rides.

Christa

That pretty much describes Sophie

[Foxtrot's]

I can't ride a deadhead, but do like a horse with equal amounts of 'whoa' and 'go'. It needs to be good minded, but willing, light on the aids, no vices and does everything needed in the stable. Mine is pretty close, sweet and gentle.

[cheektwocheek]

Took a look @ a 10 mover, was a bit of a Wide Eyed Wackadoo. While I'm still recovering with 4 broken ribs, the "Hot Button" was sort of a turn off. Of course my push ride is out on trial, I might need to find something very soonish. I'm just a little punchy after my accident on a green bean.... I can't get that "bad boy" 10 mover off my mind. I must need a therapist!!!!!!

[spirithorse22]

I have never ever liked the super hot, jump-buck-squeal-bolt types and unfortunately have ridden far too many. The older I get, the more determined I am to ride horses I ENJOY.

It irritates me to no end when people tell a rider "it makes you a better rider to ride xyz." Not necessarily. As an instructor, it absolutely does NO good for the rider or the horse to put a rider I know won't click with a horse who is sensitive and/or has particular needs...what good does that serve??

I've also heard people say that a rider will learn from a rotten pony. Well, they might learn to stick out a buck, etc. (know from experience) but they also usually develop a lot of bad habits too.

There is a middle ground between never ever riding anything but pushbutton horses and riding horses that make you uncomfortable/scared...that middle ground is where you learn the most, imo.

Personally, I don't like push rides. I like the types who are volunteers: my favorite ride of the last couple years was a big 4th level schoolmaster coming back from an injury who constantly volunteered new gears. My leg was on to be supportive but rarely active b/c he was ALWAYS in the bridle and his brain WANTED to work. The moment you sat into the saddle, you needed to have a "plan" b/c if you didn't, he'd create one. Never, ever offered to buck or kick or act pissy-he would just get very strong and forward in a way that almost felt like he was a little kid free in a candy shop! "Mom! Look! Let's do this! Like that? Let's do it bigger!!"

It was fantastic and a LOT of fun. He was a strong ride: tended to want to plow through your hand and "run away" down the long-side with you (run away in an extended trot or offer collected canter instead of a medium trot, etc. etc. always volunteering! lol!) and it took a LOT of half halts and seat to keep him balanced and listening. He also wanted to get heavy, so it took work lightening him and not spending too much time on the curb. He was always ridden in the double b/c he could get very strong and at 18.1h would sometimes blow through your hand despite the hardware. But again, it was never malicious or spooky. It was just work ethic and forward energy. Never, ever felt unsafe or even "hot", per se.

To answer your question: I absolutely can't stand the explosive, super reactive, silly types and the older I get the more impatient I get with that type of horse. Life's too short for me to mess with the kind of ride I dislike. I also very much dislike the dead to leg, kick every stride, quit every chance they get types.

Sensible and forward thinking is a wonderful combination!! I think once you find "your" type of ride, it's really nice to be able to describe it when considering horses, etc. Sometimes the right fit will be with a horse you don't consider all that mellow but the ride is your style...and it just works.

[ptownevt]

I think we often confuse hot and difficult or spooky with athletic and talented. They may or may not be athletic and talented. The same with mellow or level-headed; we think of them as deadheads. Again, they may or may not be deadheads. I've ridden deadheads. I don't enjoy that. I've also ridden the hot, difficult ones, but at my age I now know enough not to. My ideal horse would be a level-headed, willing, forward horse that would adjust to what I ask for. Nothing wrong with wanting a horse that isn't going to freak out at any moment.

[Lori B]

No.

[pal-o-mino]

i wouldn't want to, but that's just me. my mare is great on trails, and that's what I like to do now, so I'm happy. And yeah, some of the hot horse people laugh at me and my pokey mare, but mine will walk by a white fence or a huge tractor while they spend 15 mins trying to get by it and another 30 trying to calm the horse down after. Ugh.

[Credosporthorses]

There's no shame in liking quieter horses "Push ride" and "scopey" have exactly zero relation to each other. A horse doesn't have to be hot to be scopey or athletic, so I would remove that connection in your own mind. Preferring a "push ride" is simply a preference for a type of brain, not a type of body.

THIS^^^
My horse is DEAD. Literally kicking quite push EVERY step, Greg Best calls him thigh master . But boy can that horse jump. We are only jumping around 1.15M but he effortlessly jumps the height of the standards(1.60M) just because he can.

[Shermy]

I have put soo many miles on my horse, that I just can tell what he is thinking. He's been exposed to almost everything. I trust him, and can put anyone on him, and he will take care of them.

I can go and ride him anywhere and feel totally safe. That is worth a lot! He has a lot of go, and is very willing to do what I ask on the trail. He will try to get out of hard work though, lol.

That said, he is NOT a dead head. If you start making him work (mostly arena work), doing stuff like roll backs, he gets pissy. It is not uncommon for him to try to bolt if he is getting pissed. I can totally handle whatever he offers, so again, there is never any fear.

A newbie would never ask him to do anything that would get him mad, so he is the best of both worlds.

I think of a dead head as a horse that has been on a trail riding string, butt to head, been kicked to death, and just is dead.

That type of horse would be so boring, but a safe, level headed horse that can still have very strong opinions when made to work, is the best of both worlds.

I have very little interest in riding a horse that is crazy. There is a horse that I can ride that is scared of EVERYTHING. He drops, doesnt drop his shoulder and bolt when he spooks, but I feel like I have to totally be in defensive mood when on him. He is probably my limit of what I would ride. He is not exactly hot, but just extremely spooky!

I will say the ground feels soooo good when I am done riding him, lol. I kinda have to talk myself into getting on him. I ride him from time to time, cuz I feel sorry for him. I do think he really enjoys the attention, but he is just not as fun to ride as my guy.

I have spent a LOT of time exposing this guy to stuff. He is totally scared of tarps, for example. After awhile, I can get him over it, but after 10 mins away, if I take him back, he will act like he's never seen it before, and it is Groundhog day. He is just a very timid horse.

[quietann]

I've never been a fan of the super-hot, but have preferred the forward horse for a long time, and not had much appreciation for the kick-kick-kick deadhead.

I have to say, though, I appreciate that my mare has mellowed out in the 4 years I've owned her. She is still very, very looky, and the start of this year's show season was, um, interesting, but her spooks are small (as opposed to the rear-and-teleport I started with!) She's still a dominant mare, and she'll still tell me when she doesn't think doing something is a good idea, but she listens.

Part of it is that we trust each other a lot more. She's honest, sane, and safe, yet still sensitive. I'm not sure I could have said that when I first had her.

Part of it is that she had suspensory surgery in March 2010, and a lengthy rehab. I didn't get on her until October 2010, and all that hand-walking made me understand what makes her tick. The additional 6-8 months of ridden rehab also meant that I was babying her a lot, and it turns out she's really quite lazy! No, I don't like that she spends the first 15-20 minutes of every ride in "kick ride" territory, but once she decides to get down to work, she's great.

[FineAlready]

I like a horse that has some of its own forward, which I don't think is the same as "hot." It is also not the same as athletic or scopey, as many others have pointed out. I've ridden very hot horses that are not athletic and scopey. I've also ridden forward, non-hot horses that are not athletic and scopey.

I do not prefer horses that are resistant to moving off the leg. I can certainly ride them, and I can certainly get them in front of my leg...but, gosh, it kind of takes some of the fun out of it for me when I feel like the horse isn't really interested in playing ball with me. I've ridden some very nice horses that would prefer to poke along if you don't get on them about it right away in the ride. I generally end up enjoying my rides on them because I will use the crop on them or spurs as necessary early in the ride so that I don't spend the whole time nagging, but I don't like that initial feeling that they don't really want to be doing this.

My current horse is a mixed bag. He can be incredibly hot and reactive sometimes, to the point where I just can't get to the bottom of him and want to never ride him again, lol. He can also be very lovely and forward, and not hot, which I LOVE. He can also be a total slug/deadhead to the point that I may use the stick on him and he will not move forward one bit (interesting, since I pretty much have to peel him out of the rafters if someone ELSE uses a stick on THEIR horse while I'm in the arena with them...). I think what it comes down to with him is that he is very smart, VERY opinionated, and not at all shy about sharing his opinions.

I love my horse, and I generally am okay with the neverending challenges he offers from both a riding and management perspective. He has certainly made me a better horseman, although he has also made me question my sanity at times. I sometimes joke that I don't need a second horse because I can just ride the 10 that I already have... In all of my years with horses, I think he is the most unique individual I have ever encountered. My guess is that most people would not like him in the long term, because, while he would suit a lot of different people on different days, most people would spend a lot of time dealing with one or more "types" that they don't enjoy...at least a few times a week.

[Electrikk]

After years of riding the pokey ponies because I was flat out afraid of a horse with go, I got more confident and ended up with Hannah, the most enthusiastic horse I've ever met. Tons of go, not a whole lot of stop unless you know how to ask her, but she's not stupid and didn't take off galloping around the ring. Fiona is similar. Can be super speedy, but when I tell to to half-halt (more likely a, "HALF-HALT DAMMIT!!") she does.

I don't mind a speedier horse, as long as their sane and will listen to me. I'm still young and bouncy though, so my attitude might change a bit years down the road

[Gloria]

There are horses that are strong, scopey, hot, and athletic, but still have a great brain to make them extremely ridable.

This is the type of the horses I like the most and I have one right this moment. When we go out to shows, he pumps up, moves out, like he owns the whole wide world - simply incredible, but with a half halt, he comes straight back, asking, "Is this what you want, ma'am?" Those big movements will scare many riders, but a total thrill for me - I imagine it is like riding a big wave - except that that wave will turn and rate and collect all with my thoughts and a slight shift of my weight. He is extremely safe, a great confidence builder - loads of fun too. He enjoys riding as much as I do, and there are times, I have to nag him out of arena after our ride. He got that "huh? that's it? Can't we have more?" look on his face.

A hot and athletic horse that won't allow his body to be manipulated? No thanks. I'm too old for that. I would rather get a mellow horse that does not scare the heck out of me.

[nightsong]

I crave sensitivity. That's a PARTNER -- not just a sit-upon.