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Diana Anderson said:

> I missed Hiedi's post so I don't know what led
> to Kat's slam of the thoroughbred horse.
I can only say that she must have missed MY post too, since it included
the statement that I am of the opinion that the Thoroughbred is "The
most athletic horse of the face of the planet."

It is unclear to me where she could ever have gotten the idea that this
was a "slam" :).

_I_ have a barn full of Thoroughbreds.

However, one of the reasons I have a barn full of thoroughbreds is that
I a one of the few trainers in this area who will work with the horses,
and when people come to me with the "problem" thoroughbreds, they end up
giving them to me....because they come to the unfortunate conclusion
that it is too much horse for them.

I USED to try to convince people not to do this (since I consider them
to be the most athletic horses on the face of the planet and will make
the best horse you could ever own :)); however, "problem" thoroughbreds
are really easy to create with mis-handling, and very hard to "fix"
after they have been created.

"Problem" Arabians are also pretty easy to create with mis-handling, but
aren't quite so hard to fix after.

"Problem" Quarter Horses are much harder to create in the first place,
and can be either really easy or virtually impossible to fix (depending
on how/why the problems were created).

As a trainer of "problem" horses, I know whereof I speak; although, of
course, I am speaking in generalities, not about individuals.  However,
if breeds of horses did not have traits that were common to the breed,
then they wouldn't be breeds.

And while I LOVE Thoroughbreds, and I hate to admit it, because I wish
everybody could love them the way that I do; I have to admit, that as a
general rule, they aren't for everybody....and, I contend, one of the
reasons for this is attributable to the fact that there is nothing in
their selection criteria (which is centuries old and pretty
single-minded and ruthless) which makes them suitable as pleasure
mounts.  In fact, the heavy selection for determination (and it is
determination, as much if not more than speed, that wins medium distance
races) and an eagerness to engage in a contest in which they will die
before they will give in has virtually removed "pleasure mount" from
their genetic makeup :).

Thoroughbreds are very trainable, just so long as you don't try to
dominate them.  If you pick a fight with a Thoroughbred, it will be only
too pleased to engage in the fight.  And since it is bigger, stronger
and faster than you are....it's gonna win (and even if it doesn't it's
gonna die trying :)).  If, however, you are able to teach the horse to
use all that power and determination to do what YOU ask, such a horse
will be willing to die trying FOR you (instead of against you).

In other countries (notably, most of the British Commonwealth countries)
where the Thoroughbred is used for much more than just racing, and even
the race horses are not trained is such a "hot house" environment, the
Thoroughbred is not quite as single-minded as the American Thoroughbred.

However, some of the most noted Thoroughbred sires of all time (and not
just American ones) have the reputation of being down right unmanageable
sons of bitches, and some of the greatest racehorses of all time are
reputed to be right on the edge of being described in this way...that
is, in fact, probably part of what makes them great racehorses. :)

Legend has it that the most prominent sire in the TB gene pool, the
Godolphin Arabian (or Barb, or whatever breed you want to ascribe to
him) had such a reputation; so, while reports of his origin are varied,
reports of his disposition are not.  So, Thoroughbreds do not have the
corner on the "difficult dispostion" market, but they do have a pretty
substantial stake :).

And the fact remains, that there is not now, nor has there ever been any
selection criteria in the Thoroughbred which comes even close to
resembling "suitable mount for the amateur/pleasure rider" or "good
family horse."  Of the millions of Thoroughbreds that have been bred,
for centuries, there is but a handful that were not bred specifically
with the intent to race the horse (although I have one, we bred her to
be a jumper), even those that are used for other disciplines were
originally bred for the racetrack (I have one of those too :)).

kat
Orange County, Calif.



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