I can’t comment on which of those two horses is the better horse for you.
You can see from my name on this site that the concept of the right horse is one that I identify closely with.
For some people, that could be a tool to get to the next level or to go to the Olympics. For another, it could be a partner with whom to trail ride, and for another, it could be a broodmare whose sole purpose is to produce offspring.
For me, I was leasing a horse for the summer for fun And I absolutely fell in love.
The first time I got on him and sat in the saddle, it felt like home. I enjoyed riding him, he was safe, more talented than I am yet capable of taking a joke,and having the goal to keep himself between me and the ground.
But my goals were very different… I wanted a horse I could safely ride, play with, and have as a member of the family.
But my goals were very different… I wanted a horse I could safely ride, play with, and have as a member of the family. He has been all of that and more and I don’t have one single regret.
He was a jumper, and I stopped jumping him and switched disciplines the day I bought him.
We have shown and had a great time and have won some cool things. Unexpectedly, I might add.
What are your goals? Truly define them for yourself.
Regarding horses with great personality… My horse did not have an overly affectionate personality when I met him. With new people, he watches them closely before he will get close. But once he knows someone, he is extremely friendly and seems them out. He’s a favorite of barn husbands walking by his stall. He’s amazing. Super smart, kind, and interested in the world. Game for anything and makes his preferences known politely but realizes that sometimes we do it a different way. He’s very respectful, and I am probably the kind of person who, given a horse who pushed every single boundary every day, would probably grow tired of it and end up with a bratty horse poorly trained. Nothing is ever an argument with my horse. I say that he’s idiot proof but I know that’s not really true. He was trained by amazing horsewomen who made the rules and boundaries clear. Any spook is honest.
That might not be what you need, but it’s what I needed, and it’s what I got. Figure out what it is that you need to figure out which horse comes the closest and everything else is a crapshoot Along with the training and care and attention you put into the Relationship.
I have known a few horses who were generally aloof despite someone’s best efforts. But that’s just who they were, just like a person.
