Defining Green

[KBC]

So we all know that Green on Green equals Black and Blue, but what do you actually call green?

There was no doubt in my mind that Ben was green, being that he had been barely started, but is green a state of training or a state of mind?

This description has me wondering

She is a really lovely mare. Very easy to get along with. She is being ridden about once per week now so is progressing with training but is still green. We have been working on lateral work. She is easy to ride and good tempered. She has not caused me any issues under saddle at all. She has nice gaits, a flowing walk, a good trot which is easy to sit and a decent canter for a green horse. She has never had any health issues, has good feet and is good to handle, clip, and work with in the barn.

A five year old mare, I guess it is the lateral work comment that makes me wonder, seeing as I thought that started when things were better established.

[Bluey]

There can me many shades of green.

Many consider a horse green at any age, when the horse only has basic skills of direct rein, moving forward, somewhat backwards, sideways and having three gaits it will transition into and out of, all that with help from the rider.

Once the horse is started on more specific, discipline geared training, then it is not generally green, but may be green in that discipline, not further along or finished.

Around here, a ranch horse may be a green horse that has only a couple months under saddle, is starting to see some cattle and you can do some with, but not much yet.

Then, a finished ranch horse at times is sold as green in the arena, just started tracking a steer and on the heelomatic, but not started out of the box yet.

My guess, green can depend on which context you are considering.

[Mouse_amp_Bay]

As Bluey said, green is relative.

You can have green as in ‘barely broke and can almost steer green’.

And then you can also have green to the level, be it Grand Prix dressage or a level in eventing (i.e. Pavarotti is green to the 4* level - he just completed his first one).

In typical advertising language for horse sales, I read green to mean that they haven’t had a lot of exposure to a certain thing. You can have a horse properly started, schooling lateral work at home but green in the sense that they haven’t been able to go out there and prove it in a show ring.

[S1969]

[QUOTE=Mouse&Bay;7740582]
In typical advertising language for horse sales, I read green to mean that they haven’t had a lot of exposure to a certain thing. You can have a horse properly started, schooling lateral work at home but green in the sense that they haven’t been able to go out there and prove it in a show ring.[/QUOTE]

And then there is “green broke” which is redneck for “has been sat on a few times.”

I would never assume that my definition of “green” meets that of a sellers – I would always ask for specific accomplishments under saddle, and then ask to see them demonstrated before I would get on and try a horse out.

[mroades]

and then there are the “evergreens”…

[KBC]

LOL, doesn’t help the novice in deciding which color of green is acceptable.

I guess that TAMG was green when I bought him, as a 12 year old ranch horse he could change speed and direction, but not with any finesse, because he was always to slow and placid to be needed in the front-line of the work! He has learned this year that he can in fact lope a 20m circle and on whatever lead I choose, I know this because warming up for the show my brain switched off and I asked for a lope transition with my aids completely reversed and I got a counter canter, I was impressed. Everything we do that requires refinement of any sort he struggles with, ad we fight about until he decides to humor me and give it a go, when he finds that he can survive he will usually try again.

He is what I call safe green, it doesn’t matter what I do wrong he will not react badly, he may shut down and sulk, but he will not explode.

We had a long discussion on another board with a guy who was incensed at being called a green rider, because it is an insult, :no: rather than a description that we all use. We never got around to defining a green horse though. In the context of the expression Green on green = black and blue, I guess that it has more to do with mind than training.

[mroades]

That saying, to me, pertains especially well to the parents who buy their 7 yr old kid a 2yr old pony so “they can grow up together”

I know this scenario very well, as my mom did it for me :lol: