This one was started by Olivia, and I think it’s fun to dream, so dream we shall! She said: “If money was absolutely no barrier and I could custom design every single itty bitty little thing, what would I want in my next horse?”
If you had asked me this question Pre-Henry, you would have gotten a very regimented “16.2h, bay Holsteiner with a star/snip and a couple of white socks, that can take a joke and jump a house”.
Really what I want is all the best things about Henry, but a better mover, easier to ride in dressage, more careful in stadium, and more scope. Oh right, also this perfect horse is bay or brown with just a little bit of white and never has a lame day in it’s life. HA. I still maintain that 16.3h is my preferred upper limit, since I really think the ideal size for a sporthorse is 16.1h or so. I want something that could pack my butt (and all of my bad decisions) around Prelim without turning a hair. Something that is careful in stadium but still super brave. Something that is FORWARD (because I freakin hate when you close your leg and a horse doesn’t react) and wants to take me to the jumps but isn’t a runaway.
Work ethic is probably one of the most important qualities to me in a horse. I had one that had to be “convinced” to go to work every day, and it was not enjoyable to me in the least. I absolutely must have a horse that enjoys the work and is always willing to TRY.
Which kinda leads to this nugget.
I made sure to guarantee myself bay or brown by using a stallion without a red gene, but Presto certainly did his part in the markings department with his star, snip, and one front white sock. My favorite markings! If he’s anything like his parents, I’m hoping that he’ll have at least most of the qualities I’m looking for in my Perfect Horse. We’re a long way from seeing if he develops into that, but I think it’s gonna be pretty fun to find out.
breedrideevent.com 
Scopy bays 4 lyfe
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He’s such a modern type I love it. Also it’s so interesting to see what differs between disciplines for the ‘perfect horse’, but how as a whole most things remain the same.
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Young, green & solid bay Arabian or Arabian cross (I ride endurance). Sound, healthy and has self-preservation but bold. 15 hands and 4 hard feet (shoes not required). Eager, willing and forward never ending. Not a bolter/rear-er/bucker, not spooky, not delicate and not putting my vets kid through college. Gelding forgiveness of my errors & Mare heart & try for my ambitions. Can poop and walk/trot/canter at the same time. Poops in one place in the stall/field and does not lay in it, EVER!
A girl can dream right?
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I don’t think I’ve ever even thought about this haha. I’m so biased to projects 😂
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I hope between Henry and Presto you will find that dream horse!
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I think Presto is going to be your dream horse. He has to be after all he’s put you through already!
I’ve already had my dream horse twice. They looked nothing alike but were mostly perfect in every way other than all the lameness between the two of them! Now I just settle for something that’s capable and not all that likely to kill me.
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I looooove the dark dapple greys. I know in the real world they always grey out to be lighter but if I could have a dream horse I would basically want Michael Jung’s Sam and make him a dark dapple grey.
The best horses I have ever ridden have all been big plain bays with not a speck of white on the face and less than 4 socks between the 3 of them. Naturally my foal came out as a blinged up chestnut filly.
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Hah. If you’d asked me this 10 years ago I’d have said “buckskin, 15.2, Arabian derivative, gelding, no white, easy to catch. No chestnuts’. What do I have? 2 palominos with 3 white socks (one’s a filly) a chestnut gelding with 2 white socks and a blaze, and my daughter has a plain bay mare who’s hard to catch… BUT they all have heart, and hunt down new trail to fly along at speed. So nowadays my shopping list’s a lot shorter:”Sound. Straight legs. Heart”.
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I like this.. if money was no issue, this would be easy. grey gelding 17hh, 4 perfect black stockings and the pink snip on the muzzle. He will be uphill with a canter that makes u feel you are Kate winslet on the titanic! Although I will not call him jack. Silver will be his name 🙂
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Love this and congratulations on the baby! I hope to see how this young thing develops. I have a bay(ish) boy of 16.1 with a star (more like a checkmark) and a snip. I only say ba because I have’t had him tested for black. He’s the star of https://thegreenhorseman.wordpress.com/
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it’s interesting that at least half of what you want (good traveler, easy to catch, forward off the leg, work ethic etc) is IMO 99% achievable from thoughtful training. So much easier when you’re starting with optimum material of course, or can lay those foundations correctly without having to retrain. Certainly one thing I’m finally figuring out is that most horses can be a delight if we take the time to educate them to be what we want. And with Presto’s colouring and height, you stand a great chance of getting your full package – lucky!
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I think it’s really interesting what different people put emphasis on. I think our perfect horses would be fairly similar in type and personality but their activities would be different. I think it would be really interesting to hear a Western perspective.
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I would mash the three horses I’ve owned into one perfect horse. They all had some really great qualities:
From the first: dark bay, fun face marking (half a strip and a snip). Big Stride. Scope
From the second: work ethic (yes ma’am, whatever you want). perfect rhythm at the canter. Good flying changes. Height (16.2) and build (slab-sided so he is very easy to ride.
From the third: Gaits – she’s got really nice hunter movement at both the trot and canter, which is beautiful (not super comfortable, mind you, but daisy-cutter and just lovely) . Her three high Whites. Her sensible nature. She’s by far the least sensitive…only cares about spooking when the work gets too hard. Scope
All three have had great ground manners and do most of the normal stuff really well (clipping, tying, manes, baths, loading)…so I would want all that too.
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