Re: RC: Type A horses/good or bad?

[Lif Strand <fasterhorses@gilanet.com>]

At 11:00 AM 6/14/00 -0400, Debi wrote:
> Forgive me for jumping in here, but I beg to
> differ with your thoughts above. 
> I don't think a wired horse should be so easily dismissed.  You just
> never 
> know...

There are always exceptions to the rule, but there are some pretty good
rules of thumb about what is desirable in an endurance horse.  When
looking for an endurance prospect, you try to find a horse with the
highest number of traits associated with endurance success.  You of
course don't just dismiss any horse that has lots of good traits because
of one bummer trait  - but then the trick is to determine how much
of a handicap this will be, and whether or not you can/want to deal with
it.  Being wired obviously doesn't prevent a horse from endurance
success, nevertheless I don't think anyone would recommend *seeking out*
horses that are wired as endurance candidates.  

As far as type A horses, as Heidi has pointed out, some can be that way
and not let it become a major handicap.  Other horses get carried
away by their behavior into metabolic, behavior, whatever problems that
can result in pulls, not wins. I'm sure there are more type A horses with
ordinary or worse records than there are ones that match CBS Redman 's
record.  I could be wrong of course (it happens!), but I think if
everyone remembers what ridecamps are like after the initial minutes of
settling in, *most* of the horses there aren't acting like Type
A's.  Most are settled down, munching hay & gazing around. 
The pacers, fretters, screamers, backhoes, etc. are not only the
exception to the rule, but nobody wants to camp next to them! 
Lif

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