Quote:
There has been quite a lot of resistance to what is really a simple concept. Nobody knows for sure if a horse will or won't be able to do something until they are tried


I'm sorry, but who has resisted THAT? Duh. Your horse isn't a jumper because you THINK he is...he's a jumper IF HE JUMPS.

There is a lot of variation in what several people consider "tried" though. For many here, anything outside NCHA Worlds is junk, for others any horse that doesn't clear $100K on the track is crap...but for some of us, a horse that competed at a reasonably high (Regional for me) level successfully "counts".

Some breeders (some famous ones) believe that a horse needs only to prove himself to the TRAINER, and that competing in public IS too dangerous. That might sound silly, I guess...but if say, a cutter, cuts 100 cows with AMAZING style for his trainer (or however you test cutters) that's good enough for many. No need to haul ass around the country to get points or money doing it.

I think many people here besides you have droned on AT LENGTH about "proving" horses. It's not really a new concept to anyone who competes at ANY level, in ANY discipline.

Christ, and you call ME arrogant. You don't need to be a world champion before you understand that potential doesn't necessarily equal talent. That's horsemanship 101. That's LIFE 101.