Dolly always took immense amounts of work to ride.
When Karen first got her, her previous owner had been terrified of her. So Dolly got mean, agressive. She would actually rear up and strike at people with her front hooves. I had only seen that in the movies.
Then when you let her go into pasture, she'd strike out with her hind feet. She got Karen good one time.
After she was cured of those bad habits, on trail rides she would be so fearful of the wagons and crowds of horses, she would bond like Velco to one other horse, and then start dominating that horse, crowding and snapping at him/her. If the horse and rider went somewhere else, Dolly would go insane. Even with 5cc's of Ace, she would be frantic, bolting forward through the other horses to get to her 'bonded' friend.
She did it with me once before I could stop her, and smashed into three horses with red ribbons on their tails. They all three struck out at once (team kicking?) and Dolly leaped off to one side and I was on the ground.
Nothing has ever cured her of her hypervigilant, aggressive nature and I don't want to try --- because her trot is so horrible.
But I think she would do okay in a really controlled environment, like strictly arena work. I have seen her jump, though, and she adores it.
Why do I always get the wierdos? (sob) But man she is good to lok at.
She has a good life. She stays fat on cheaply-leased pasture, and loves me so much when I come with the oats.
http://agdirect.com/scripts/agdirect.exe?List_Horses&TBOHLKE&0
This is that H and H place, it's in Joshua. Check out their turnover. Unbelievable.
I have to admit she sounds a little neurotic :) Sort of like Friday is right now.