What Makes a Good Event Horse?

There are three types of horses those who cant wait to see whats around the next corner those who are worried about whats around the next corner and those who dont think about whats around the next corner and are surprised every time! A good event horse is usually the first type curious and brave with a good work ethic. There are of course many other attributes that make up a good event horse but those are the ones who really come to love the sport.
Its also supremely important that the horse be soundly built with good feet as eventers often perform on difficult uneven ground. The old saying no foot no horse is true for all horses but is especially true for eventers. There is nothing more frustrating than putting time and training into a horse only to have it go lame.

A forgiving nature means the horse doesnt get upset or rattled when the rider makes mistakes and is of utmost importance when the rider is an amateur. The horse should be able to take a joke and cover for the rider by thinking for himself whenever necessary to get them both out of trouble.
Good natural uphill balance in the horse is a huge asset. The horse with natural balance will be much easier to ride and much safer. The rider can just focus on the job at hand instead of constantly trying to rebalance the horse. Rhythm will come more naturally which will make the jumping rounds more even and smooth. Most horses with natural uphill balance can jump well from any takeoff spot as long as the rider doesnt get in the way.
Rideability and trainability are also important. Very difficult horses should be left to the professionals. A horse that is rideable is simply one who wants to please and has a natural tendency to obey rather than fight. A horse can actually be too submissive to be a good event horse however. Those that are extremely submissive often are insecure and worried about what is around the next corner. You want a horse that has a nice balance between a strong independent nature and a horse that wants to please. Trainability is rideability plus intelligence.
There is an interesting old horsemans theory on how to tell how trainable a horse will be and I actually find that it is amazingly accurate. If you stand in front of