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This is a measure of how consistently a horse will perform when shown. A perfectly consistent horse (think Perfect Foundations) will have exactly the same score both times it is shown in a week. This makes it easy to predict when they should do well in their classes.

Horses that test Consistent may be perfectly consistent, but their show scores may vary by as much as 2 above or 2 below their base score.

Horses that test Inconsistent will have the possibility of having wider swings in their scores when they show in a given week. For +/- 3, there will be potential of as much as 7 points difference in their scores in a given week. It won't always be that great, but there is the chance of that. This makes it hard to estimate what a horse's base score is each week, and makes them a greater gamble in the show ring. I am not sure what the largest amount of inconsistency there may be for horses that test inconsistent. There is, I think, also a Very Inconsistent rating as well, but it is seldom seen any more.

Consistency is mostly applicable to showing results. The only relationship to breeding ability is that inconsistent horses are more likely to have inconsistent foals. However, there's quite a bit of variability here, and an inconsistent horse may have foals that test consistent, and two consistent horses may produce an inconsistent foal.

Inconsistent horses may do very well in the show ring, over the course of their lives. I was just posting about this profitable inconsistent show horse in my barn in another thread. If you look at the record on her Info page, you will see that she has a respectable number of points and a profit that is in the black. They have to be lucky enough to have their scores swing up more often than they swing down, though.


Porithan