any experience of horses taking the mick out of certain people?

[my bfg]

A mate up the yard kindly offered to get my mare "E" in late afternoon (which E prefers) over winter in exchange for me sorting her horses late yards when I finished work later on.

A few weeks ago E was on boxrest for a few days so my mate got her out to skip out, went to put her back in and E bolted down to the fields, mate got her back, she bolted again, got her back and with help got her back in her stable.

All was fine for a while then last week mate got E in, tried to put her in her stable and she bolted knocking my mate over, mate ended up in A&E with whiplash, E ended up being turned out into the nearest field as nobody could get hold of her.

E's never had a proper season due to a problem with her ovaries, instead she got a massive dose of hormones which made her behaviour turn for the worse, but this normally lasted a week to two weeks solid, she had a marble fitted a while ago to help with this which has worked, vet coming out tomorrow to blood test for hormone levels just in case.

However E has only shown this behaviour when handled by this one mate, she was a running round like a loon when in the strange field but led in strong but ok when I got her in wearing just a headcollar, I put her in the school for a bit and she ran round for a few minutes then wanted to come in.

Have been thinking (if the bloods don't show anything unusual) whether it could be the fact E's realised she can take the mick out of this person?? Obviously not going to ask this mate to get E in again just in case, but was just wondering??

 

[Kezzabell2]

yes defo! my friends pony is a total night mare for anyone other than his owner and her parents! so much so that when they were in last winter, I had to get him in and out using a bucket of feed, other wise he'd bolt away from me!!

 

[pippixox]

certainly, my mare used to not be caught when on livery (lived out but they would bring in for farrier for me) unless they had a bucket of feed and were quick. but always came to me even though I was usually bringing in to ride, not for food. she also was like this with my friends until she got to know them.

my 4 yo new forest boy would not be caught by my friend a few days a go, who was helping me bring in, even though she used to feed him and she has known him for over a year. he always comes to me with no treats.

I know quite a few horses who can behave very differently with different people

 

[Magnetic Sparrow]

For sure they do. I was under the impression that one of my horses had impeccable manners. In truth he had impeccable manners with some people and could be a proper thug for others.

Hope your friend gets well soon!

 

[DirectorFury]

Yep - mine will never be a horse for the faint hearted or beginner! If someone handling her doesn't enforce the basic rules when she tries to push the boundaries a little then she'll royally take the mick. But if you make your expectations of her behaviour clear at the start she's an absolute angel.

Typical Welsh!

 

[poiuytrewq]

Absolutely. My old TB used to run circles round my poor OH and on occasion my daughter....

 

[Dubsie]

Oh definitely! Sold one, and said to new owners 'now you know he's an angel while you've been trying him BUT you MUST set very firm rules and boundaries, as he tests them all the time, don't give him an inch to play with'
Of course it all started to go wrong after 3 weeks of him being an angel in the new home & them being too complacent. Once they got back in control he was back to his normal angelic self

 

[njyr]

Yep, I've never had a problem catching my mare but there are 3 people that she will play up for!

 

[poiuytrewq]

Makes you smug if your not the one they take the p out of!!

 

[LD&S]

My friend's horse plays up more for her than other people, her horse is a star for the farrier but if my friend holds the rope she is the horse from hell lol

 

[rascal]

We spent several months on a livery yard, my daughters horse Red really used to take the mick out of the yard owner! So much so that she branded him vicious and nasty. She couldn't do anything with him, couldn't catch him and he also used to threaten to kick. We quickly realised that while it was her dream to own a livery yard, she had VERY LITTLE experience with handling lots of different horses and she was intimidated by him.
The none horsey owners of the field we rent now had no problem with him at all.

 

[millikins]

I left my completely non horsey friend holding my old mare while I went for the gelding, kept in separate fields at livery. Thought nothing of it as mare easy to hold and lead but pony took one look at friend and p*ssed off round landowner's private grounds

 

[Sleipnir]

My normally impeccable gelding is a monster around a certain horsey friend, also a horse owner - she's a kind soul, never been mean to him or any other horse, yet she's the only one he'll, out of his own ideas and will, go up to in a field, push her, bite her, shove her, walk all over her... She's learned to be very weary around him if I'm not there to make him behave.

In turn, he's much better without me when the farrier's there. I just tie him up for her and leave until she calls me to come and collect him. If I'm around, he acts like a proper annoyed toddler in the kindergarten!

 

[pennandh]

Mr. H will only accept being caught in the field by certain people (exactly which people varies according to his mood) and is a nightmare for anyone else. Similarly, despite being fine with actually having his feet done, he won't let the farrier catch him in his stable - he has to be brought round by someone else.

On the other end of the scale, if you put a novice or very young rider on him, he's as quiet as a lamb and happily takes care of them (he is occasionally borrowed by the riding school for this purpose), but if he thinks bucko-on-top knows what they're about he's inclined to break out the Highland Pony Book Of Tricks.

Ponies are just a bit idiosyncratic.

 

[googol]

Definitely!! My horse is a complete school master under saddle but if I was ever to sell him I would have to make sure it wasn't to a novice as he is really tricky to work with on the ground and regularly takes the piss and tries to over step the boundaries!

 

[AppyLover]

Ted has only truly taken the piss out of 1 person in the time i've had him and I was unaware that that person was going to handle him and to be honest they had no real reason to but oh well. If he knows your boss from day one generally few problems other than he at times can't control his excitement (its like he becomes a coiled spring and he can't always contain it) and tries to run in circle around you but calms down once put in his place. The one annoying this is that he knows i am boss but will on occasion play up to get attention and if I just ignore him he realises it isn't getting him anywhere and gives up.

Even at almost 3 I think he knows who to be careful around also as he's always really good around my un horsey mother

 

[pansymouse]

My friend's cob always tries it on, I have to constantly work to keep him in line which I do mainly through food dominance. He's fine with her but anyone else he regards as fair game. My mare, on the other hand, is an extremely dominant with other horse but an absolute dream to handle.

 

[dibbin]

Yup. A woman on the yard I was at years ago had an elderly TB gelding. When he had had enough or didn't want to do something, he bucked (a tiny buck, not a big one) because he knew she'd get off immediately. He was genuinely astonished when I got on and totally ignored him. He did it twice with me and never bothered again. Still did it with his owner though.

My friend's cob mare dislikes me for no apparent reason. I've never done anything to her that I'm aware of lol.

 

[TelH]

One of my ponies would happily wander around all day with a child on a lead rein riding him; with an experienced child or small adult he jumps, hacks out alone or in company, generally is a fun pony to ride. Put an in between sort of off the lead rein but still novicey type rider on him and he usually tries to put them on the floor.

 

[Dry Rot]

Of course! Animals do what works for them and behaviour will change according to the circumstances, situation, and environment. That is what training is all about and why we are advised to routinely change things like location when we are schooling/training.

The horse broke away and get back to it's herd. The behaviour was rewarded by the horse getting what it wanted (instictive desire to stay with the herd). The behaviour was confirmed by a repeat with the same result with the same person. It didn't work with a different person. 2+2=4.

It is not rocket science. Sorry to sound patronising, but sometimes taking thoughts back to basics will get you the correct answer. They don't "try it on", "take the mick", etc. but learn from their experiences and follow instincts. Animals do not have morals, or at least it is a mistake to assume they do!

 

[luckyoldme]

mine plays up once in a blue moon, and its bloody embarassing. He really is a dope on a rope. He reacts very badly to change.
I had a lot of problems when i first got him but he settled down into a pleasant easy going happy hacker. On one occasion months since i had any problems with him i had to go away to be with my very poorly dad. I asked a neighbour to get him in, left the feed in the stable and instructions to just leave him in his turnout, as i left i casually said if he gives you any trouble leave him out. When i went up the next morning the horse was stood in the field looking very sorry for himself. The neighbour duly told me that he was never going near him again. It turns out the neighbour nad only ever handled ponies and felt nervous around my 16 hh gelding...Im really glad the neighbour took no chances, but was a bit shocked that my horse would behave that way, i can only think he picked up on the way my neighbour was feeling and felt frightened himself.

 

[fburton]

Of course! Animals do what works for them and behaviour will change according to the circumstances, situation, and environment. That is what training is all about and why we are advised to routinely change things like location when we are schooling/training.

The horse broke away and get back to it's herd. The behaviour was rewarded by the horse getting what it wanted (instictive desire to stay with the herd). The behaviour was confirmed by a repeat with the same result with the same person. It didn't work with a different person. 2+2=4.

It is not rocket science. Sorry to sound patronising, but sometimes taking thoughts back to basics will get you the correct answer. They don't "try it on", "take the mick", etc. but learn from their experiences and follow instincts. Animals do not have morals, or at least it is a mistake to assume they do!

This. Well said.

 

[huskydamage]

I know I can trust mine to be handelled by farrier etc or anyone without me there. I don't think it's too much to ask that a horse do simple stuff like be led around by strange people without being a douche. Ridden though is a different story-depends on the person. she has done some weird things with certain people. I always think she is fine to ride as doesn't buck or rear she is good as gold for some,but just acts stupid with certain people. She has really shown me up before by doing stuff like randomly lying down and trying to rolI or running off down a path/into a wall! For no reason,horrified me as she would just never do something like that with me

 

[Annagain]

My old boy was an arrogant s*d. He had his moments with me, but was generally ok. He was bolshy and lacked manners (or rather had plenty of manners but chose when to apply them) but we had an understanding. My best friend hated his lack of manners and generally thought him to be an uneducated oaf....so of course he fulfilled that role especially for her. He would do all he could to make her look stupid and the bigger the audience, the more he played up. This silly, excitable but very honest and talented boy would suddenly turn into the laziest, slowest creature on earth when she got on him, refusing to even trot most of the time. He regularly took her concrete skiing and generally said no to whatever she asked of him. On the other had I had another friend who was suffering from depression. She found being around the horses was a big help but didn't have any of her own at the time so used to come and see us. He adored her and wouldn't leave her side. Things he wouldn't even do for me, he'd do for her without her even asking. He could be a very lively ride and she wasn't hugely experienced but having seen the way he behaved with her, I knew she'd be fine on him... and she was. He looked after her like she was the most precious cargo he'd ever carried.

I am very friendly with the people (and aunt and niece) who were his previous but one owners and he was exactly the same with them - adored the aunt who adored him but really played up with the niece who thought he needed teaching some manners. I think she learned far more than he ever did!

My current boy is putty in anyone's hands, their biggest challenge is getting out of the field without him!

 

[Luci07]

My old mare when I wanted to ride. Could I catch her? could I hell. I could, however, send out a small child or complete stranger who would catch her immediately...