are horses bad or do owners make them that way?

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majicmoment

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are some horses just bad, or do most behavioural problems stem from the owners?

I have met many problem horses - and IMHO 99% of it comes from the owner/rider.

What do you think?
 
My mare is a grumpy sod - I have had her since she was 4 and she has always been grumpy, she has never been treated badly/handled incorrectly whilst she has been with me and she is still very witchy/grumpy when you are on the ground with her but to ride she is an angel.

I don't think it always comes from the owners/riders
 
I take "problem" horses in for schooling and I generally find that if I (a) remove the owner and (b) put a saddle on it that actually fits, the majority of the "problems" disappear very quickly.
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Then it's a matter of reschooling the owner ...
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There will always be some horses with personality issues, but most problems are as a result of human intervention somewhere along the line.
 
I would say some horses are far more challenging than others, many are mis understood, many have problems that are not nipped in the bud from a young age in which case is certainly mans fault.

You can carry out the same training and good horsemanship etc with all youngsters but your not guaranteed to get the same end result every time...if you did, that person would be making a hell of a lot of money right now.

I do think how a horses early years are spent plays a big part to their attitude and outlook on life but also the temperament in the breeding plays a huge factor too.

I do think there would be less problem horses if people took more time to know their horse and explore reasons for behaviour rather then just trying to sort a cure.
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Before I had my current horse I would have said that it is all done to the owners. However my little mare has completely changed my mind, I really think some are just born 'bad.' I did an eventing clinic at the weekend and after just one hour she'd earned herself the reputation, of having a serious attitude problem, with everyone there. Yet as far as i'm aware i've not done anything wrong. I've adapted my horsey self to suit her better but non of my other horses have ever been like her. So I don't think it's a case of i'm blind to something i'm doing to her, I think it is genuinly just her. I don't think she'd ever change - no matter who owned her.
 
I think horses are like people and they can have their good days and bad days and that some of them can be naturally bad tempered for what ever reason!
I agree that a lot of the time horses with an attitude. is down to poor handling/human intervention but i dont think this is always the case
 
I think some things are inbuilt, knew a horse who was bred and owner by a great dressage rider/judge, HATED being clipped to the point it would try and kill you.......... had never ever had a bad clipping experience, or any other for that matter in its life......... was just one of his "things"
 
Horses are horses....but I think owners/handlers can make them better or worse.....

Some horses I've had- people have commented on how different they are than with previous owners....quieter, more chilled out.....less grumpy (2 mares in particular)...I heard horror stories about our shettie and what she was like with previous owner.........I don't think I do anything special.......routine, turnout ++++ and a fibre diet, firm/fair consistent handling. And thats it.
 
99% owners. Starts as a foal, especially bad weaning. Continues with a minority of owners having the time/patience/knowledge/understanding and finances to look after and train a horse appropriately.

Horse is fed wrongly- its labelled as nutty. Saddle doesnt fit- its nappy. Horse uncomfortable because of teeth/bit/rider- put a stronger bit in, put a flash on and maybe draw reins for good measure. Horse moves home and is unsettled- take it to a show next weekend and expect it to perform. Whack it when it doesnt understand the new owners signals, or as i have frequently seen because IT NEIGHED
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People have a lot to answer for!
 
I have an aggressive horse, he is worse when he is in the stable, which his previous owner and I attribute to rough handling in the stable - because he's an angel when out and tacked up.

That said, was he moody, which made people be rough, which made him moodier?

Well you would have to have a horse from a foal to be 100% certain of its handling and to be sure that a human hadn't impacted on its behaviour.
 
My little mare used to be a cow when I first got her. Then I put her in regular work and her whole outlook changed and she became a really bright, happy little thing. She's now living out in her new home, hacking around the lanes and everyone thinks she's a delight to know.
I think her problem was boredom combined with too much feed and being cooped up in a stable, with her previous owner.
Different horses have different psychological and physiological needs that we need to attune ourselves to, just like humans.
Sometimes partnerships gel and sometimes they don't, just like with humans.
Not sure if I've really answered that question, lol, just enjoyed waffling on a bit
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I've had my horse since he was weaned (not by me) and he is an absolute git in the stable to the point where I wouldn't let anyone in with him for fear of them being killed!!! yet I can do his rugs etc in his stable. He is good to ride Very genuine and a lamb at competitions??????

He has serious issues about what stable he is in. It has to be ligt and airy and with a grill to the next door so he is not alone. He has been like this since I got him. Even being in an event yard didn't help.

He is fab however in all other ways.

I wonder though if he had a traumatic seperation at weaning as I think their way was to take them from the dams and shut them in a stable.

So I think it all contributes. I think he is just grumpy but this hasn't been helped by his earlier experiences.
 
I think there are certainly some horses who have been damaged by humans but some have quirks that they will always have no matter what.
My horse is totally unbearable to handle in winter straight out of his stable. I have to tie him outside the door before I open it so he can't drag me to the field, he won't stand still, he twitches and fidgets when you try to brush him and stamps his feet when you try to pick them out, but turn him out for just 10 minutes to have a roll and you bring a different horse in from the field. He comes when he's called and comes back in quite happily and stands like a statue to be brushed etc.

You can't tell me that a human has created that in him, I've tried firm handling, gentle persuasion, ignoring it and getting on with it, but by far the best way to deal with it is to let him have his own way and turn him out. He has got no better or worse in terms of how he behaves if I don't turn him out so it's not that I've conditioned him to expect to go out, no human action can influence this.
 
Like people I think they are all slightly different and have their good and bad points. I also think that sometimes there can be a clash of personality between horse & rider/owner
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If horse are born bad the percentage is tiny IMO
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yep, i don't belive any horse is born a bad horse, all down to their experiences and way they are handled.

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I second that.
 
[ QUOTE ]
are some horses just bad, or do most behavioural problems stem from the owners?

I have met many problem horses - and IMHO 99% of it comes from the owner/rider.

What do you think?

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If that were true it would be fine to breed from mares with behavioral problems. I actually think behavioral problems are rarely due to hereditary "bad" temperaments, but are also often not due to owners either, I think there are lots of horses with physical issues that aren't diagnosed or often even known about. The ones screwed up by owners can be reasonably easily re-started and turned around, the ones that remain extremely tricky have an ongoing reason for being so IMO.
 
i think people who truly believe every horse is born good have not met that many horses!

i have ridden and worked with a lot of horses including doing a lot of reschooling of problem horses and, yes, 99.9% of all problems are caused by owners/riders.

however i have known 2 horses (from foals) who were born not wanting anything to do with humans and with one of the them he also wanted nothing to do with horses either!
they were given every chance and treated fairly and well but both ended up in pedigree chum.
 
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