Are some horses just 'naughty' ?

S

Scampi

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Was talking to a lady on the yard who has experience of horses for years and well qualified. She always believes that horses are not 'naughty', they do different things for different reasons, ie, i was talking to her about bucking and she reckons like the majority of horses that buck are actually lame, rather than just playing up.

What do you think?
 
I can certainly say my pony bucks because he's naughty / excited / annoyed rather than lame. Surely if he was lame he'd buck all the time, and he'd do it quiet situations too. Instead, he bucks in 'scary' places, or places that are new, or places where he just finds so overwhelming.

I think some horses are just naughty, but I don't think that they do it because they know it will annoy us. They just release energy in ways that they know how, and we class it as being naughty.
 
I think some horses are more apt to try things on than others and if they get away with it they're like "wey-hey-what else can I get away with?" but not in a premeditated personal way if that makes sense
 
if my horse decides he doesnt wish to listen to me then yes he will be naughty i.e running back wards and side ways (every way except forwards) he will buck rear and try and smack me in the face with his head... but once he has go over that he is an angel! he has had his back checked and he isnt lame he is just stubborn :)
 
An interesting question.
Horses aren't naughty - they are just rational creatures who will take what they perceive as the best/easiest route to some goal.
The trick is in directing the horse to see that your chosen route to a goal is the easiest one, and most rewarding.
S :D
 
define naughty??

Do horses do things that you don't want them too?

Do they have an 'evil' motive?

As I say, depends what you mean by naughty...

BnBx
 
Horses do "naughty" things for a reason. They don't start bucking just to get you off, they do it to get you off because something is hurting or they are frightened and need to get away and don't have 100% trust in their rider. Something in the past may have hurt or scared them and they are taking evasive action. If they are kept confined i.e. permanently stabled without sufficient turnout or excercise they will try and release their energy and frustration by being "naughty".

By their very nature horses want to please as they are herd animals, if they were all aggresive and naughty the herd wouldn't last long. They need to trust you as their leader and also to trust that you will recognise the signs that they are in pain or frightened and will act accordingly. After all, they can't say, "Please don't use that saddle, it's too tight" or "My teeth hurt".

I think the best moment of trust from my mare was when we were out hacking with two others. something spooked the horses and two of them bucked and bolted. My mare spooked at the "scary" object (a swan low flying down the canal towards us) but then stood still and watched the other two disappear down the towpath and I got the distinct impression she was thinking "I'm with you, mum!"
 
I dont think it can be steriotyped. One horse may buck due to pain and another may just be stubborn or "naughty". My last horse would throw some serious bucks in when in pain, once was back pain other was due to pain in his front feet. But he would also throw little excitable, playful bucks in when he was in a excitable playful mood. He also napped when hacking alone, that was due to him being stubborn or "naughty", he wasnt spooky or scared he just did not want to play ball, so yes in a sense he was naughty!
 
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