Best compliment you've had about your horse?

[SpotsandBays]

Thts gorgeous! People would kill for that colour nowadays ?

Thank you!! It must be some weird genetic thing. It used to be jet black when I got him as a 5yo, and shortly after that it started going grey. Hes 18 now and I don’t consider that old enough to be going grey through age - but could be wrong! He isn’t greying anywhere else so far. But I love it!

 

[ycbm]

A vet who I've never known a compliment from for any of my horses in 30 years was giving Ludo his flu jab and said, twice over in case I hadn't heard him first time, "this is a good horse".
.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Thank you!! It must be some weird genetic thing. It used to be jet black when I got him as a 5yo, and shortly after that it started going grey. Hes 18 now and I don’t consider that old enough to be going grey through age - but could be wrong! He isn’t greying anywhere else so far. But I love it!

I have noticed the odd grey hair in bbs mane, but very slight flecks of grey on his bum , hes 15 so I guess it will start slowly now ?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I was at an Arab show with Arabi he was only 5 and one of his first ridden shows and it was an indoor show, everytime a voice or music came over the tannoy his head shot up to where the speakers were, when I came out of the warm up a lady stopped me and said how beautiful he was and she noticed he kept looking up at the speakers as I rode past and she said how intelligent and interesting he looked I will never forget that.

Louis was at a producers yard for a few weeks and they said after 2 days of him being there the other people on the yard would stand around while he was being ridden, one person said I can't believe that the horse that I have seen in the field grazing is the same horse when his being ridden.

Louis does resemble a donkey most of the time but press the right buttons and he has the ability to look pretty impressive.

 

[Boulty]

The orange one once had someone offer to buy him for their kids to do PC stuff on when I took him for a group TREC lesson. They didn't know me or him or his health issues or any of his opinions on how he should be kept & looked after. They just saw a whizzy orange idiot with questionable brakes & strong opinions on who was in charge. I believe I laughed at them ?

Fuzzball has had a few "nice 'os" comments when he's not been covered in mud!

 

[Birker2020]

I often got told at shows and events that Bailey was beautiful, she was a nice, big quality WB, half sister to Big Star so well bred and was very attractive with white blaze and four white socks.

She moved well so looked nice and was polite and very good on the roads. A couple of times we were told we looked like police, even a police car slowed right down and commended us on our hi viz prolite attire!

She drew attention wherever she went, people were always asking her breeding, I think her name was confusing, more Irish than Dutch lol. She was very special, we had almost 17 amazing years together, I trusted her 100%, she was never nasty, I could iterally read her mind, she's greatly missed.

And of course the lovely Lari has a bit of a fan base at the yard due to his wicked sense of humour that have people in stitches and his tongue that he sticks out in the hope of getting a reward. The only thing said by his previous owner with any ring of truth in it "he's like a giant goofy labrador". Never met a horse with such a charachter. and I love being regaled by tales of his antics by staff. Now he's one I will really miss being around.

 

[Titchy Reindeer]

A friend nearly confused my old lady, 25 year old french trotter, with a 12 year old KWPN on the same yard from a distance. On closer inspection, she couldn't decide which of the two had the better conformation! The vet and farrier were both impressed with the old lady's fitness and suppleness, though having only owned her for a few months, I can't take much credit for it.
The transporters that took my little madam across the Channel a couple of times, said she was perfectly well behaved and wished they were all like her. To be fair I think they transported a lot of spanish youngsters not used to transport. A YO also once described her as having a cool head in a hot (energetic) body, which I thought summed her up quite well. She's in demand as hacking nanny for many and will even lead past the horse eating sheep!

 

[WelshD]

We took my show hunter pony to a hunter trials. Commentator said 'and here we have a VERY pretty pony'

Pony was eliminated at fence 6

but at least he had been called pretty.


We also once took my grey pony to a show, he was an utter twit and never behaved but had got to the sheep's molasses lick a few days before and got smacked of his tiny head on sugar, he slept for a couple of days after and was still coming down from his high at the show so was dead quiet, the judge called him a fine example of a first ridden pony. it was the one and only time he was complimented by a judge - 90% of the time he spent in a ring was bucking or rolling.

 

[nikkimariet]

How happy he looks (in his work). I try to give him as nice a life as I can, plenty of variety, turnout hacking jumping XC etc. He’s a right grump in the stable and pulls all sorts of faces but his ears are always pricked for work.

 

[First Frost]

Was at an arena eventing competition on my ever reliable Connemara. It was the 1m class so some big fences. As I came into the ring the commentator said ' what a stunning pony and beautifully turned out' - he's grey with a huge white tail . He went on to jump a lovely clear round so as I left the commentator said 'well done - not just stunning but super talented too!'

On another occasion i was riding my 5 year old dun Connie in only his 3rd dressage test, when the horse in the next arena came charging into my arena out of control. It proceeded to have a rearing tantrum in the middle of my 20m circle. I didn't really know what to do so just carried on my test!!! Judge wrote ' what an immaculately behaved pony, correctly trained with super paces'. The person who was reading for the rearing horse came over to apologise and asked if they could swap!

 

[SEL]

I get quite a few comments about my horses mane.
He’s a solid bay with a black tail but has gone abit salt and pepper over the years! It gets darker and lighter throughout the year ?

I'm one of the commenters! He's an amazing colour

My Appy was an absolute nightmare as a youngster. She was so bad around people she was destined to be shot as a 4yo and was given to me on the basis I'd have her PTS if she continued her behaviour. She'll be 13 next year and having stuffed her hind suspensory we now only really walk out in hand. She will happily say hello to dog walkers, random men jumping out of delivery vehicles because 'she's so beautiful', small children (Once upon a time we kept her well away from small children) and is handled regularly by my non horsey OH.

People tell me how well behaved she is. I'm still slightly astounded at how well behaved she now is tbh!

We had a saturday call out for a closed up eye a while back and the vet on call was from a different practice (they're sharing weekends) and knew nothing about her. Looked her over, shone lights in her eye and popped drops in all without any issue whatsoever - she used to need sedating for that - told me he wished all his client horses were so good. OH was with me and sniggering at the look of shock on my face.

 

[Landcruiser]

My lovely Tortuga, at an arena trec competition, was awarded "Horse the judges would most like to take home." This was particularly down to his immobility, standing ground tied perfectly while all sorts of other activity went on around the arena. The judges were people I really liked and respected, so the compliment (in quite a big field of entries) meant a lot.

 

[Bob notacob]

Bob and I went to watch the Olympic men's road race (cycling) as it was just down a few paths from us. We got to watch the thirteen laps around the surrey hills. Bob is ,at heart ,a keen cyclist .Tough if you were born a 17.3 Irish Draught. He loved every minute of it .Mugged a party of French kids for their Bonbons too .
Time to go home ,he joined into an impromptu peloton of cyclists going home . Best Power Trot and impeccable judgement of speed and separation. You know how in amongst a hubbub of noise a voice can suddenly be heard in a moment of silence. A loud Texan drawl said "That's one hell of a horse"To which his friend replied "Yes but he,s gotta be a hell of a good horseman"
Bob and I came away feeling that a lifetime of knocked down show jumps and last place in dressage had somehow all been washed away.

 

[HorseMaid]

The best compliment I get for my Gem is just that every single person that's ever ridden her has said how lovely she is to ride - and she is! She has always got a smile on her face, never a bad day and always keen without being ridiculous about it. When I sent her for schooling a couple of years ago I was told she would be a cracking little eventer which made me beam but I have no desire to event ? what a waste but I love her!

 

[Flame_]

My horse is the best ego trip ever. Most fun rides I go on he gets, "OMG he's so pretty", "he's gorgeous", "he's beautiful".... I just go, "yeah, I know, he's actually awesome too".

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I get quite a few comments about my horses mane.
He’s a solid bay with a black tail but has gone abit salt and pepper over the years! It gets darker and lighter throughout the year ?

My dartmoors tail is like that. He is solid bay through and through and his tail was black until he was 5 or 6 then it turned silver. Its been silver ever since. His face is greying out now with age but that's nothing to do with the tail.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

From the local horsey Fount-of-all-Wisdom: "eeuuwwhhh you're lit up like a Christmas tree". Referring (obviously??) to the fact that we were both draped in a lot of hi-viz. Yep, some of us wish to be safe, actually...........

I took it as a complement. Don't think it was meant to be.

 

[McFluff]

Mine gets lots of compliments about his good looks. Hubby says it’s like being out with a film star. Thankfully, he is also a gorgeous kind soul.
And my hairdresser wants to bottle the silver blonde colour of his mane (he has flowing L’Oréal style locks).

 

[Hackback]

At a cross country lesson the instructor said my horse had "the attention span of a goldfish".

Oh wait ... that wasn't a compliment was it?

 

[tristar]

over the years i always find the most genuine thing is when they want to buy a horse i have bred or trained.

but the most touching thing is the rescue, little warrior, everyone falls in love with him, or says oh he is gorgeous!, others want to buy him, our sponsor nearly fell over laughing when someone wanted to buy him, and said she will never sell him!, it brings secret tears to my eyes actually, no one wanted him, no one cared, in fact several said to put him down, if it was`nt for OH dragging him out where he was, a scrap of life almost dead none of this would be be poss.

just one of life`s little miracles, he is.

 

[Tarragon]

When Cortez said that my pony was cute

 

[WBGG]

Vet said my mare was a "lovely person " because she really looked after her riders, despite having various physical problems that were probably causing her pain when ridden. She's now enjoying her retirement and living her best life.
She has also been described by fellow liveries as having a "kind face". I think she's beautiful ? inside and out.

 

[Annagain]

An instructor I had who was never known for his compliments once told me Monty was wasted with me and his owner and if he had him he'd be going intermediate by that point (he'd have been 8 or 9 at the time) and would make an advanced horse. It was as close as a nice thing as he'd ever say.

Not a compliment as such but when was sharing Eb, I was at a show with his owner and this guy walked up to us with £4k (a lot in those days) in his hand and said he'd take him home there and then. I think if I hadn't been there, her husband (horribly controlling and bullying man but never in front of others) would have said yes.

Archie's compliments only come from those who know him well - how sweet and cuddly he is. He doesn't show this on a regular basis.

So far Wiggy's best compliment came from the judge in our first dressage test "he's lovely, you lucky lady - everything you deserve!" (she's a friend and knows what I went through with Charlie but hadn't met Wig yet.

 

[Pippity]

I think the best compliment was when my vet gave Blue a flexion test, and Blue just stood there and didn't object in any way. It was only once she'd trotted away that the vet realised what an achievement it was.

This vet had done her pre-purchase vetting, at which she wasn't even able to touch Blue's legs. Being told that I'd done wonders with her made me beam like an idiot!

Blue was also used as a demo horse for clicker training for my local vet practice. There's nothing like leading your common oik of a cob into a room full of vets, vet nurses, and farriers, some of whom treat Olympic horses, and hearing someone say, "Oh, what a lovely horse!"