Do you think mares show off to men (of the human kind)?

Wagtail

Wagtail

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Just wondering. My young mare seems to throw in all kinds of shapes on the lunge when my OH comes to watch us (once resulting in a broken finger), but is perfectly behaved when I'm on my own. I've been training them both. My mare is being broken in and my husband is my new helper on the ground. He's completely non-horsey but can put on a head collar and control an unruly horse if needs be. But I just wondered if it's because he's male and she's used to all female handlers normally, or whether anyone else had this happen with their mares and OHs? She really looks as though she thinks she's impressing him with her antics. She was fine when he was leading her and I was on board, thankfully.
 
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One of my mares "liked" my OH when she was in season. He was a horse novice at first, and was absolutely horrified when she reversed him into a corner, and... er.... rubbed.

She never did it to me!
 
cremedemonthe said:
Used to happen to me when I was round yards mending saddles or fitting them, some mares were skittish/showy when I went near them but were ok with the girls handling them.
Can't remember if they were in season or not though, maybe I just smell like a horse!
Oz
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That's interesting! Thanks.

Red-1 said:
One of my mares "liked" my OH when she was in season. He was a horse novice at first, and was absolutely horrified when she reversed him into a corner, and... er.... rubbed.

She never did it to me!
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Oh gross! But funny :D
 
The Old Appy was a terrible flirt with human men, we think she thought people were a form of inferior horse. The day she was put to sleep, she was so slow to lead across the field I wasn't sure she would make it, when she got to the yard the knackerman was waiting, she glared at me and SWAGGERED into the yard, straight up to the man! (she did not have a well developed gaydar, but thereeeeeee you go :) )
 
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Yes! This is how my mare looked at my OH!
 
Henry Blake had a story of when he sold a mare to a novicey male rider. He rang him up one day, worried, as she was squealing when he went in the stable, and acting in an unusual manner. Henry went to visit and told the owner she had fallen in love with him and was just showing it! She was in season, obviously, and flirting with him.
 
YorksG said:
The Old Appy was a terrible flirt with human men, we think she thought people were a form of inferior horse. The day she was put to sleep, she was so slow to lead across the field I wasn't sure she would make it, when she got to the yard the knackerman was waiting, she glared at me and SWAGGERED into the yard, straight up to the man! (she did not have a well developed gaydar, but thereeeeeee you go :) )
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Aw, Bless her. Well they don't seem to notice other male horses are usually have a very important part of their anatomy missing either!

dreamcometrue said:
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Yes! This is how my mare looked at my OH!
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Oh my goodness, she adores him!

Orangehorse said:
Henry Blake had a story of when he sold a mare to a novicey male rider. He rang him up one day, worried, as she was squealing when he went in the stable, and acting in an unusual manner. Henry went to visit and told the owner she had fallen in love with him and was just showing it! She was in season, obviously, and flirting with him.
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Haha! Not heard of that happening before. :D
 
Red-1 said:
One of my mares "liked" my OH when she was in season. He was a horse novice at first, and was absolutely horrified when she reversed him into a corner, and... er.... rubbed.

She never did it to me!
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Maybe your mare has been watching too much TV, what with all this sticking your backside in a males face called twerking.....in my minds eye it's looking rather similar..
 
My mare seems to flirt with everyone---maybe she just wants food---but one male musician that stays at my place for gigs is convinced she's flirting with him. :D
 
The mare I had as a teenager loved human men, teenage boys she was the worst with (I assumed she could pick up on their raging hormones?!). She hated all other horses, but humans she loved and males were her favourite. She did flirt with them when in season.

My current two mares, one is indifferent (motivated pretty much by food, whoever is on the end of it) the other does like my husband and often whickers to him if he walks past.
 
My mare, who frankly, was a bit of a village bike, once came on to a teenage lad whose family kept their horses on either side of her. His voice was breaking and when we laughed and said she fancied him his voice went up two octaves as he screamed and legged it!
 
I have to say that my 2 welsh mares run rings around my husband, though I strongly suspect that this is because he is determined to show them who is boss. HA! I think we all know it's the welsh mares!
 
fatpiggy said:
My mare, who frankly, was a bit of a village bike, once came on to a teenage lad whose family kept their horses on either side of her. His voice was breaking and when we laughed and said she fancied him his voice went up two octaves as he screamed and legged it!
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Hahaha oh dear :D

Mine doesn't seem to regard my husband as anything except a water bucket bearing slave. She does LOVE the farrier though. Total jelly in his hands. He left his thermal coffee mug on her bum once and she never shifted a muscle until he went looking for it and remembered where he'd left it! She closes her eyes with her lip hanging and just soaks in having her feet rasped and shod, as if she were getting a manicure. Last time I was sat to one side of her on the step, just chatting to him, and felt something warm and slimy on my neck? It was only my horse DROOLING long strands of spit down the back of my coat.
 
Friends horse is besotted with my OH and will do anything he asks of her, perfectly. He seems to be the only one that is deemed worthy enough to touch her ears when not necessary. He's the only one that seems to get her to eat my cooking when we look after her.
 
don't recognise this att all actually. My last mare I (that I lost 2 months ago) was somewhat indifferent to male/females but my 2 oldies.... The arab has actually literally kicked men out of her stable. I had her from when she was 3 and she did have some behaviour issues- mainly from too much energy, but may have also had some abuse before she came to me.
The other mare I had from foal- never had a bad experience , she was very bolshy but a saint for me. I have had to save vets and farriers from her, she would, if given the chance attack with bare teeth and forelegs high up in the air (for a mare of 18.2 hh this was impressive !)
 
I've never had a mare but my old, very arrogant, Sec D would double the attitude when men were around, especially if they tried to dominate him. My farrier learned exactly how to deal with him with time but not all men did!

I'll never forget the day he as being a bit of a git and my non-horsey but not at all scared, 17stone, rugby-playing OH said "give him here, he won't be able to drag me." I, of course, did as I was told and then spend the next 10 minutes laughing crying as he went concrete skiing round the yard in circles. Eb then stopped and just as OH caught up, flicked his shoulder out, tripped him up and came wandering back to me. Still makes me laugh 20 years on.
 
annagain said:
I've never had a mare but my old, very arrogant, Sec D would double the attitude when men were around, especially if they tried to dominate him. My farrier learned exactly how to deal with him with time but not all men did!

I'll never forget the day he as being a bit of a git and my non-horsey but not at all scared, 17stone, rugby-playing OH said "give him here, he won't be able to drag me." I, of course, did as I was told and then spend the next 10 minutes laughing crying as he went concrete skiing round the yard in circles. Eb then stopped and just as OH caught up, flicked his shoulder out, tripped him up and came wandering back to me. Still makes me laugh 20 years on.
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Ha, that'll teach him. Sounds like a character, your old sec D.
 
Wagtail said:
Ha, that'll teach him. Sounds like a character, your old sec D.
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He certainly was. Welsh Cobs are Marmite horses at the best of times but he was the most Marmite of the lot. He lived in the area all his life and I still meet people who knew him before I had him. Every single one either loved or hated him and the feeling was mutual. He and my best friend never saw eye to eye. He was the most forward thinking, bouncy horse you'd ever come across and he'd literally go on strike the second she got on him. For another friend, who suffered from depression, he would do anything and all at the pace she wanted!
 
My mare is very interested when she hears a male voice & she loves my OH. I do think dogs & horses do respond differently to men due to the lower tone of voice.
 
annagain said:
He certainly was. Welsh Cobs are Marmite horses at the best of times but he was the most Marmite of the lot. He lived in the area all his life and I still meet people who knew him before I had him. Every single one either loved or hated him and the feeling was mutual. He and my best friend never saw eye to eye. He was the most forward thinking, bouncy horse you'd ever come across and he'd literally go on strike the second she got on him. For another friend, who suffered from depression, he would do anything and all at the pace she wanted!
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Aw he sound amazing. You must miss him a lot. My old mare had a quarter welsh D in her but in character it was 100%. Miss her every day.
 
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