Does your horse have any endearing or odd habits?

[Julie Ole Girl]

Whinnies from the field at 5pm, when she sees me in the driveway going into the tack /feed room. She wears a watch.....without a doubt!

 

[SpeedyPony]

Mine's another who picks up feed buckets and hands them back- also grabs the handles of his fieldmate's buckets and pulls them out from under their noses so he can steal their dinner ?. Luckily they've all been pretty easygoing about it, but I've learned to stand by ready to distract him if he finishes his tea first! ?

 

[ElleSkywalker]

One of mine woofles whenever I move the horsebox go in or out in the horsebox or a 3.5 ton delivery van arrives with our shopping. It's quite sad as I think she is expecting her mum to come out of it

 

[Clydiegirl]

My last Clyde would have a drink but not swallow the last mouthful, he'd then come over and dribble it over you.
Every. Single. Time

 

[Trinket12]

Pooh sniffer, has to stop all the time and when she was in the big field last summer she would sniff along the ground as we went to the barn like a blood hound!

If I take too long after untacking and grooming (I.e. chatting with someone and she’s just stood there) I get one foot stamp and a little harumph of “lets go!”. To be fair it’s usually because she needs to pee ?

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

Old boy runs up to the fence whickering, gives you a kiss, turns round and cocks his leg like a dog for you to scratch his undercarriage.

Son's pony has been watching. She presents her arse and squats for udder rubs. ?

 

[J&S]

I bought a big WB from another user on here- he did that in the water trough the first day he went out- in it right up to his eyeballs ?

My NF mare used to drink this way, in up to her eyes. I read in an old book that the cowboys used to choose their horses by watching them drink from the troughs, the ones that stuck their heads right in were supposed to be the bravest. My mare certainly was a brave girl!

 

[shortstuff99]

One of mine piaffe at her door when her friends go in their stables. As soon as they are in off she goes happily to eat ?‍

 

[Pippity]

I used clicker training to teach Blue to pick her feet up. Now, whenever she wants a treat, she picks up all of her legs in turn, and gets quite indignant when a treat isn't forthcoming. I've also trained her that she only gets a treat if she looks away, so now she'll give you a gentle nudge to get your attention, then ostentatiously look away.

Whenever she sees her saddle, she comes to the front of her stable. If I have hi-viz, she comes very quickly, because that means HACKING which is far better than pooey old schooling.

 

[shortstuff99]

I used clicker training to teach Blue to pick her feet up. Now, whenever she wants a treat, she picks up all of her legs in turn, and gets quite indignant when a treat isn't forthcoming. I've also trained her that she only gets a treat if she looks away, so now she'll give you a gentle nudge to get your attention, then ostentatiously look away.

Whenever she sees her saddle, she comes to the front of her stable. If I have hi-viz, she comes very quickly, because that means HACKING which is far better than pooey old schooling.

When I was young I taught my pony to beg for treats. If you pointed to his front legs he would wave them ?.

 

[Inda]

Currently my mare is refusing to eat her hard feed unless I personally give it to her. Yard owner makes it up, puts it in her stable and it’s ignored. I take it out an hour later, put the exact same food back down immediately and it’s eaten happily.

she has meds in it and has to eat it. Trust me, I wouldn’t stand for this nonsense if I could. Tried to wait it out and she tied up.

Full livery so I didn’t have to go up after a 12hr shift, so this is a stupendous new habit. Any suggestions gracefully received.

 

[criso]

Mine does this weird thing that starts as a flehmen but then he combines it with snorting out through his nose. Sound on for full effect.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10158176355648383

 

[tankgirl1]

Mine unties herself and comes to find me if I tie her up and then go out of sight

 

[Celtic Fringe]

Fairly predictable that my little cob's habits are often food-related He always gives little happy grunts (like a pig in poo!) when given a hard feed. If he wants more treats he will start doing carrot stretches on his own to see if I'll produce something nice from my pockets.
If he is a little anxious (or seems to feels that I'm in need of reassurance) he will present his bum for a good scratch - this started when he was a foal and is something he only does with me - anyone else might think it's rather rude
Today I went to get on from the mounting block and he tried to climb up there with me - not for the first time either! I obviously need to work on making my instructions a lot better We are clearly as nutty as each other.

 

[doodle]

He pees every time I make his feed. Apart from when the vet wanted to watch him have a pee.....

When I go to ride I pull down left stirrup and go round in front of head, he puts head in my arms so he can have a cuddle before I pull down his right stirrup. No idea where that one came from!

 

[windand rain]

Had a baby welsh cob who was terrified of anything higher than her, ridden horses were very scary so I used to stand on the edge of the water trough to get her used to it she found great amusement in grabbing my shoe laces and tipping me in the water. When she was sold they backed and rode her away in an hour she was so good. Went out hacking on her own second time sat on

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

ShitPig (Mini Shitland, real name Jake but ShitPig suits him waaaayyyyy better) absolutely LOVEES to grab anything elastic such as toggles on a jacket. He pulls them back to full stretch and lets go....he got a reaction the first few times when his victims squealed so now its a fun game ???

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Buzz likes to wave his tail like a flag when he goes to the toilet...both things! My instructor noticed it on Friday and thought it was a cute little habit i forget he does it until someone points it out but it is cute!

He also prefers to wee on concrete or in the horse box rather than a bit of grass or in a school - which can be a bit annoying when i'm trying to get him to go as he does not jump well when he needs a wee (i wouldn't either to be fair on him!) but he also won't go when i give him lots of opportunities to, preferring to wait until after the lesson when he was tied back on to the trailer

My old pony used to eat his daily pear above a fence so all the juice was dribbled on the top of the fence, he'd then lick it all off afterwards!
Mine are


How about everyone else?

my pony rears for her feeds
mare keeps grabbing at her rug rail outside with her teeth
gelding lifts his knee up trying to get his stable slip rails down

 

[Chippers1]

I love all these, horses are such characters

 

[MarvelVillis]

Haha love reading through these. They definitely have their unique personalities!

The main odd thing my gelding does is making rabbit burrows in his hay. I think he likes getting the chaff down at the very bottom He also has a thing for feet - sniffing/licking/biting people's toes!

 

[southerncomfort]

My old mare used to suck my hands. I can understand licking a humans hands but sucking..??

The funny thing is, the day after she was PTS I took a walk down the hill to have a chat with my neighbours lovely old cob and first thing he did was suck my hand. Never did it before and hasn't done it since. I'm afraid he had to put up with me sobbing in to his mane for a minute or two.

Still getting to know my new boy but he does like to present his muzzle for kisses and I am very happy to oblige.

 

[EngageDressage]

My boy won’t lift his head when you open the stable door, you have to lift it for him!

He knows he has trained you as his slave!!

 

[Denbob]

I've also trained her that she only gets a treat if she looks away, so now she'll give you a gentle nudge to get your attention, then ostentatiously look away.

Denzel used to do this, only the nudging would get progressively ruder if a treat was not immediately forthcoming.? If I was holding him and chatting, either in the school or just on the yard he would gradually creep so he was stood directly between me and the person I was having a conversation with as if to say "excuse me why am I not the centre of attention?". He was also fascinated with shoes and would spend a long time playing with the zips on my boots and I had one pair of trainers I couldn't wear up the yard because he would lick them obsessively even when he was loose in the field.

 

[Joyous70]

Every night without fail, my mare goes into her stable, turns for me to remove her headcollar, and then walks around in a semi circle to the same spot and pee's while i whistle and retrieve the bucket of feed i have pr-made. Woe betide you if you try and do and do anything different.

 

[TotalMadgeness]

My connie has to investigate poo. Any poo. Any animal.
He squeaks (with indignation I presume) if he is asked to do something he doesn't want to do, or if a van goes past him too fast on the road (has to be a van).
He whickers if I say 'good boy' and starts licking his lips with anticipation of a treat.
He chews everything. All his reins & lead ropes are damaged and I have to be very careful with my schooling whips.
When being led he'll try and grab your hand. If I then look like I'm going to tell him off he'll immediately stick his head in the air as high as he can.

 

[shamrock2021]

My horse kicks the gate and will end up with her foot stick in the gate.

 

[ElvisandTilly]

My horse has a few weird but funny behaviours!
He does the pooh sniffing that others have mentioned, opening and closing zips, pinching hats and pulling bobbles.

He also rolls in the field turns onto his belly and slides backwards and forwards rubbing his tummy (I hope it’s his tummy rubbing and not his man bits!).

When I’ve saddled and the girth is tightened I pull each front leg forward. He allows me to do the first one then he does the second one himself!

If I leave anything in his reach by the stable door he picks it up and throws his head around with it between his teeth! Tried to work out how to add the video of this but not sure how to do it if someone can advise?!

He chases a tennis ball if I throw it, getting more excited the more I throw! He circles it after chasing after it but hasn’t quite worked out the picking it up and fetching it back for me yet!

He is now 18 years old and having owned him for 12 years his playfulness has never left him!

 

[Dave's Mam]

I used clicker training to teach Blue to pick her feet up. Now, whenever she wants a treat, she picks up all of her legs in turn, and gets quite indignant when a treat isn't forthcoming. I've also trained her that she only gets a treat if she looks away, so now she'll give you a gentle nudge to get your attention, then ostentatiously look away.

Yep, Dave does the looking away thing too. I also clicker trained this.

 

[scruffyponies]

Sam - puts his foot into stock wire to deliberately pull it down so he can reach through to eat things
- he also eats windscreen wiper blades

Bobby - steals bobble hats from your head as you do up his girth

Danny - sucks in his cheeks after he's had a polo mint, like he's trying to get the very last bit of minty goodness out.

Solo - puts his head under the water as you cross the river and blows bubbles out of his nose.

 

[Hexx]

Mine always has a wee as I am making his tea.
He loves a full head cuddle - think arms wrapped around his head and him snuggled into your chest. He will stay like that for ever!
He gets a bit fruity when I put his rug on, I often have to avoid a dangly bit when doing the surcingles up