Has your horse ever taken a clear dislike to someone ?

Was lady at last stables, very short & blonde. She was so nasty to her cob youngster (very placid nature), that she had to sell him as he took such a hatred to her he wouldn't let her near him. She was a very deceitful person, who I long suspected of physical violence to horses she didn't like. My mare doesn't choose to engage with most people (very aloof), but found she started to attack short blonde women. If anyone of this stature went near her she'd come at them. Said to me that it was a defense mechanism towards a threat.

Was a time when mare was young when she kicked a pony that used to bully her out in the field. I found out later ponies owner had spent 2 hours trying to catch my girl, knowing her it would have been to beat her up. my girl had good sense not to let her anywhere near her.

Only other time she's taken an instant dislike was when a strange vet came. She was in a small paddock with her month old foal, & vet was there to see another horse so had asked him to do foals ID in same visit (I was at work, YO was with him). He brought a student, & was apparently ponsing about showing off. He went in my girls paddock & went straight to foal, without introducing himself to mum first. next thing mum was chasing vet out paddock giving him a very good view of her teeth! He did the ID from the fence.
 
I had a little part arab filly here for a while, she absolutely loathed the man of her family, one day she attacked him over the wall of the stable, she launched herself almost over , feet flailing, ears flat, lips drawn, mouth wide. I have no doubt in my mind that she intended serious harm to him and it would have been carnage if she had reached him.

As far as I saw he never did anything to her, but, my GSD also hated him (the only person he has ever raised his hackles to) He was a large man, with a full beard, always wore a fedora and spoke with a heavy Russian accent, he actually made me slightly uncomfortable too because he was a very 'in your space' person, I found myself stepping back all the time - besides that I had to, so that I could see him, I am 5'1" he was about 6'6".

I often wonder what it was about him that those two, normally very calm and affectionate animals, disliked so much.
 
Last edited:
Yes, I had a very quiet horse on loan and offered a friend to come for a little hack on him, she hadn't ridden in ages so I was planning to ride my spooky boy and said she could ride the quiet easy one.
As soon as she opened the stable door he started rearing (NEVER known to rear) and lashing out at her with his front feet. It was the most weird reaction I have ever seen!
She rode spooky instead!
 
Yes, our loan pony turns into "stroppy teenager" mode with one instructor and just will not do anything to oblige. Yet she sucks up to a different instructor and never puts a foot wrong. Which makes it difficult to address any issues as she completely changes her behaviour depending on who is there!

Quite embarrassing really as both instructors are lovely and the one she doesnt like has never given her cause not to!
 
My mare disliked my farriers last apprentice used to play him up something rotten !
She likes quiet people and he was just too loud for her!
The new boyfriend I don't think she's to keen on , she's played him up leading when she's normally excellent with newbies walking extra extra slow for them but the biggest give away is the polos as every one on here knows spitting out of polos is very rare , well at our last show he tried to give her some and she would take them and then spit them out though would happly take them from me! Not sure what I make of this yet !!!
 
Not quite the same but my dog is a good judge of character as well as my horse-he's a rott but soft as anything, more soft than our lab! Loves everyone, if a stranger approaches on a walk he's crouched down by their feet in a submissive pose begging for love. But, there is one man who goes jogging that we sometimes see and Nico gets his hackles up and really does a scary growl at him! The first time he lunged toward him on the end of the lead (though now when I spot him coming I make Nico sit and pay attention to me so it is not a problem). At first I thought it was because he was running toward us but even when stood by his car Nico gives him a soft growl. Looks like a perfectly normal bloke to me, but then Nico might know something I don't. Who knows?
 
My mare dislikes small people :p a little girl comes to see the horses and my grumpy mare will try to bite her ! I have to hold her head firmly so the poor kid doesn't think my pony hates her :o . My geldings love everyone though, my Connemara loves all people and horses, my ISH likes all people but is very picky with his horse friends.
 
One of our geldings really doesn't like one girl at our livery yard, he doesn't do anything nasty, he never would, but he won't let her catch him-even in a stable. He'll literally run circles around her whilst she tries in vain to catch him.
 
Yes a total of 3, 1 being a horrid little woman that was mean to her and this she has never forgotten, and the other were a couple who made my life a misery for months and it was as if she picked up on this and therefore disliked them. She is a real gentle horse and generally loves people but those 3 she clearly did not like. The couple have since left, but the little one is still with us lol .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top