Is there such a thing as an issue free horse?

MrsElle

MrsElle

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Reading a post regarding a damaged horse just now, I wondered if there were any horses out there who don't have problems.

I have four horses (two on loan, two are mine), one isn't good with the farrier, hates her back legs being picked up, although as a wobbler that is sort of understandable. Number two is, quite frankly, nuts. She is very highly strung, suffered awful injuries at the hands of humans as a yearling, and is a bit jumpy as a result. I have to be 100% on the ball with her all the time. I relaxed around her once and got a good kicking as a result. Number three is an uncatchable Shetland. She isn't stubborn, she is scared, as she too has been ill treated. Once caught she is fab though :) Number four, poor girl, has had 9 homes in her 7 years. She has been beaten into a trailer after slipping on the ramp and suffering injuries to her chest. As a result she won't load.

Reading back that last paragraph it seems as if I have a bunch of lunatic mares! Is it just me with horses with issues, or do they all, to a greater or lesser degree?
 
Suppose it rather depends on what you class as an issue I have two issue free, highlands very different to each other one lazy one very forward but neither had issues. Both are bombproof and safe as houses. Both easy doers, easy to keep and very healthy, mum and daughter mum 18 and daughter 5
I do have a pony with issues dont know why I would guess his mum wasn't a strong enough dominant influence so he thinks he can lord it over everyone so he has little man syndrome
So yes horses without issues do exist but there are a fair few quirks that others may see as issues
 
I always take a handful or friends and family. Then I think of their 'issues'

Then I think well the horses, like humans, all have there own problems. Some more than others. No one is perfect :-)

My horses are all as scatty as a bag of frogs. But then so are my family! lol
 
Of course there are!
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MrsElle said:
Reading back that last paragraph it seems as if I have a bunch of lunatic mares!
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I have to say, on reading your post, my first impression was shock that you would put up with/admit to having such badly-behaved horses?? Or was it intended to be more tongue in cheek than I interpreted it?
 
I think every horse has something you compromise on :)

So my first mare that I've had 8 years is a diamond, 100% temperament and has done everything-but she's not without her own quirks and isn't uncomplicated to ride.

New mare I've had a couple of months is perfect in ALMOST every way, her issues being extremely filthy in the stable and not liking noisy engines or vehicles the same size or bigger than her!
 
I think most of them do! I have 5 at the moment. I recently had to sell my perfect mare because she had a dodgy conformation in her back and I proved to be too heavy for her as a result; 2 are out on loan because I can't ride them, too sharp! One is a youngster who has already had a hernia operation, one is a horse we bought for £6500 aged 6, only to find he had arthritis aged 8 - operation to fuse both hocks and daily danilon - he is 12 now and rideable but my daughter isnt that interested any more and I cant sell him because of his issues - and one I have on trial, lord only knows what he will turn out to have!! Bless them.... :D
 
We have five horses, or four and a pony.

Number one could very easily have issues but we discovered that the problem wasn't the horse but what we were feeding him. One sniff of sugar and he is off his head.

Number two has got issues. He is a lovely lovely boy but totally unsafe to ride and has to be handled by people that understand and accomodate his issues. The vet believes he has some sort of brain damage, he can be fine for weeks and weeks and then explode out of nowhere. It's the unpredictability thats dangerous, if he exploded on the road it could well cause fatalities.

Number three is totally issue free. A charming little mare who we have had from a foal. You can do literally anything with her.

Number four is also pretty issue free although a tad spooky. Not a real problem, just needs a confident rider and handler.

Number five, the pony. Supposed to be uncatchable, and I can vouch that her previous owners could never catch her, we used to have to do it for them. We bought her after we found out the sort of treatment (beatings and screaming hysteria) that she had to endure... We had no real use for her until my daughter unexpectedly produced a baby last year! We just loved her from the day we met her. We have never had a problem catching her.. in fact OH states that there is no such thing as an uncatchable horse, you just need to find the key to each one.

So yes, I would say there are issue free horses out there. Not all, but many. And those that aren't are usually caused by rubbish handling from past or present owners.
 
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Horses are like people, and none of us are perfect so why should they be?! I think it is just finding a horse with issues you can live with.

One of my cobs is the most perfectly mannered horses you could ever meet - a toddler could handle him. To ride he is a gentleman 98% of the time, but on rare occasions he can loose it and put in a wicked buck. We have spent a fortune on vet checks, physios and chiros, but can find no reason for it, so have learned to live with it.

Our other cob is fantastic to ride - is never strong, doesn't know the meaning of bucking or rearing, but can be pig headed and opinionated on the ground.

With both of them, their good points outweigh the bad, and better the devil you know!
 
Nope - they all have their quirks!

My lad is an absolute dude, and you can do pretty much anything with him but... He came to me from Ireland very headshy, and the consensus is that he was ear twitched. Spent months working through it, and can now handle him all over, including brushing ears. However, if anything spooks him, it takes days to build the trust back... e.g. took a new white rope halter into the stable and he flipped and took me hours to let me near him - in the stable - and more hours to get near with regular headcollar. He's generally fine and I treat him normally, but I always have to be aware of it and can never be as blase as I was with my previous lad. Poor boy.
 
SkewbyTwo said:
I have to say, on reading your post, my first impression was shock that you would put up with/admit to having such badly-behaved horses?? Or was it intended to be more tongue in cheek than I interpreted it?
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Nope, not tongue in cheek. Two are from WHW and I knew their 'issues' from the word go. Number one isn't going to get any better, number two is a baby still and work in progress. We have made progress with her, but it will be a long road. The two I own will be ok eventually. The Shetland will be catchable at some point, and the TB, while she doesn't load, is lovely in every other way.

I do not put up with bad behaviour, but none of them display bad behaviour, but nervous, frightened behaviour. They are improving all the time :)
 
I knew a mare that was as close to issue free as you could find. Lovely horse, never had any veterinary or behaviour problems. Did exactly what you asked of her whether you were an experienced rider or had never ridden before...........and I found her rather boring!
 
depends on what you consider an issue, daughters pony is perfect IMO, she has a dust allergy but with correct husbandry it's not an issue for us, but i guess others may think so,
 
I've got two, Danny is a 10 yr old tb gelding who we bought 4 years ago after he'd finished 3 years of flat racing, he's a complete gentleman to ride and handle he has no medical problems is a good doer and has prooved to be a talented eventer Bobby is a 17.2 holsteiner 7 yr old. Gelding we've owned him for two years he's hadno heath issues and is a super ride and is also a decent eventer he is also a good doer neither horse has a bucket feed just as much top quality haylage as they want
 
Hairy Old Cob said:
Many Years ago some and most horses had their quirks but we just got on and rode them and accepted them for what they were.
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I guess my post was sort of saying this. People are always saying they have problems because their horse does xyz and label it a problem horse. As explained, I have four and none are issue free, but I don't really see them as problem horses. They are what they are and I will work on what I can, and hopefully improve them, but accept that they are individuals who have different personalities and quirks and some may never be solved.
 
Well no,as said they all have their quirks,never met an 'issue free' horse.I prefer to call it character and you just treat them accordingly,some are endearing,some not so.It would be boring if they were all the same.I love all my herd dearly,even tho' some test my patience sometimes!.
 
DTV said:
Well no,as said they all have their quirks,never met an 'issue free' horse.I prefer to call it character and you just treat them accordingly,some are endearing,some not so.It would be boring if they were all the same.I love all my herd dearly,even tho' some test my patience sometimes!.
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I'm with you there! OH's favourite is the loony one. I think he quite likes her unpredictability, we never know what she is going to do next and how she will react to things from one day to the next. She keeps us on our toes! The vet is of the opinion that she is mentally damaged from her treatment as a foal, but she is lovely. Sometimes :D
 
Lucy is pretty much issue free other than she is awful to pull her mane ! Even twitched she tried to squish me against things & kill me ! But other than that she's an angel so I can forgive her that!
 
All horses have 'issues', although issues may not be the correct word, 'quirks' is a better description. Just like us humans all have our 'issues' or 'quirks'. If they didn't then we might just as well be riding a microwave oven.
 
Gazen said:
All horses have 'issues', although issues may not be the correct word, 'quirks' is a better description. Just like us humans all have our 'issues' or 'quirks'. If they didn't then we might just as well be riding a microwave oven.
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You may find an ironing board more forward going and more comfortable than a microwave ;)
 
My share horse seems pretty straightforward so far *touches wood*

The only real quirk is that he likes to have a look when the road surface or markings change when we're out hacking but that isn't done in a spooky way, he just likes to look at what he's walking over :)
 
I have one in my stable at the moment and because I am mad I want to sell him (he's on loan so not mine anyway) as I want something with a bit more 'go' :p

But he is a saint for the farrier, perfect to ride (if a little kick along), loads, travels, stands on the box all day, never spooks, is clean in his box, lives off fresh air. He is an utter poppet.

His only quirks are pulling faces when you do his rugs and having to be twitched to have his head clipped. But he is the least complicated horse I have ever met in my entire life.
 
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