Pig Ugly Horses?

don’t ever get the idea I am a poet; you can see me
at the racetrack any day half drunk
betting quarters, sidewheelers and straight thoroughs,
but let me tell you, there are some women there
who go where the money goes, and sometimes when you
look at these whores these onehundreddollar whores
you wonder sometimes if nature isn’t playing a joke
dealing out so much breast and ass and the way
it’s all hung together, you look and you look and
you look and you can’t believe it; there are ordinary women
and then there is something else that wants to make you
tear up paintings and break albums of Beethoven
across the back of the john; anyhow, the season
was dragging and the big boys were getting busted,
all the non-pros, the producers, the cameraman,
the pushers of Mary, the fur salesman, the owners
themselves, and Saint Louie was running this day:
a sidewheeler that broke when he got in close;
he ran with his head down and was mean and ugly
and 35 to 1, and I put a ten down on him.
the driver broke him wide
took him out by the fence where he’d be alone
even if he had to travel four times as far,
and that’s the way he went it
all the way by the outer fence
traveling two miles in one
and he won like he was mad as hell
and he wasn’t even tired,
and the biggest blonde of all
all ass and breast, hardly anything else
went to the payoff window with me.


that night I couldn’t destroy her
although the springs shot sparks
and they pounded on the walls.
later she sat there in her slip
drinking Old Grandad
and she said
what’s a guy like you doing
living in a dump like this?
and I said
I’m a poet


and she threw back her beautiful head and laughed.


you? you . . . a poet?


I guess you’re right, I said, I guess you’re right.


but still she looked good to me, she still looked good,
and all thanks to an ugly horse
 
She's aready stated she's 41 so not young, Just ignorant, self obsessed and stupid.

Whoa Barney ... hang on a minute. That's a little unfair. We don't know this poster in real life and she could be an absolute gem who just used the wrong terminology.

Let's play nicely, eh? Calling people names simply reflects badly upon the name caller.

In response to your post OP, I wouldn't buy a horse I didn't like the look of. They are too costly to buy and keep to end up with something you can't fall in love with.
 
Actually OP real horsemen/women dont look at the horse they look at how the rider can ride it, thats why it does all the things it should do, so no matter how beautiful your horse is if you dont know how to ride it, you are not going to get the gazes that you are hoping for.

You would be better off buying a dog and walking it down the road if you need people to stop and stare.
 
Why ever not? Looks & conformation are top of my list! You can work on everything else...

Yup! Agree!

But then I wouldn't ever go out with someone who I found physically unattractive either, nevermind buy a horse which I thought was 'pig ugly' in my eyes. So shoot me down for it those who disagree!

I really don't see what all the hoo-ha is about. OP has not said this directly to an owner of a horse, nor posted photos of said horse, so who exactly is she offending?!! Not the horse, surely?! ;):rolleyes:

Someone posted a pic of their horse on this forum the other month, which in my eyes, was possibly the most ugly horse I think I have ever set eyes on. I didn't comment, because that would be hurtful, but I am still allowed to have my view on that horse.
 
Personally I wouldn't buy a horse that wasn't my 'type'. Perhaps if OP had used that terminology she wouldn't have been jumped upon.
 
Why ever not? Looks & conformation are top of my list! You can work on everything else...

Because its not all about looks, its about how well you and your horse do as a team and conformation. For example, You might choose a very pretty horse and its love at first sight and then when you try him, he is actually not what you wanted. Then there is this ugly horse who you are not keen on in looks, and then when you try him, he has perfect strides and you work brilliant as a team.

So don't judge on looks!
 
Because its not all about looks, its about how well you and your horse do as a team and conformation. For example, You might choose a very pretty horse and its love at first sight and then when you try him, he is actually not what you wanted. Then there is this ugly horse who you are not keen on in looks, and then when you try him, he has perfect strides and you work brilliant as a team.

So don't judge on looks!

But OP wasn't judging on looks - she already said that the horse was a good horse in her eyes, but she just disliked it's looks. Looks are something that will never really change to any major degree in a horse. All the other things can be moulded and changed to much more of an extent.

Personally, I understand her concerns in that area. If I came across such a horse, but really disliked it's looks, I would seriously reconsider buying it. There are other horses just as good out there which will meet the OP's preference in looks also.
 
Because its not all about looks, its about how well you and your horse do as a team and conformation. For example, You might choose a very pretty horse and its love at first sight and then when you try him, he is actually not what you wanted. Then there is this ugly horse who you are not keen on in looks, and then when you try him, he has perfect strides and you work brilliant as a team.

So don't judge on looks!

I do showing. You don't do that with ugly horses ;)

I'm with the others, I don't have ugly heads over my stable doors and have never bought a 'bad' one despite buying 90% on looks & conformation.
 
I'm still with my comment ;)

And that's perfectly fair enough. If you are happy to have horses which you would, in your eyes, consider to be 'pig ugly', then that's great. It all depends on what you want to do with them also.

Personally, I like showing. Only local showing, and for a bit of fun, but still, I like to have a nice looking (to a certain extent, nothing out of this world and thousands and thousands of pounds obviously!) presentable horse with relatively decent conformation.

I personally really dislike the whole gypsy cob, feathered, coloured, coarse roman head types. I really don't get what the obsession with them is, and I would never consider buying one.
 
I do showing. You don't do that with ugly horses ;)

I'm with the others, I don't have ugly heads over my stable doors and have never bought a 'bad' one despite buying 90% on looks & conformation.


I don't mind the ugly ones - but then I despise showing, horses for courses.
I actually think some show horse would look much better if they lost a few (hundred) kilos or two!!:rolleyes:
 
I don't mind the ugly ones - but then I despise showing, horses for courses.
I actually think some show horse would look much better if they lost a few (hundred) kilos or two!!:rolleyes:

Moot point. You don't go to see a horse and get put off because it's 'in show condition', or 'underweight', by thinking that it can never possibly change the way it looks now.

But you cannot change a horse's 'looks' in the true sense of the word.
 
Moot point. You don't go to see a horse and get put off because it's 'in show condition', or 'underweight', by thinking that it can never possibly change the way it looks now.

But you cannot change a horse's 'looks' in the true sense of the word.

Put much better than I could :)
 
And that's perfectly fair enough. If you are happy to have horses which you would, in your eyes, consider to be 'pig ugly', then that's great. It all depends on what you want to do with them also.

Personally, I like showing. Only local showing, and for a bit of fun, but still, I like to have a nice looking (to a certain extent, nothing out of this world and thousands and thousands of pounds obviously!) presentable horse with relatively decent conformation.

I personally really dislike the whole gypsy cob, feathered, coloured, coarse roman head types. I really don't get what the obsession with them is, and I would never consider buying one.

Ok thank you and your comment is perfectly fair as well:D
 
Look, I have a REALLY ugly horse. But he is so ugly he is cute. He does what I ask and is one of the best mannered and easiest to handle on the yard. I could never change his looks I know, but he is safe. He would never sell, I would even waste my time trying, if I can't keep him long term I would have him put down.

Are you saying he doesn't deserve the loving home that he has with me?? Should I trade him for something prettier? I don't think I would because he is a damn sight hardier and sounder than some of the "better" looking horses I have owned in the past!!
 
Look, I have a REALLY ugly horse. But he is so ugly he is cute. He does what I ask and is one of the best mannered and easiest to handle on the yard. I could never change his looks I know, but he is safe. He would never sell, I would even waste my time trying, if I can't keep him long term I would have him put down.

Are you saying he doesn't deserve the loving home that he has with me?? Should I trade him for something prettier? I don't think I would because he is a damn sight hardier and sounder than some of the "better" looking horses I have owned in the past!!

I don't think you will find anybody has suggested anywhere that horses which aren't considered 'pretty' by one person, should not deserve a loving home. That's akin to saying that if you don't fancy someone, then you think they don't deserve a good life.

Doesn't mean, just because you think somebody, or a horse for that matter, deserves a good life and home, that you should automatically marry that person, or buy that horse.
 
It would put me off if I considered the horse to be 'ugly', and I probably wouldn't buy.
I would never discourage anyone else from buying a horse purely because of looks, but if I was buying for myself.. well I think it's only natural to want to like the way my horse looks.
But each to their own! I think it's just personal preference, some people care, others don't. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder anyway, one persons ugly is another persons cute.
 
To be fair I don't think it was right that OP got jumped on as she did, her post since about fat ugly cobs is fair game but prior to that she had a genuine question.

I think the phrasing is quite emotive 'pig ugly' sounds very harsh...

If Op had posted to say that she had seen a perfect horse but unfortunately he isn't blessed in the looks department and is actually what some might consider quite ugly..... Then I don't think she would have got the same reception. In fact this question has been asked before and the OP of that post wasn't jumped up and down on.

I don't think the comments that the Op may be ugly herself were called for but that's just me.

OP, it is ok that you are considering his looks but it shouldn't in my opinion be a deciding factor. If he turns out to be the horse of a lifetime you will love every inch of his 'pig ugly' face :)
I couldn't agree with you more. Considering the exclamations when a PRE with a flowing mane comes on here, then I think looks do matter and fashion. I don't think the question was a actually particularly unreasonable - just phrased in a way that might offend.
 
I just went through 24 pages in the hope of finding a picture of this notoriously ugly horse, and I a grievously disappointed. It's a pity, because I've never yet seen an ugly horse. They're not all oil paintings, but if they pass the test on character and conformation nothing else is really relevant - at least to me.:)
 
Well, I know a cob, that might be classed as "pig ugly", but he's a super little cob that can hunt,, hunter trial, show jump and any thing else... and is in demand because he can do what it says on the tin. Most people like the pretty perfect type, but everyone loves Tayto!!!!
 
Well, I know a cob, that might be classed as "pig ugly", but he's a super little cob that can hunt,, hunter trial, show jump and any thing else... and is in demand because he can do what it says on the tin. Most people like the pretty perfect type, but everyone loves Tayto!!!!

People are missing the point here.

Nobody is saying that `ugly` horses can`t do as much as `pretty` horses.

The whole point was centred around whether somebody should buy a horse that THEY think is `pig ugly` despite being a decent horse otherwise.
 
Have pm'd you, Peek-a-boo. That poem echoed one which I half remember " kind deeds done by men with ugly faces, and the prize won by the worst horse at the races."

However. OP asked if, I think, s/he would be unwise to purchase an otherwise entirely suitable horse if the animal's looks did not appeal. S/he added that being able to create a pleasing 'picture' of horse and rider was an important factor in the decision; should a lack in this part of the total package necessarily mean s/he walk away?

For me, it's the "feel" of actual or potential unity when I first ride a horse, that is the deciding factor. However -I have always bought from an initial visual attention grabber. The individual horses have not all looked at their best - but I was attracted by a "something". Whatever it was, they all ended up oozing presence (well, I thought so!) and I did my best to scrub up and not spoil it!

If the OP really does not like the look of her/his potential purchase, it may not be the best partnership available. With a £7k+ budget, there will surely be plenty more to look at.

If the HHO English language monitors are concerned about my use of gender variable words - e.g. s/he, her/his; this reflects my uncertainty as to the gender of the OP. Katycobs could be male with a string of cobs whose show prefix name is Katy, a female named Katy who has cobs etc. Who knows? One has to be so careful here!
 
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OP. What is it about the horse that makes it ugly?

Just that there's a horse i ride and when I first met him I looked and thought "huh, you will never win a prize for your looks" :o : then I got to know him and discovered that he is a beautiful soul, willing, sensitive and honest and once you start feeling like that you start seeing the beauty on the outside too.
 
I wouldn't even try a horse that was ugly to my eye (maybe not to anyone elses' eye). I think if I have to look at it for the rest of it's life then I may as well like what I see & have pleasure from it. Probably vey shallow of me:o
 
I wouldn't even try a horse that was ugly to my eye (maybe not to anyone elses' eye). I think if I have to look at it for the rest of it's life then I may as well like what I see & have pleasure from it. Probably vey shallow of me:o

It's not shallow at all! There are many factors I will not consider looks wise when horse hunting. Top of my list is conformation, then looks. If they have both the pony/horse is on to a winner with me. Temperament never comes in to it unless they show exceptional nasty behaviour. I don't buy horses that are broken in, I only buy youngsters so I have plenty of time to mould everything else in to how I want in on the whole.


However, no one is saying that the horses I & many others consider 'ugly' are crap and can't do anything or have a lovely successful life with someone else!
 
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