What Are Your Absolute NO Points Re Horses?

Hmm well....I always said I wouldn't have one with issues but I have a pony with sarcoids (well, one as the others have gone on their own), he is a good doer, has navicular and had PSD a couple of years ago. He can nap and buck on occasion, does little rears (which I can cope with) if he doesn't like something, not easy to clip and needle phobic, will get out of his field if others have come in and used to be a real door banger but he isn't so bad now. He doesn't like sprays either and hates his mane being pulled.

But he is a sweetie, bags of character, moves well and does well at dressage. lovely jump, brilliant in traffic and easy to pull up in open spaces. Will lead a hack or go behind but can be nappy on his own when going somewhere different.

So I would consider any horse except a full blown rearer that may go over. That's not for me! Or a kicker...I have no time for that, I like to move around my horse and keep myself intact!
 
Main thing for me is no rearers.

I am to old and this is the on thing that scares me to death can do a bucker.
 
I forgot to add bad to catch on my list - that coupled with a bad loader would be my worst night mare!

mine has SI and it is manageable although annoying and sometimes quite distressing for both her and i, but whilst it wouldn't be desirable in a new horse, it wouldn't be a deal breaker! i also didn't buy mine with SI she developed it as a 3/4 yo
 
This caused some debate with OH and myself.

For me, if I fall for the horse, that is it. I will deal with what I have when we get home. I actually like to solve problems, and play with getting a horse thinking in a healthy way.

OH is less experienced, and wants a whole list of requirements. He is very sensible.
 
Bad in traffic , I won't go there not been in traffic I don't mind .
Bucking I loathe horses than buck ,rearing does not trouble me if the horse is hot and forward .
Not keen on bad to mount and would not buy a cold backed horse ( all linked to me dislike of bucking ).
Tongue over the bit or sticking the tongue out is a no no with me .
Horses who very bold and not careful I don't like those .
Lazy horses would have a miserable time with me so I won't buy one .
Bad to travel .
Weavers and windsuckers so exhausting to have about so I don't .
Bad with the farrier or with the vet .
Coloured horse, sorry to coloured lovers but they look like cows to me .
Cobs , not my thing
Friesians as above .
I am sure there's loads more if I think about it , in fact it's a miracle I have any horses at all.
 
Most of you wouldn't want my horse, then - he's grey and kicks the door!

I'll admit, I really didn't want a grey but he seemed perfect for me in every other way and is proving to be just that, so I was more than prepared to overlook it.

The door kicking I had under control when he was on DIY. He has started doing it again since being on full livery and stabled right next to the feed room... wonder if that has any connection!

I find it very interesting reading the rearing vs bucking debate. I have been bucked off before and sat to many, but I have never experienced a rear. In my head, rearing is so much worse, so I wonder what makes it more tolerable to those of you that would rather have a rearer to a bucker?

*Back on topic* I wouldn't take on any horse with known health issues. I didn't buy a horse because of a small sarcoid, it's too risky for me.

Thanks to the experience with my last horse who was a seasonal head-shaker, I would never have a head shaker again. Or a teeth-grinder.
 
I wouldn't have a SI, laminitic, a rearer, anything cold backed or bolshy/bargy. When I was at Hartpury I looked after one of the horses at the stud (a Ragazzo baby) & good lord I hated the thing because it had the worst stable manners ever & would barge me all over the place.
 
I like sharp, keen, don't mind the odd leap and buck, don't even mind mini rears with excitement but definitely nothing that rears or bolts with the explicit intention of getting me off. Far too old for that nowadays.

I have ridden a bolter in the past, I mean a real blind bolter not just something that wanted to go, and that was a real confidence shatterer.

I wouldn't want anything that flatly refused to jump either. Don't mind nappy if it can be ridden through it.

An essential would be that it absolutely HAS to load and travel well. So known bad loaders/travellers would be a no no for me.

Don't want vicious bitey or kicky either. Again, experienced both and it's not at all nice.

Would rather have a good doer than one that's hard to keep weight on, too much worry when they get skinny.

Some issues I might take on if the horse was young and not too set in it's ways and there might be a chance of getting them out of it.

Oh, and having tragically had to have a lovely horse PTS at the age of nine because of an old 'soft tissue injury' she'd incurred before I bought her and which turned out to be a lot more I think unless I knew the horse and how it got the injury I'd have to avoid that scenario. I know horses can hurt themselves at any time but it was heart-breaking buying a seven year absolute sweetheart only to have to make that decision after such a short time. Curse the 'vet who passed her and didn't recommend an X-ray.
 
I don't mind those who rear, Ned has been known to rear and has had one or two big ones, but 90% of the time they're little stroppy ones.
I can not deal with bucks, I hate hate hate bucking!! Ned has bucked 3 times since I've known him and I've fallen off once because of it.

I hate biting and kicking - those who really mean it! Can deal with leg raising and nibbles.

Dirty stoppers, can't stand it!

Food aggressive horses - I can take Ned's dinner out from under his nose.

This wouldn't be a 100% no, but I hate horses who snatch haynets while I'm trying to tie them. Ned will also wait behind me until I'm finished.
 
Chan said:
This wouldn't be a 100% no, but I hate horses who snatch haynets while I'm trying to tie them. Ned will also wait behind me until I'm finished.
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Have to say that is a proper bear bug of mine!

Also I like the horse to be good to handle regarding their feet and picking them out, standing for farrier.
 
Anything that I feel wants me dead or injured, whether that be through bucking, kicking, rearing, holding my head under the water trough...if I feel its doing it out of badness and not genuine excitement or fear then I am (in the words of dragons den) out. Mild sweet itch wouldnt put me off tho but anything with dodgy back or lameness issues and I wouldn't be interested at any price.
 
I guess none of you will be buying my homebred hormonal, bucking, biting, nappy, do gooder( fat ******) wood eating young madame. Good job she will be with me till she or me dies!! Though i did take some forward steps today and had a wee ride in the school.
 
A horse that doesn't like or want to be near people - anything else can be trained out. I don't like melanomas or sarcoids and won't touch a known ems or lami
 
No chronic rearers or bronco displays.. don't mind the odd rear as have one who does it and doesn't scare me as long as it isn't going to flip over. Don't mind bucking as long as not malicious.

I'd have a weaver but never a crib biter or wind sucker.

Being bad in traffic is a no no - can't stand the one I have currently who has this problem. Same with being bad to catch.

Don't mind bad loaders but has to travel well. Occasional stamp is fine.

Anything cold backed or has KS op is out of the picture straight away for me. Navicular is another that is out of the picture.

Sweet itch is a no no.. Laminitis is one i'd prefer not to have but can deal with.
 
If I really like the horse (and there aren't that many I really like) then I would try and accommodate most things.

As long as it generally likes human company and doesn't actively look to put you on the floor. I would be very hesitant to take anything on with a history of laminitis/metabolic issues just because I generally don't have the inclination to manage them accordingly. I also don't do neurotic/separation anxiety horses very well.
 
Other than serious vices....one that is a devil to catch. After owning 2 of the worst ones to catch, to then having coblet who comes to call everytime without fail [or rather, comes when he sees me everytime whether I actually want him or not lol]...I couldn't live with one that wouldn't be caught or come to call again!
 
Rearing, bucking, napping, kicking, biting, bolting all nos.

having one now that is a stopper and won't load wouldn't get another that did that. Likewise needing to be sedated for clipping etc I'd want one that doesn't need to be. Wouldn't want something that if i so much as caught it slightly in the mouth tried to get rid of me. Carefulness is important.

must be good in traffic and hack sensibly alone and in company. Don't mind a bit strong but not excessively so.

Sarcoids/ greys/ windsucking/ cribbing/ weaving, no thanks.

Don't mind little hops forward if excited but plunging leaps no.

Would be very wary if the horse had previously had colic/ major surgery.

Wouldn't want something that lacked respect for people on the ground eg baralls through people when lead etc.

Oh and having on more than one occasion spent three hours trying to catch mine MUST BE GOOD TO CATCH!!!
 
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All of mine I have either bred or bought very young and I do that so I don't have to fix other peoples mistakes. So in respect of behaviour I am probably a bit forgiving, but they soon learn.

I did breed one foal who just didn't seem to learn - every day you started from page one and his behaviour was OTT (bouncing off the yard rails in a blind panic) and even getting a hand on him was a mission. I euthanized him at six months - he was dangerous and in all that time, never got any better.

I'm big on temperament, and conformation has to be sound. Have'nt had any health issues to deal with, but I have two by the same stallion with sticky stifle, so am a bit paranoid about that now.
 
Serial rearers, buckers and bolters. I don't mind the occasional excited buck/ rear, but not horses who have no sense of presivation (ie blind bolting or flip over rears).

As I'm on a livery yard, no fence jumpers/ walkers, or crib biters.

Other than that, it would depend on the horse, if they tick all of my others boxes then I'm pretty happy to work on most behavioral issues (with help as/ when required) and take health issues with advice, known history etc.
 
No (more) fence walkers. Though at least I kind of know why mine does it and control what I can (when she's pi$$ed off about something and protesting; she'd be chaining herself to the YO's tractor if she had opposable thumbs, but as she doesn't, she settles for marching up and down the fence). But my God, I'd run a mile from anything else that did it.

Nothing that truly wants you off.

No kickers and generally bad tempered horses.

Four decent legs; no obvious conformation flaws that I think will limit its longevity.

No ugly horses.
 
Behaviour - Big Bolters, and unstoppable tankers. I had one who was not bolting out of blind panic, but would still jump over the 5 bar gate with no hope of stopping with you clinging on for dear life while he legged it... So no more of those! Also nothing big which takes off when you mount. I say big as a pony doing the above would be fine, but im too big for a pony :p

Little rearers or those who rear on cue would be fine, but not those who are of a certain height and go past a certain angle!
Nothing big and bargy, I don't mind instilling some manners, but nothing who wishes to flatten me!

Health - Would avoid another grey, the worry about melanomas and sarcoids isnt worth it. Nothing with a bad back or legs.

Has to be handsome/pretty. I like a good looking horse.
 
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All the usual vices put me off but I'd add that I won't have another stressy one. Put up with my older horse for 12 years and as much as I love her I just can't be doing with something that makes a drama about everything, is constantly on the go and never truly settles. My new youngster is so chilled out it makes life so much easier all round.
 
Absolutely has to be good for the vet and the farrier. No ifs or buts on that one, having been seriously injured by my beloved horse that I was never told was awful (I kid you not could have its head on the floor sedated one minute then kicked down part of the stable wall next min) for the vet. If I wouldn't want to deal with it I wouldn't expect my farrier or vet to risk there life either.
 
wont hack out alone/bad in traffic
bites/kicks people
rears full up
bolts
melanomas/sarcoids/sweet itch/EMS/laminitis in fact any known health issues would mean I would not buy a horse.
something that had been ruined under saddle and would require months/years of reschooling.
 
Depends on whether I am buying it or just being asked to ride it/work with it tbh.

For riding : -
Nothing with no self preservation (blind bolting, rearing up and flipping over backwards multiple times).
I have ridden a known blind bolter but it was caused by a veterinary issue which had since been fixed (so I had been told), but he did it with me one day and I had to bail. After that I only exercised him in an arena with supervision.
I also won't jump anything that has a dirty stop but this is mostly because I've only ridden two horses which genuinely had a dirty stop (that I don't think was caused by bad riding, either by me or any of the very experienced riders I saw riding them) and I strongly believe both horses had physical issues.

Buying : -
Well, I'm much more fussy when it comes to this because I'm quite tight with my money lol.
-Nothing with serious rearing, serious bucking or blind bolting.
-Nothing which is bad to hack
-Nothing which is not a careful jumper over solid fences.
-Not fond of most cobbier types but would consider the right one.
-Nothing that wants to kill me (serious kicking/biting/striking out)
-Would def consider any which had things like SI/lami that could be kept under control by careful management.
-No enormous horses! I am 5ft 1 and don't really want to have to climb a ladder just to get onto my horse.
 
No one has mentioned a horse which genuinely needs hard work 6 days a week.. I can manage 5. In the summer I can sometimes do 6 but geniunely could not make that work on a constant basis and being on a competition yard, I do see horses that need that much work to keep them happy.
 
Something that is a ticking time bomb if it hasn't been ridden by day three!
Separation anxiety .. I just CANNOT deal with horses who cant think for themselves, it makes me nervous around them!
The list is endless but then I'm a very very lucky boy and my horse is perfect :D
 
I will never have another horse does not enjoy being worked. I can deal with all sorts but they have have have to be willing!
 
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