What do you put up with......

[TicTac]

from your horse and why? My mare can be a bit of a stress head at times for what seems to me, like no reason at all. I find it very frustrating but I'm learning to ignore her behaviour and it usually doesn't last for too long and it got me thinking. Sometimes I wish I had a horse that was this, that or the other but really I'm quite lucky with the one I've got! Yes She's opinionated, can pull faces and fidget for england and put the odd buck in before she's warmed up but generally she doesn't do anything wrong. She loads with no problem, clips, 99.9% of the time will be caught with out a fuss, is not bothered by traffic, can turn her hoof to anything, and is happy in all the other things that make life easy to look after her except that she won't hack out alone and this is my compromise. She will hack out with somebody else on a bike or on foot and is perfect in company but alone is her only issue.

When I read of some of the problems people have with their horses it makes me appreciate my mare and that none of us are perfect after all.

 

[devilwoman]

Spookiness for no apparent reason and at the most stupidest of things like a leaf - and will then pass a tractor with no problem at all.

My 2 year old filly - bulshiness, permenantly testing the boundaries and ponsing about (hopefully she'll grow out of all her "habits")

 

[jackiesansom]

Somebody once said to me 'there is no bad behaviour only behavour that the owner can no longer accept as tolerable. Everyones toleration levels are different'

Some of things people let their horses get away with at my yard is outrageous but they obviously tolerate this as part of their horses personality and are happy to accept it where as I wouldn't.

I think that as long as you still enjoy your horse then sometimes imperfections can be overlooked!

 

[Izzwizz]

Are you sure thats not my horse your talking about TicTac? Sounds like mine in lots of ways. She wouldnt hack out on her own when I first got her 4yrs ago but she will now (or rather she did before we began an epic period of box rest) I think it was when all of a sudden she trusted me and knew me that she accepted going out solo. Started with taking her on small routes in hand, then ridden and built it up from there. Wouldnt swap her for the world!

 

[Eaglestone]

I have been very lucky with my 2 and apart from when Motor was younger, they are brilliant to handle and very quiet around the yard, as long as they are always together

Motor does not load, so that put a stop to using the lovely lorry I bought for him years ago, but apart from a lot of sillyness being ridden at times, he has never scared me and is an absolute joy

TB can be silly at times, but is brilliant in traffic and generally as good as gold.

As they are only happy hackers, I really cannot ask for anything more ......

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

Mine sounds similar to your TicTac - after over 12 years I'm completely used to him, but I do wish he wasn't so spooky for no apparent reason! RIding wise, the only problem I have with him is his inability to stand still for even 5 seconds, he is such a fidget!

 

[hendry]

yep, I've gone through quite a few horses now only to find none of them are perfect and its a matter of do the good outweigh the not so good points!

 

[MrsMozart]

The odd spin and shooting backwards - I'm hoping both of them are because she is young

.

Sometimes I wish I didn't have to be so much the leader in handling her; it would be nice to let things slide a little occasionally, but if I give her half an inch she'll take my head off

. Again, I'm hoping that with time and persaverence we will be able to chill a bit

.

Other than those, she hacks out alone (or used to!), puts up with me fumbling about, is reasonably easy to catch, is getting better with the farrier (thank you Mark!), is good with the vet/backman/dentist, loads fairly well, travels well, is good to handle 99.99% of the time, and is just beautiful, so I guess I'm very lucky

.

 

[TelH]

I put up with Elspeth the mini Shet escaping

every day

without fail

and I put up with her toddling round the field and letting the other ponies out too

you just gotta admire her ingenuity though, and she gives great cuddles

and does really well in the show ring too

(might just add here I do not have my ponies wandering round at random, El constantly goes through the elec fence but she cannot get through the boundary of my land so she is safe!)

 

[Persephone]

I don't put up with anything tbh.

She knows her boundaries, she seems very confident in herself and me most of the time.

I suppose I put up with the fact that I cannot sit on her and be a passenger. I have to be concentrating at all times. If she doesn't have my attention she loses confidence in herself. If I let that happen she will spook, spin or buck. There is no looking at the scenery on our hacks lol.

I also put up with the fact that when excited she will occasionally rear on the way to her field. I cope with this, again, by always keeping my full attention on her in this situation. It has been a long time since she has actually gone up. My sacrifice to the situation is using a long enough lead rope that I can keep out of the way if she does rear.

She is funny, cheeky and very loving, but I know I have to keep the upper hand by being firm but fair at all times. It doesn't mean she isn't loved. She gives and receives as much affection as she likes, as long as she sticks to the rules. One foot out of line and I have to take that affection back a step.

 

[YorksG]

My Appy mare can spook for Britain, which can be a bit of a pain, BUT she hacks, alone or in company, in company she will go first or last (although she is a speed walker ) She is traffic proof, although so much so that she will spook into traffic at scarey leaves. She has excellent manners on the ground and in the stable, but enjoys a joke

While she came here with most of this in place I will say that the good manners etc have been kept going by NEVER letting her get away with bad manners. This mare would take advantage of anyone who did not keep her up to the mark.

 

[RuthnMeg]

I think I put up with a lot -
Spookyness on a ride
Hates 'treatment' -vets beware!
Won't tie up
Isn't 100% farrier (she is ok, just not 100% trustworthy)
Sometimes she gallops round her field and all I want is for her to eat - lead a horse to water........
She tears her NZ rug more times than I care to imagin
She has a slight lack of stable manners!!
HOWEVER
she is the best horse to ride, loves jumping and gives you a great safe feeling. She has amazing paces and hacks on her own and is very good in traffic and doesn't bat an eye lid at massive combines etc... She took me safely round pre-novice tracks and is a great brave hunter too.

 

[Rudey]

My friend always says it's one or the other - as in they are either perfect to handle OR perfect to ride, NEVER both!! You're mare is prime example of this lmaooooo

Sammi does the whole spooking at nothing, unpredictable behaviour when he's excited impresionating a baby spring lamb! Oh and lets not forget the odd rear and leap, landing from the leap and bouncing over a jump. Stupid thing is - I feel safe on him! If any other horse did that to me I would be scared to death!

Rox has the annoying yearling factor where he is in your face 24/7. He has to investigate everything - usually with his front feet! I bought him as an unhandled 10 month old colt. The first week of having him, I was poo picking the isolation paddock, although I was unable to touch him, he followed me round like a dog and ended up climbing into the wheel barrow with his front end!! The worst issue I have is that he has jumped over his 4foot stable door twice, so I had the expense of getting a weaving grill with infill - damn sight cheaper then a nasty injury/vet bill/broken door mind!! xx

 

[skewby]

QR - getting run away with occasionally. But only really now if I ride cr@p, or he gets tired out hunting.

Other than that, angel - apart from being a bit grumpy

 

[MagicMelon]

I don't put up with anything from my current horse as there's actually nothing wrong with him at all! He is the quietest horse ever, I guess he's sensitive so I have to stay relaxed and quiet around him or he stresses - but honestly he's beautifully mannered on the ground and under saddle!! The ONLY thing I can think of it that on the way to the XC start box, he normally does this weird mini-panic attack where he suddenly flips round and won't turn back round again doing tiny weeny rears. I just ignore it - its just part of his XC thing! Although last time he did this was annoying as the BE starter was very kind and delayed our start time by a few seconds until I could finally get him turned to get into the start box (although a horse had just thundered through the finish right beside us at the time). He never does it at any other time and he adores going XC.

My last horse I took a lot from though - a Welsh D (stereotypical one at that!). He was horrifically behaved on the ground and under saddle when I got him as a backed 3yo. He was nappy and bolshy as hell. I worked damn hard on that horse and eventually got him going well under saddle (all he did was the odd excited buck as he had so much presence which I happily ignored) and on the ground he only occassionally tested the boundaries. Although I could have killed that horse on a few occassions, I ended up forming the most amazing relationship with him!

 

[zeuscleoharmony]

I am very lucky that there is not a lot to put up with with Archie. He may have an odd moment of exuberance every now and again on the ground but if I throw my arms up (not like a mad woman but enough to get his attention) and shout grrrrrr he backs off and remembers himself.

 

[Pony_Puzz]

Rudey has it all correct!

One of mine is a saint to handle, kids no problem. Riding she's spooky, nappy, wont go straight and rushes.
My youngster can be one or the other depends on how he feels, one day pain on the ground another really good picks up all feet etc, when ridden he is very safe, great to jump and good confidence giving ride even when being slightly nappy