What have yours all had in common?

I don’t have my own but when I used to have riding lessons the horses I rode were always free for me to ride because they were awkward and no one else wanted them!!
 
Current horse is the opposite from my last in almost every conceivable way - mare instead of gelding, cob instead of tb, low instead of high maintenance, cool versus expressive, forward thinking rather than backward… but that was a conscious choice after losing my gelding. I absolutely adored him but he wouldn’t have fit with the life I have now. I honestly can’t think of a single similarity except that I have adored them both.
 
Between a 15.1hh QH mare, a 16.1hh Shire-TBx mare, a 15.3hh Clyde-TB-QH gelding (sales project...didn't have him long), a 14hh Highland gelding, and a 15hh PRE mare, I can't think of any similarities. They all had/have different personalities. They all had/have weird quirks, but what horse doesn't? All different weird quirks.

The only commonality are ground manners, but if it doesn't come with them already installed (the Highland did, the others not so much), I train them. I don't think that counts.
 
One owned 2 loaned all 3 mares 13.2 with strong opinions 😅. The loaned 2 I wasn't actively looking for, the owned one I was looking for a 14.2 +
 
scats said:
I have a friend who thinks I’m so lucky that all mine over the years have had manners… she doesn’t seem to understand there’s a reason for this!
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I hear you.

If I had a pound for everytime someone told me 'I'm so lucky' or 'he's just so good' I'd never have to worry about my pension.

I mean, he is great and I'm lucky in many ways to have him but he was best described as a spirited youngster and I've spent hours and hours and lots of ££££ to make sure he's happy and therefore well mannered.

But of course, it's all just pure luck. Especially as I own a pony, so naturally know nothing 🤣
 
I think riding style is like handwriting. We all have our individual style and so the horses we ride become similar to each other, catching on to our language. I once had a lesson on gate opening on my IS old share, and these days when I edge my current IS share up to open the gate using those same aids, I stupidly muddle up the horses and feel as though I am on the previous mare. Though she is long dead.
 
4 impeccable white stockings and a lot of white on their face. I always say you don’t drive the paintwork/a good horse is never a bad colour but I am drawn to what I am drawn to…
Also, they have all been much more responsive to ride than anyone expects - no kick along cart horses here! IMG_2276.jpeg
 
AShetlandBitMeOnce said:
Can I send Dex to you on holiday to learn the same? He will actively hold his wee until he's back in his stable from the field.
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If he reliably does it as soon as he gets in the stable or at a certain point then catch it in a bucket! I had one who would pee pretty much every time he went in to his stable so I had designated bucket and very rarely had to take wet out of the stable, it was great!
 
The ones I've actually owned have all had lifelong health conditions. Good thing I don't have aspirations to go to the Olympics. Most notable are EMS, sweet itch and PSSM1. Luckily field management is roughly the same or I'd be buggered!
 
They all use the designated toilet area. I worried when a new one came because he went everywhere, which I wasn’t used to as all the ones before have just gone in the one place, by the dung heap. He’s got the hang of things now.
 
Bernster said:
Abbijay - gorgeous horses, I love that you fly the flag for ‘heavier’ breeds doing dressage!
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Thanks! The "baby" one turns 8 this year so I am finally happy to crack on with him "properly" in the school. My instructor loves him and has set me a challenge of getting him out to a High Profile next year. He's done 1 prelim so far so this is quite the challenge... But I love a challenge!
 
Mine are both geldings with a keen interest in mares.

Number one is a smooth lady killer who always had mares falling at his feet.

Number two fancies his chances but never ever gets anywhere as his potential conquests simply tell him to get lost. With much stamping of their feet.
 
I've only owned 1 horse but have partboarded/shared many horses over the years. The majority of those, including my own, have been TBs (usually off the track) apart from 2 (or 3?) which were warmbloods or had warmblood blood in it. And of those TBs, all of them have eaten double their weight in food and not gained a gram of weight.
 
scats said:
I have a friend who thinks I’m so lucky that all mine over the years have had manners… she doesn’t seem to understand there’s a reason for this!
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I get the same, in particular with mine now...I get compliments on his manners but I can tell you, it didn't happen by magic (though I never was able to crack the "walk beside me, not behind me without me telling you to do so" and have not been able to get him to understand his own spacial awareness so can sometimes seem a bit rude but have chalked that up to some sort of missing brain cells as I have tried a lot of different techniques and so have others with no avail....he has the same spacial awareness issues around other horses and "things" in general as well).
 
They’ve all been good-looking types that people notice, they like being groomed and loved on and generally being around people. They’ve also loved their grub a bit too much.

Up until Oliver all had very good manners on the ground or easily taught. Oliver is a work in progress.
 
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