What truly makes a 'nasty' horse?

misskk88 said:
Having read a lot of posts but not commented on them all, I have often read people describing a horse as nasty or dangerous.

To me there is a difference between the two. A dangerous horse may be so out of pain, fear, or instinct etc. With time, the right understanding and correct diagnosis, these horses usually can come good. A nasty horse will be one that is intentionally out to cause harm to human or other animal, thus also making it dangerous and usually it will never come completely good.

I think there seems to be a great confusion between the two, and I am getting more and more maddened by the amount of people that label their horses nasty or dangerous, with little understanding as to WHY they get the reaction they do. Rather than choose to evaluate what they have in front of them, the reasons for it through vet, farrier, experienced rider etc, they label it as a wrong'un and try to fob it off.

Now I know that is a sweeping generalisation and most horse owners are the exact opposite and have the horses best interests at heart! But truly, how many of you have met a nasty horse, rather than one that is labelled 'dangerous' or 'bad tempered' out of misunderstanding? I don't think I have ever met one that was truly nasty- I am talking all out to ensure you are hurt/killed. Naughty and dangerous behaviour has often been explained months down the line with diagnosis of pain or injury in those that have been described as nasty or dangerous.

I am not looking for a debate about what to do with these types of horses, as we all know what options there are and I don't want to turn this into a rehabilitate or pts argument! Just curious as to how many have met what they would call a genuinely 'nasty' horse?
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IME

one that has no respect for human life - one who cannot be trust with human life when you enter the stable. One who will attack a human when you enter the field.
 
The only 'problem' arabs I know (and that is the breed I choose to own and around a lot) are caused by poor handling. People trying to hype them for showing, swatting them and jabbing them to get the extended show pose, or just plain not working / stimulating them enough leaving a very bored animal that seeks to amuse itself. I used to handle and compete a friends 15.3hh arab stallion, hoys ridden winner so no slouch, covered in hand or natural. He was an absolute dream with perfect manners, getting compliments on endurance rides about how well behaved he was around mares. He had a wonderful relaxed life, with a gelding son as field company, passing on in his 20's.

I took on a 'dangerous' pony mare, who had been abused by children. Unsurprisingly she regarded all children as fair game after that. For a small adult, she turned into a wonderful girl, even though I knew better than to turn my back in the field just in case. A friend sold a horse who became dangerous. Owners did a pm, found a brain tumour. I knew another horse, sold by a local huntsman (who admitted it scared him, why for sale) to a girl to sj, said it was an unstoppable nutter but would jump literally anything. Most of the time it was fine, then it would suddenly bolt, jumping anything in its path. Arrogant bloke at yard took it on loan to go hunting. Rode it a few weeks around farm, saying how easy he was. Came back walking it in hand one day, it had taken off with him and tried to jump impossible ditch / hedge combo, leaving them in it. Said he'd never get on it again. Horse was also very aggresive in field to people and savage around food. Had it pts as was dangerous to ride / handle, did pm, no tumour, never known to be abused (history well known). Like a previous horse, under saddle brain sometimes seemed to short out. Wasn't scared or spooking at anything. Some can be born with attitude and issues, not always (though usually) down to people.

Friend bought 6 month filly. Lovely owner, very experienced. Only horse I truly dislike. Nasty to other horses and people. Throws wobblers and has meltdowns if doesn't like what happening or doesn't want to play ball. Been well handled, never passed about, any pain issues looked into (clear). It's just her personaility, it isn't nice at all.
 
OK well I have had maybe 1000 horses in my hands, one grey, a new arrival, tied in a stall [this was 1950's] killed a puppy, horse was called Pickles, he seemed fine, just a bit more fiery than most horses, I was not there at time of incident. He was sent back to the dealer.
I bought a horse which frightened me as I could not trust it, after this, it killed two sheep, and tried to jump on my dog, also reared, it had bad upbringing, I surmise.
I met a few so called dangerous types, but they were "misunderstood", and came round if handled kindly. They were not dangerous, just wary of humans, or had not been told how to behave.
We did have one with an unpleasant personality [nowadays we would say "ulcers"], but I suppose there are some like that. My own little filly had a most wonderful persona [a bit exuberant sometimes!], she loved life!
I suspect that most bad horses have had an unsuitable upbringing.
 
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The Tank said:
Nebo Black Magic, is not a 'Bloody Thing' he was a lovely animal that stupid people used to many times.
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Seeing as it has made a lot of his offspring unpredictable I would love to know what his temperament was like if you know? I'm sorry but his owners / stud should have been making sure eh was overbred, but then again it is all about the money isn't it!
 
The only 'nasty' as opposed to dangerous horse that I ever met was a brumby, rounded up by helicopter in the Northern Territories, which came in with a gunshot wound. The local ranch hands tried to back him 'rough' which nearly killed them and left him with a huge wound on his head from where he'd careered into a fence post attacking the man he'd just dumped.

Another girl and I spent lots of time slowly getting close to him and eventually backed him in 5ft of water. Once we were on, he rode quietly, and seemed relieved - so it was his treatment, not his nature which made him so.
 
I bought a 5 year old mare a few years ago who had been broken in by her owner. She said she napped but was ok otherwise. I rode her a couple of times and managed to push her through her nappiness without resorting to violence.

After I got her home I realised what a problem horse she was. In the stable or when she was tied up outside she tried to squash you. I could not get near her back legs as she tried to kick. I decided to give her a few days to settle and then took her for a short hack. She started to nap immediately and I could not get her moving. Her tactic was to go rigid, lock her jam and kick out at the nesrest object. If nothing was near she did her best to sidle up to something. I had some interesting encounters with cars and gates. She would never go in front of another horse but would follow happily a bike or another horse.

I had my instructor to ride her and in the menage she was fine but if she had to go out, she was no better with her. All my horse loving friends hated her.

In the end I had had enough and sold her for peanuts to a girl whose stable was next to moorland.Much safer.
I think back now and wonder how I should have dealt with her. I did try and take her out in hand but she too, off and I ended up in hospital.

A few years later I met someone that new her in her old home where she had been since she was a foal. Apparently she had always been the same and her owner was terrified of her.
 
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