Why do some people exagerate their horses naugtiness!!

Cos it makes them look 'ard :cool:;)

Ha no I dont really think that. I think people have much more respect for some one who has trained their horse to be sensible when needed. When mine does turn he always shocks people who dont know about that side of him as he becomes a horid creature from the rather well mannerd and amenable chap that he normally is.
I dont think that just because a horse needs riding in a specific way that it means that no one else is capable of riding it as some people seem to think it does.

I take pride in the fact that any one can handle, lead, load (and this is a big achievment for him), hack and have a play in the school on him, he might not be every ones cup of tea and he still can be opinionated but he displays it in much more reasonable ways now.
 
I'm finding the same, but from the other side. I am riding a horse for a lady who I am really pleased with. He's coming on nicely and is slowly looking more like a horse than a camel. His manners have also improved massively.

However, every time I ride him she focuses on the bad things. For example, we went on hack the other day (his first) and he was good as gold except for 5 minutes when he wound himself up. The only thing that got brought up was that!!

Why? I was so proud of him, is it not best to focus on the good things? It is very annoying!!
 
Haven't read the whole thread, but . . . yup I think people exaggerate to make themselves look good for riding/owning a nutter.

I know a couple of people like this and I find it really sad for the horse . . . reputations are hard to shake.

P
 
vieshot said:
Im only playing, im sure most people would be okay with her, shes just a typical chesnut mare :)
Click to expand...

ah darn, i was hoping I had a customer! :D


Some further thoughts on this, we are so well aware that a bolder rider could take this mare and probably have a really great horse in the same way that my daughter got her new horse who was too much for his old owner but she finds him a laugh when he has his little naughty moments (nothing too major!), but she just couldn't laugh with the mare.

But, we have to be honest with anyone who was interested in her that she can be quirky and nappy and she's done x and x and x in the past, even if not recently just so they have a very clear picture so it's almost like we're highlighting the bad instead of the good all the time. I really wish I could find someone for her because in so many ways she is fantastic, just not the right horse for us.
 
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I have to say I am guilty of the reverse - telling my new yard owner/instructor how wonderful and saintly and talented Teddy is...then he had him off twice in one session - once with a bronc, once with a dirty, dirty stop...ho hum...they like to keep us on our toes...
 
I think I do this but not for the reasons all mentioned, I fully admit I'm not the most confident or skilled rider. However, 95% of the time my pony is a saint, 5% he is a little sod, he barges, bucks, naps, spins, its like he is a different horse. Not alot of people see him being a pain and don't believe me but I feel I have to say it just in case he is difficult, it can be quite embarrasing and is always at totally inappropriate times. If I sense he is having one of those days its often easier to just turn him back out and not start a fight!
 
well i cant say eneything like that about myn he,s a saint and love telling people how nice he is and how well behaved he is people always say awwww hes realy sweet ect ect and these are the things i love to hear back :) but my last horse bless her she was a witch :eek: and the party tricks she,d pull were horrible but in speaking terms id just say to people she,s very sharp i wouldnt give her a bad name even though many of times i could of sold her for a £1
 
On the other side..
My pony looks like a donkey on the ground & is perfectly mannered so people dont believe me when.i say what hes like & i didnt believe his old owner when she said he bolts...
BUT having experienced it i can safely say hes bolted & i can tell the difference as hes stopped now & just takes off.. :/
I dont think its cool or good but with him being 11 & me only owning him for 4 months i can safely say its not a reflection.on me & he WILL become good..

So not all people are exaggerating it. Iv experienced most vices so when i say hes bucked/bolted ec-I mean it!!
 
I think some people do it to impress.

My horse on the whole is very good but he can be very spooky very sharp. I came back from a ride this week saying that he was mental which he was!! Cantering when I asked for trot spooking at drains, flowers, baby birds even he own gob!! Yesterday he was good as gold!!!

We did have someone at the yard whose horse was a complete head case and I think she thought she was so good that she could sort it out. She would marched about with her nose in the air telling story about what it had done. In the end it was dangerous bucking on the road, kicking out at cars and was put down.
 
If she is scared perhaps the horses actions do feel that bad to her. I often wonder why done people don't take up a different hobby.
 
I moved yards this year and told everyone on my new yard how highly strung, fretful and anxious my horse was... HE WAS I SWEAR!! I wasnt doing it to show off! Since moving yards he is a totally different horse - in every way possible! Hasnt shown any of the previously mentioned 'Nutter' qualities and has been the vision of perfection. So I guess I was one of those people!! But in the old yard, he was difficult to manage, leading to the field was a challenge, there was no way I could tie him on the yard without a fuss - I hold my hands up... but I am not 14 and never bragged about him being difficult, just pre warned everyone!
 
I had an experience with the opposite of this! There used to be a girl who I paid to bring in/turn out my horse occassionally. My mare can be a nightmare sometimes to lead in if she gets in a tizz - and she tends to shoot around me in a circle etc etc. Being 16.3 and with a high head carriage it can be quite perturbing sometimes. This girl used to INSIST that my mare never dared put a foot wrong whenever she led her 'because she was too scared of her'. I knew this was an absolute load of rubbish because my mare doesn't calm down for anything when she starts, and the loud snorting followed by raised tail ensues fairly quickly if you shout at her when she's in one of those situations! Anyway, after months of saying this, her friend eventually told me that in fact she had seen her struggling at the end of the field with my horse cantering around her and rearing numerous times and she had actually come in shaking!! It really riles me when people feel the need to lie about these things to make them look good! :mad:
 
I have no idea, presumably for the same reason people like to name drop - one upmanship.

I have spent over 20 years with arabs, some nice, some not, some well mannered, some complete yobs, some just total headcases - when I hear comments at a show from riders whose horse flicked his tail (hunter jumpers are generally foot perfect) as having a mega fit, I do allow myself a little smile and think "Oh my Lord, you have no idea, but carry on anyway, you are doing a better job than I would be"

My horses are all dobbins, impossible to big up because anyone could handle them, except for Zeus, not that he isn't a dobbin too, and not because any competent handler couldn't deal with him either, the only reason I prefer to handle him is merely because he could be unpredictable.

Bigging up a horse impresses me no more than people who constantly name drop, I couldn't care less whether your boots are bought second hand from the local thrift shop or handmade by God himself ;)

So what if you know whatchamacallitfartface on TV, or have 1 company, 3 companies or a whole bunch of them, if you drive an expensive car, live in a house fresh off the pages of a glossy magazine and have a direct line to Those Who Really Matter.

What does really impress people then?
 
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