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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
   
Location: Arkansas | My daddy had a gelding years ago that would turn the water on when he wanted a drink. Even tho the trough was full, he turned the water on; guess he wanted cool water! Daddy said he flooded the lot many times---but he never could teach him to turn the water back off. . .
My mare will do a perfect side pass to position herself JUST RIGHT for you to scratch her belly. I can't get her to do one under saddle to save my life---but she will do dressage moves to get that belly in the perfect place! | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 899
Location: Idaho | I had one, he passed away a couple years ago. Had him for 6 years, he was very quirky but I loved him.
He hated being left alone, especially at competitions. And it wasn't a "buddy sour", it was, "I want to be near my mom" kind of thing. He was definitely a momma's boy in every since of the word, A lot of times I could be seen just holding onto him while sitting and waiting to run, and he would just stand there and be content, no matter where we were. Eventually as time moved on he got a little better at it, but he loved being with me. He was also very picky about who touched his feet, he was afraid of buckets except when there was food or water in it (unfortunately he taught this lovely habit to my colt as a 2 year old, who still hasn't gotten over it lol) He literally wouldn't work for anyone but me. If anyone else got on him, he would literally go as slow as he possibly could and would not run lol But when I got on him, he was ready to work.
He had several quirks, but he was an amazing horse. I worked through a lot of them as he had been passed from owner to owner (I did research, he had about 7-8 owners from the age of 2 to the age of 12) and he had a lot of insecurities. When I first got him, he wouldn't walk, he would prance every where. They had too harsh of a bit on him and you could tell he was just ran everywhere. He would also break into a lather and sweat if he was left alone in his stall from pacing, for a while I thought someone was riding him but one day I came out, was cleaning stalls and someone pulled the mare out that was right next to him. He paced the entire time she was gone, and was soaked. He eventually got over that too, I think he felt like he was going to get abandoned. Some people looked down on him and kept telling me to sell him or "run him for a mile" just to get him to walk. A year later, he did a complete 180 and was a whole lot calmer. 2 years later, I had the same people offering to buy him. I was like.. nope! Kept him till the end of his days, I was with him when he passed and he was being so brave for me, as if he was telling me not to be sad. I still miss him everyday <3
Edited by DashNDustem 2017-01-05 8:01 AM
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 No Name Nancy
Posts: 2715
Location: never in the right place | my gelding does the "pee pee dance". he will walk forward, then back up, then walk forward and does it quite a few times. if he is tied he will move backward until the rope is taunt and then do the forward and back routine and finally pee.
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 Porta Potty Pants
Posts: 2600
| I have one ... he doesn't like to be alone but doesn't like to be loved on either. He'll stand next to you but doesn't want you touching his face or head. He doesn't like to be hard tied. He will stand for quite a while with just his lead rope wrapped around the fencing. If he moves and discovers he's tied up, it's on until he's loose - then he'll just stand there. He will do just about anything for a cookie. But if he's feeling anxious, he will hold the cookie in his mouth and won't chew it until he feels comfortable. He's not afraid of the clippers but is sometimes startled by his shadow. He prefers to stick his head into the next stall to drink water as opposed to drinking out of his own water bin. He will dump his hay so he's eating off the ground ... he has a ground feeder and will still dump it over. He's tries to be an alpha horse around others, unless it's a filly, colt or small horse and he will let them chew his tail and will share his food. (He has a bald spot at the top of his tail, that otherwise touches the ground ... I call it his mullet). But he's afraid of ponies. He's definitely a little "different". 
Edited by azsun 2017-01-05 7:06 PM
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 Veteran
Posts: 104
Location: Southern Michigan | My mare is by far the quirkiest horse I have ever been around. She hates anything plastic and flappy like grocery bags, rodeo banners, etc. (she failed the portion of Natural Horsemanship in college), hates big rocks/boulders will jump sideways and spook at every one she passes. Doesn't mind cows unless they are looking at her, in which she will run the opposite direction. HATES PURPLE FLOWERS!!! She can trail ride across a meadow of wild flowers and is fine until she comes across a purple one! Then she flips out. She dumped me bare back the other day because she didn't like the flock of black birds that landed in the woods.
She is afraid on plastic bags but loves eating bread, which she has learned comes in a plastic bag....she will try to snatch up a slice then will scare herself and jump back then keeps repeating until i get it for her. And she can rig any automatic water to keep the object that's in the way to keep the water clean, out of the way. (That one took me several days to figure out how she managed that one). These are just to name a few. She is not a lovely horse, but is a mommy's girl 100%. | |
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Member
Posts: 47
| My Doc Bar/Poco Tivio gelding is probably the biggest dweeb  I have had to teach myself a few different types of knots and switch up ways of tying him.. or he figures out how to untie himself after long enough.. same with horses tied next to him, he'll set them free before letting himself loose. He also doesn't like to pee on the snow or ice... he'll wait until he has a flake of hay or a bale of straw spread out and pee on that, doesn't like it splashing back up at his legs I guess | |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 460
| These are all really cute quirks you guys! Made me laugh =]
I had a mare that would stick her whole nose in the water and blow bubbles! And, when the water trough would freeze in the winter...if you didn't break the ice FIRST thing in the morning, she would poop in the water trough to break the ice! She would never poo in the water any other time...only if it was frozen...smart, but weird haha.
My mare that I have now is super sweet on the ground and always craves attention. But in the saddle, she is very high strung and tough to ride...with anyone experienced on her. My fiance got on her one time...just because my laid back horse that he was on got a booboo on the ride...and she acted like an old saddle horse for him haha.
My gelding though, is as laid back as they come. And he will just about step on your toes if you stop petting or rubbing him. Gotta love our big kids =] | |
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 Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
Location: Alberta | My gelding Diablo (yes named that for a reason) is as my husband likes to call him batsh*t crazy LOL..here is his story.
Diablo was born and raised on our place, he's by a Firewater Flit son and out of a Beduino bred mare. He was not a friendly foal, he was cute but wanted NOTHING in terms of attention. Halter breaking he tolerated because I kept his mom close. He would kick and bite when you try to work with him,I had to get creative in my strategies with him because he'd figure stuff out and find a way out of it.
He would destroy anything he was tied to or near if you left him alone AND doing the patient post aspect escalated his energy. He wanted NOTHING to do with people, he tolerated but that's all. I questioned my sanity many times. The turning point came when I came out one morning and he was catch on a fence, literally hip locked across it. He didn't fight or anything and had no injuries. After that I wasn't such a bad lady.
He is a horse with MANY quirks, I think he has a new one everyday and is crazy athletic. We ranch so our horses have to do multi jobs, but Diablo was just meant to be a barrel horse LOL. He is seven this year and I am so glad I stuck with him, he's the greatest horse I'll ever own. He has taught me so much and I'm thankful. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 618
| I have a pasture full of personality. All 5 of them together can be a handful. My daughter's gelding hates to have his mane/forelock pretty and brushed. As soon as she's done he shakes his neck messing it up. It has the texture of a troll doll so it's out of control. He, along with his brother are currently carrying a small tub around in their mouth playing their own version of tug of war. | |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | Clifford carries feedpans around, drops them in water buckets etc. Like someone else mentioned, he's weird about where he pees.....shavings in the trailer are his favorite place to pee.
Chance is obsessed with cell phones and used to be a serious fan of the song Cupid Shuffle. He will also style your hair if you sit down near him.
Streak runs in several circles before he can eat.
Joker plays in his water constantly, and he loves to be sprayed with the hose.
Fred likes to make noise - with the snap on his lead rope, a Santa hat with a jingle bell on it, his lips, and really anything he can find. He is always making noise while tied up at barrel races. | |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | My boy will let himself out of his stall, turn the barn lights on, and then put himself back in his stall. He will stay there all night with the gate open and everything.
My mare lifts up her front leg all the way to her belly while eating from a bucket. Any bucket. No matter how high or low. She switches feet periodically. | |
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 Scooters Savior
Location: "Si Fi" Ville | I have one that loves to take down and set up the barrels whether you are on him or off him. Kids love that! I saddle him, ride to the back of the pen, he whips the barrels over,and rolls it to wherever you want, and then tips it back upright on cue. He loves it! He is a firm believer in giving his human a spit bath from head to toe, including eyeballs and slicking hair down 50's style. He can unlock, untie, unfasten anything. He hates horses. He is over 2 feet wide between his front legs and way over 3 feet wide across the rear, but is 14.2 hands tall. We nearly went swimming once over a chihuahua, scared to death of tiny dogs!
Once, when I was trying to teach him to run as a green colt, he would not run for love, money, even a switch.
As I came around the first barrel, I had the bright idea to growl at him, he left so hard and fast I went out the back of the saddle and even had the upper half of my body whip back over his tail, took 3 months, electric stim., meds, and lots of heat and ice. But for fun, when I loan him to the younger gals I ride with, after a bit they complain how lazy he is so I usualy suggest they growl at him when they leave the first barrel. Whiplash!!! They now call him the Chiropractor. | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 964
Location: Alberta, Canada | I think all of my horses have their own little quirks that make them special but my futurity horse is something else. I tell people when they meet him that he is part dog. He has given me a full body bath on numerous occasions and when he is done his ration he will toss his feed tub clear across the pen/stall/pasture. He's actually hidden pans on me before... once it took well over a month to find one that he hid in a feeder in the summer! When he was a yearling and two year old he would pick up sticks in the pasture and chase the other horses with them... thankfully he seems to have outgrown that habit.
Last night he was eating while enjoying a session on the equivibe. We have 8 foot walls between our stalls. He tossed his tub OVER the wall and door of the stall next to him, almost taking out the light.
He is also the devil to pony. Last week he came at the mare I was using to pony him on two feet with teeth showing. Thank goodness she's green, but gentle and didnt seize opportunity to pile me... because I surely would have when he pulled back bucking and took off across the field like he was in the kentucky derby. HE is the reason I pony in an enclosed field. Doesnt matter how much I pony to try and break him of his nasty habits, he doesnt seem to want to grow up and feels being ponied isnt serious work.
He's special but ironically the most focused, gentle, broke individual to ride and run. drags his feet up the alley, emits crazy confidence and is just a nice guy to compete on.... I guess that's my reward for his goofiness outside of the arena. | |
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Never Named
Posts: 1837
Location: Southern Alabama | Thank goodness I am not alone here! This grulla mare... she is a piece of work. She cannot be pastured with other horses because she is so nasty to them. She likes for me to be touching her, all the time. If she can see or hear me, she expects me to be doing SOMETHING, ANYTHING, with her. She is definitely a one person horse. I am her person. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
| I consider my gelding VERY quirky. I would classify him as lazy. Typical gelding, would rather not trot too long if he doesn't have too, stands stock still while tied, never makes a fuss of any kind. Super temperment, great manners, etc. BUT this horse is the most easily (and instantly) over-stimulated horse I have EVER seen. I've sometimes considered maybe he has issues with his sight, but probably not. If something sets him off he's a fire-breathing dragon. Hates other horses in the warm up pen and completely feeds off their energy until he's a just a giant ball of nerves. No gate issues and always does his job just fine. I cant describe it any other way than he is very easy to over-stimulate and does a 180 personality wise. | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
Location: MN | Oh my Little Wayne-o. If I would let him lay in my lap, he would. I can call him up out of the pasture with a whistle and he'll just slow poke to the gate, on his own time. But he knows I always have a treat or an apple awaiting him. Scared to death of the color white, yet...he's half white himself?? You can rope off of him but he prefers to blow and snort at the rope everytime he see's it. He's been roped off of countless times and knows exactly what that rope is and does, yet he still does it every. single. time. He's pretty funny. People comment on his infectious personality all the time, wherever we go. | |
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