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 Veteran
Posts: 152
 
Location: wherever my gypsy soul lands | Have funky quirks or habits? My gelding, though I love him to death and I hope he ends up a great one, is one CRANKY SOB!! He HATES being groomed, will dance back and forth and flick his tail the whole time, even with a soft brush or just running your hand down his side. He doesn't kick or bite. If you braid his tail and ride you've basically signed your own death certificate. He has amazingly precise aim with it. But will stand quiet as can be to get a bath. On a side note he did race for 7 years, maybe that accounts for some of the moodiness... |
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Expert
Posts: 1314
Location: North Central Iowa Land of white frozen grass | You must have never owned a mare then. They all seem to have quirks and some of them are just down right moody. Ha. |
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| Read the response I just posted on the question regarding "horse w/gate issues". You may find it interesting... read the link on RER |
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 Ima Cool Kid
Posts: 3496
Location: TN | Our mare was so goooood at being a clean dependable winner at polebending she would reach out and bite anything standing with in reach of her when u sat the saddle on her back. it might be a another horse or person or just a post but every one knew to stand back .what is funny she had a traveling buddy that went on the road when my daughter did IPRA rodeo (the longhorn series one year) that mare got used to being snapped at and turns around and does it to other horses when she is being saddled like the habbit floated through the herd heirachy . Only the original mare would threaten us but never connected with her teeth. but even our dogs knew to stay a way from her at the front of the tack room door. to this day we have a few mares thAT pin their ears when saddled and throw their heads. |
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| I think the horse is probably trying to tell you something. He has ulcers, a sore back or maybe a magnesium deficiency. I had a horse that was very sensitive to even a soft brush but when he was on a magnesium supplement he did not mind being brushed at all. Check out this site for info on the symptoms of a magnesium deficiency. http://performanceequinenutrition.com/magnesium-101/ |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | JFlynn - 2015-10-26 8:34 PM
Have funky quirks or habits? My gelding, though I love him to death and I hope he ends up a great one, is one CRANKY SOB!! He HATES being groomed, will dance back and forth and flick his tail the whole time, even with a soft brush or just running your hand down his side. He doesn't kick or bite. If you braid his tail and ride you've basically signed your own death certificate. He has amazingly precise aim with it. But will stand quiet as can be to get a bath. On a side note he did race for 7 years, maybe that accounts for some of the moodiness...
Have you ever rubbed on his withers? like you know how horses groom each other? don't use your nails, but use the soft pads of your fingers.
I'm taking equine behavior right now and have a mare like this- she would let you do anything to her, but she hated to be pet on. My prof said theres a chance she has very sensitive skin, and petting/grooming actually feels bad/mildly painful. So she said try and rub her over the withers and then try and rub her where horses mutually groom and see if she tries to kill me still. I haven't been able to do it yet because she's at my parents house. |
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 Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | I have found that when a horse acts "moody" or "grouchy" they are trying to TELL you something. I would get him checked out by a GOOD lameness vet. I don't believe that horses are mean just to be mean. |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | In my experience, horses that are really grumpy about grooming are uncomfortable about something. The gelding I'm running now was really cinchy when I got him, he would throw his head and get hiccups. I fixed that with a saddle that fits and slow cinching up, but I've figured out over time that if he throws his head when I brush the left side of his neck/shoulder, it's because his right stifle is sore. He's very talky. He's also funny because when I go to bridle him, he puts his ears back and starts grabbing at the bit. I've never had one bridle themselves before. |
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Veteran
Posts: 152
Location: wherever my gypsy soul lands | I work for a great lameness vet. He's been checked out head to toe, treated for ulcers-the whole 28 day treatment with follow-up doses, chiro, accupuncture, etc. There's nothing clinically wrong with him. He just does not like to be groomed. Sometimes he'll tolerate it for 5 or 10 minutes and then he's done. Just his quirk. I've had him for over a year and this is just him. He hasn't gotten better but he hasn't gotten worse so I don't think he's hurting. |
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Ima Cool Kid
Posts: 3496
Location: TN | The mare I was telling ya'll about is retired for the second time. Very healthy and happy but she will do the her thing when being saddled once or twice a summer with the grand kids. she may have had times she was sore but she just got it up a habit nd taught all her herd mates and they still do it toward each other just not with as much "style" as Sorrelea does
This mare has been shown for 20+ years and has a list a mile long of accomplishments. That's why her quirk was tolerated. |
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| Where to begin ?!! lol ! My mare is very neurotic , and does all sorts of weirdo things. Tied at trailer she stands on 3 legs when I'm taking too long ( she's very impatient ) .Does it at feeding time, and does it when we're riding and I stop to chat with someone. Its just her way of saying "let's go !"
Also, she's very , very talky. Husband says she mumbles, she's always nickering & babbling to me. She's a weaver & stall walker ( even in a 60x100 corral with a buddy & free choice grass hay). But...she's very affectionate with me and protective, and I do love her. Ulcer medicine, magnesium supplement, zero grains, and no commercial feeds have helped her tremendously with her neurotic nature .Most people would not put up with her( she was given to me 2 yes ago) , but after 50 days of barrel training, she shows much potential and has a lot of heart , she just needs a job every day :) |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| JFlynn - 2015-10-27 8:25 AM
I work for a great lameness vet. He's been checked out head to toe, treated for ulcers-the whole 28 day treatment with follow-up doses, chiro, accupuncture, etc. There's nothing clinically wrong with him. He just does not like to be groomed. Sometimes he'll tolerate it for 5 or 10 minutes and then he's done. Just his quirk. I've had him for over a year and this is just him. He hasn't gotten better but he hasn't gotten worse so I don't think he's hurting.
Could be herpes, they can be sensitive to brushing, most lamness vets will not suspect this, you need to go to an internest |
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 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | My husband had a roping mare in high school who if you cinched her back cinch up too tight too fast would bite. He said she didn't like anybody but him. His dad was bugging him one day and holding the mare so he pulled her back cinch hard and the mare grabbed a chunk of his dad. Just left a bruise but his dad quit bugging him and never held that mare for him again lol. |
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Common Sense and then some
Location: So. California | I would 5 panel DNA test for PSSM1 - intolerance to brushing is one of the key indicators. It's simple and inexpensive. http://www.animalgenetics.us/Equine/Genetic_Disease/Index.asp scroll down to Equine panel test $100, Or you can test just for PSSM1 for $40 |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
| I think every horse has quirks in some way or another. Some are just more annoying or noticable than others.
The horse in my profile picture is a very sensitive mare. She is cinchy, opinionated, and can put up quite the fight. She was one that you shouldn't waste your time once the blow up happens, because she does not give in and it is not going to end well for you. But overall, she is one of the smartest, hardest working horses I've ever rode.....when she wanted to be. haha I still love her, and I can't wait to see her Nonstop Firewater foal in 2017.
Then my old gelding was a smoking fast pole horse. If you could get him in the arena, he was going to run a nice pattern. Getting him in was the interesting part, which is what lead to his retirement and the training of the mare previously mentioned. haha He also didn't stall well, having to be hobbled or tied anytime he stayed stalled. He also wasn't very respectful. Now he's living out in the pasture as fat and happy as could be never getting rode and flirting with mares over the fence row. haha |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | Well Cash, the best horse I've ever known, has one really bad quirk/habbit. He is a trest HOUND. He has never tried to bite out get aggressive but he will just wiggle around and move so he can inspect any human near him for treats. He looks like a TSA agent with one of those wand things just scanning your entire body for treats. I know every horse loves food but he got SO pushy I had to stop all together except for special occasions. |
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