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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
  
Location: North Dakota | love2run - 2018-10-18 11:20 AM A friend mentioned to me I should add this horse has been worked with and handled extensively. She’s had tons of one on one time with her humans so it’s hard to chalk it up to her being green even though she’s 3
I had a quirky one and I had to routinely do ground work with him or he'd act just like yours; very watchy and liked to spook and run off. Magnesium was my friend with this one, no hot feed, and I limited his alfalfa intake. He's 12 now and has been a freak since day one. He got hurt last year, so he's a pretty pasture ornament. I purchased the complete opposite of him and don't miss the freaky attitude. In fact, you couldn't pay me to ride another one like him. Too many easier horses out there that make time spent with them more enjoyable. |
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Veteran
Posts: 268
| This sounds exactly like the one I am currently competing on. I absolutely LOVE her now but a year ago I would've sold her for peanuts! I have people telling all the time they'd like to own her...or would you sell her.....what's your price?.....
She has made me a better horsewoman....when I say she is a challenge people don't believe it because she is amazing....NOW! Lol. She could never go to just anyone to own. I admit I will let her get away with some little things I would not from any other horse but I need to pick my battles and I better make sure it is one I can win.
She has taken ALOT of patients but SO worth it....you can always learn from these ones and often they will be the best partner ever. I have never had one try as hard as this mare. She gives 110% all the time and when you need her she is there! I would embrace the quirks as opportunities to learn. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 575
| veintiocho - 2018-10-18 10:29 AM
love2run - 2018-10-18 11:20 AM
A friend mentioned to me I should add this horse has been worked with and handled extensively. She’s had tons of one on one time with her humans so it’s hard to chalk it up to her being green even though she’s 3
Maybe just more sensitive than what you are used to.. how is she bred? The running bred horses tend to be more sensitive to EVERYTHING.
Agree. Sensitive.
I've got one who started to jump when I was saddling her. Never did it and then bam, she just started one day. Not sore. Chiro found nothing. Turns out that she didn't care for the cinches coming down and hitting her sides. So now I flip them up and saddle like normal with absolutely no problem. |
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 Go go girl
| I find it to be the opposite. My running bred horses have been way easier and more sane than my cow bred gelding. |
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Veteran
Posts: 160
| My good mare is/was the same way, not from lack of handling, it is just her personality. She grew out of a lot of her spookiness but she will still occasionally spook/snort/jump over the most random (sometimes invisible) things. As others have said, she made me a better horsewoman and I wouldn't trade working through her quirkiness for the world. Now, after working with my two new "normal" babies, I realize she was a complete nutcase as a 2-5 year old.  At the end of the day, I value the lessons she's taught me and training her has put me ahead with the new horses because anything they throw at me, she has most likely done it first and worse! Smooth seas never made a skilled sailor. As someone else said, put up with as much as you can handle and value the lessons the colt is teaching you! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 912
Location: Alabama | MrsHound - 2018-10-18 1:53 PM
I find it to be the opposite. My running bred horses have been way easier and more sane than my cow bred gelding.
Agree. These cowbreds are some super feely suckers. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | love2run - 2018-10-18 11:20 AM A friend mentioned to me I should add this horse has been worked with and handled extensively. She’s had tons of one on one time with her humans so it’s hard to chalk it up to her being green even though she’s 3
So has this horse been threw more then a few owners? |
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Member
Posts: 12
| Southtxponygirl - 2018-10-18 3:00 PM
love2run - 2018-10-18 11:20 AM A friend mentioned to me I should add this horse has been worked with and handled extensively. She’s had tons of one on one time with her humans so it’s hard to chalk it up to her being green even though she’s 3
So has this horse been threw more then a few owners?
No I bought her directly from the breeder |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | love2run - 2018-10-18 3:54 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-10-18 3:00 PM love2run - 2018-10-18 11:20 AM A friend mentioned to me I should add this horse has been worked with and handled extensively. She’s had tons of one on one time with her humans so it’s hard to chalk it up to her being green even though she’s 3 So has this horse been threw more then a few owners? No I bought her directly from the breeder
I would put her on a supplement like Quiessence or B1 for 4 or 5 months and see if that would help her..
Edited by Southtxponygirl 2018-10-18 4:10 PM
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Veteran
Posts: 217
| I don't think there is a normal. My two not QH's are super chill, I can do whatever and they won't react or blow up.
My off the track QH, I tried to work with her quirks and I couldn't. Some days putting the halter on was no big deal...other as soon as I got the noseband slid on she'd take off spooked. Same halter. Same spot. She'd pull back on the trailer some days to break stuff, head shaker randomly. Be hot one day, dead sided the next. Treated for ulcers. Chiro multiple times. Watchy on trails but awesome at new arenas. She preferred the show atmosphere than home but I couldn't get her working right at home to haul her to shows without throwing money away.
New guy is Sun Frost/Peppy bred. He's one I can pick my battles with, but he's super sensitive. He'll set back occasionally but he has triggers. Can't walk too fast towards his face, can't use a cheap halter/lead rope/or trailer ring because he's smart enough to learn that he got away, lets try it again. You can see when he's like "Nah, don't like this" and he's going to do something that'll probably irritate you. Can't force him into doing a thing and he must have a reward for the littlest tries. I can't ride him in a light bit like he should be, because if something irritates him, he's prone to bolting. I promise he's not as bad as he sounds but it took a year of building his confidence to over come some of it and lots of observing to figure out his triggers and sensitive points. |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| Not sure I have owned a horse that doesn't have SOMETHING quirky.
Old mare, every spring she'd launch in one corner of our practice pen. She'd flip that ear and she'd leap straight up and upon landing make a hard spin left. Watched her do it once with my mom next to a barrel and her feet were level with the top. She was on springs I swear. Once she had a few rides, she was fine the rest of the summer.
My old gelding won't tie to a trailer. Ties most anywhere else to a point, but will set back sometimes.
My 3yo filly doesn't have a whole lot going on. She bucks in heat. She also shimmers when I mount. I don't know what else to call it. She gives a little wiggle that has sometimes led to bucking but other times she shimmers and then relaxes. Saddle fits decently -little wide, but no pinch. Makes getting on a bit of a struggle due to the fact that I'm not sure what she's going to do. Once I'm on she rides really well. It's not a deal breaker, and I feel she'll grow out it.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 762
Location: NC | I dont think just young ones are quirky lol. My 22 year old today while tied for the farrier, decided there was something across the road that was coming for him....Snorting and staring... there was a not a thing there. And every time my farrier turned the grinder on he would snort and stare at it. (hes seen a grinder for a long time)
Some morning its an argument to put his fly mask on (hes bug sensitive and has to have one on) I've owned him 14 years and still laugh (sometimes) at the stupid things he does (and there are other dumb things)
But at the end of the day hes been there done that and my 67 yr old mom runs him and he takes care of her |
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Member
Posts: 37
| I have one, I hauled for two years. Every time I went somewhere it was like her first time being hauled. She spooked in the field one day because a deer came out of the brush in the next field. The rest of that year when she got to that spot she would stop and look for that deer. She did help improve my riding and she was never dangerous, just spooky. |
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 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| I think quirks are what generally gives them at that fire and makes them great. If you read a lot of the pro's articles, you will find many of them are quirky.
Now, it depends what you want. Some grow out of quirks and some don't. I don't mind a few quirks but I don't like certain things.
My niece has an OTTB who is extremely quirky. She doesn't tie, a pill to catch (more often than not), she randomly takes off bucking when you saddle her and sometimes runs away when you bridle her. She sucks to work and to vaccinate. However, she rides like a dream. 3D/4D for my niece, probably capable of 2d/3d but my niece isn't ready yet. I was worried about her when we got her because of all her quirks but I have grown to love her because she is so good for my niece. As annoying as she can be, she has taught my niece so much.
And yes, shes been vetted 8 ways from sunday. She has a fairly rough past so we know a lot of her quirks are due to that. Its like she has PTSD and randomly loses reality. You have to just let her have a fit and then she's fine. She got loose on us 3x at a show one morning, then won each other her classes. It all boils down to what you are willing to deal with. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1118
| My mare is super quirky. Spooky some days, and some days not. Some days she will walk away when you go to catch her and others she stands still. One day she rides very quiet, and the next is a dragon that kicks out and rears. She hates when men are around. Doesn't trust them, and won't let them touch her head. She shakes when they try to touch her. And sometimes taking her halter off to turn her out, she throws her head and tries to run away quickly.
In the arena though, she is all heart. Loves to run barrels, and will give all she has everytime. I wouldn't trade her for the world, but I think most people wouldn't put up with her stuff. I don't think much of it, which i think gets us a long ways.
(Streakin Six/OTMR bred with a little cow in there too)
Edited by SwiftSmokinLady 2018-10-19 1:35 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | My guy is by Ole Heart Throb by The Ole Man and out of Leo Peppy Belle by Mr San Peppy.....
He's Doomed to quirks his entire life and I'd never trade him. 
Things he does regularly:
-Lets himself out of his stall to turn the barn lights on at night. Or off and on repetedly until someone comes to the barn. Depends on his mood.
-Grabs the saddle blanket with his teeth while i'm trying to saddle and flings it around in his mouth. He will not let go until you pry it away from him like a dog. Then he snorts and pouts.
-When trying to put a bridle on, He will either act like he needs to stretch and will stretch upwards out of my reach or will pretend to scratch his nose on his leg... for a full 2 or 3 minutes.
-Spooks at Goats, pigs, chickens, cows, or any other animal.... He is in a pasture with a 350 pound Momma pig, chickens, and had goats in his pasture for years until we sold out.
-WILL NOT go through water of any kind. If you do, by some miracle, get him to cross the puddle he will dip his nose down to the puddle, snort and TIP TOE through the water. (Think of Tiny Tim's song Tiptoe Through The Tulips as his theme song)
-He will let the mare out of her stall after turning on the lights to make it look like she did it... after he puts himself away again in his stall.
-If the mare unties herself and then unties him, he won't move. But he frequently unties himself....
-Don't leave a drink of any kind by him, he will figure out a way to drink it all.
-And last but not least he will crush a farrier... By that I mean if a farrier is doing his feet he will rest all his weight on them and fall asleep. When the farrier is done, he will either get so close to falling over he will scramble his legs like a newborn foal or scare himself half to death when you wake him up.
-He was a bottle baby and was fed/kept inside a house for many months so he frequently lets himself out of the pasture and will try and open the screen door to come inside.
-He will always spook at his shadow. No matter how many times he sees it.
If I ever sold him well, his ad would be fun to read.... LOLOL
ETA: He's a 2005 Model
Edited by IRunOnFaith 2018-10-19 3:57 PM
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Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| IRunOnFaith - 2018-10-19 3:53 PM
My guy is by Ole Heart Throb by The Ole Man and out of Leo Peppy Belle by Mr San Peppy.....
He's Doomed to quirks his entire life and I'd never trade him. Things he does regularly:
-Lets himself out of his stall to turn the barn lights on at night. Or off and on repetedly until someone comes to the barn. Depends on his mood.
-Grabs the saddle blanket with his teeth while i'm trying to saddle and flings it around in his mouth. He will not let go until you pry it away from him like a dog. Then he snorts and pouts.
-When trying to put a bridle on, He will either act like he needs to stretch and will stretch upwards out of my reach or will pretend to scratch his nose on his leg... for a full 2 or 3 minutes.
-Spooks at Goats, pigs, chickens, cows, or any other animal.... He is in a pasture with a 350 pound Momma pig, chickens, and had goats in his pasture for years until we sold out.
-WILL NOT go through water of any kind. If you do, by some miracle, get him to cross the puddle he will dip his nose down to the puddle, snort and TIP TOE through the water. (Think of Tiny Tim's song Tiptoe Through The Tulips as his theme song)
-He will let the mare out of her stall after turning on the lights to make it look like she did it... after he puts himself away again in his stall.
-If the mare unties herself and then unties him, he won't move. But he frequently unties himself....
-Don't leave a drink of any kind by him, he will figure out a way to drink it all.
-And last but not least he will crush a farrier... By that I mean if a farrier is doing his feet he will rest all his weight on them and fall asleep. When the farrier is done, he will either get so close to falling over he will scramble his legs like a newborn foal or scare himself half to death when you wake him up.
-He was a bottle baby and was fed/kept inside a house for many months so he frequently lets himself out of the pasture and will try and open the screen door to come inside.
-He will always spook at his shadow. No matter how many times he sees it.
If I ever sold him well, his ad would be fun to read.... LOLOL
ETA: He's a 2005 Model
He needs his own reality show |
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Nut Case Expert
Posts: 9305
Location: Tulsa, Ok | I can put up with a lot of quirks if a horse hase a work ethic and knows when to use it. |
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 Lady Di
Posts: 21556
Location: Oklahoma | SC Wrangler - 2018-10-22 12:25 PM
I can put up with a lot of quirks if a horse hase a work ethic and knows when to use it.
Amen to this! |
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Expert
Posts: 1207
| OK so here is one thing all 3 of mine of decided to do lately. Since the weather has turned off cooler and rainy they have decided that their barn (which I thought they loved) has become a very very spooky place to go in and eat their grain. The two don't actually get grain, cubes and Renew Gold and then my old guy gets Blubonne Senior and cubes. He is more inclined to come in but the other two I don't know what is going on. Plus they won't let me catch them. They are on pasture 24/7. Any suggestions? Should I try some kind of calming supplement? |
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