Can horses try more for different people?

Sorry if this is in the wrong section!
Yesterday my friend was riding my horse in the jumping paddock, because she's riding her in the yard shows for me while I'm away on holiday, and wanted a practice while I was there.
My friend is as good a rider as me (or even better). She was getting on good, then started some jumping. Just wee crosspole, cause that's all my pony can jump just now. The other day, when I was riding her, she properly cantered off for it and sailed over it, but when my friend was on her (and she was properly giving some welly.) she just trotted and stepped over it. At the end of the session, I got on and did the jump. She cantered, basically with only a wee nudge from me and jumped it, but knocked it down (I'm guessing we had a bad line, I was using my friend's strirrups which were too long and wearing her hat which fell over my eyes.
So, just curios, but did Esmee realise I was on her, so worked a bit harder, or is it just because I'm used to her?

I would suggest that the communication between a horse and rider who regularly work together would be clearer than that between a horse and rider who don't. Even if that other rider is as good as you, your horse has (or at least should have!) a history of obeying your cues.

That said, I have definitely seen situations where you could quite clearly see the difference in a horse's attitude depending on who was on her. My instructor has a pony who loves her on the ground but hates her in the saddle. But when her "girl" gets on her, she's happy as a clam.

Yes, it's correct. Both my mares usually try to please me, but don't care as much for other riders (even though they are obedient).

For sure they know who is on them and what they can get away with You may cue different. Lots of ours will be lazy for a new rider if they don't push them a little. But it works great when you put a young or new rider on them I believe a good horse will take care of them :)

I've absolutely seen horses go better for one rider than another. Sometimes it's due to something as simple as skill level on the rider's part. Other times it's less obvious why there is a difference.

It's a definite consideration when owners and trainers choose riders for horses in racing and other events.

Like others said, its actually not uncommon to see a horse favor their usual rider over a stranger, because they've already developed a relationship (whether a working one or companionship) with them. My little mare will usually work for just about anyone, but she doesnt really soften up and give everything like she does with me.

I'm sure some folks have experienced this before - trying to let someone ride your horse in the arena and you are on the ground trying to coach them and your horse won't do anything but follow you around. So then you end up trotting around the arena on foot just so the horse will at least move a little. LOL!

This happened with Dude..He'd do absolutely everything for me, only barely listened (with an attitude) to the BO's son, and wouldn't move faster than a walk without rearing with his owner.
BO's son had a fit at fair because my times were better than his by almost 3-4 seconds in all the gaming classes, but that's because I was the one working with him, not anyone else. He knew that I didn't constantly yank and kick and would give me his all without extreme attitude (rearing), everyone else got the attitude end because they didn't love on/work with him, they just hopped on and yanked around to try and get results.
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Lol, that's so funny xD Because it's true! I tried to give my slightly novice friend a lesson on Cowboy. I'll be darned if he didn't just follow me around the arena, pretty much ignoring what his rider was doing! I just chuckled and kept trying. Eventually I just sat down outside the arena so that he would go around! She did have a time getting him to stop drifting over there though :p He just says, "Whaddaya doing over there?"

Anyway, horses know 100% the difference. Some horses test their riders harder than others, too!

You have to be a Scot right?