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The different 'Types' of horses

3K views 23 replies 16 participants last post by  ridergirl23 
#1 ·
Well, this post came from a talk with my grandmother about my friends mares foal (when it is born in a few months).

She asked if my friend would mess with her 'baby' as much as I messed with Dakota, thus making her baby act like my boy... kinda like a 'puppy dog'. I said no, because my friend is one of the people who just doesn't like the 'doggy' mentality in horses.

So, I figured... let's talk about it. What 'type' of horses do you have? Does your horse know he's a horse? Think he's a dog? Or other?


I'll do my horses...

Gypsie definately knows she's a horse. She obviously wasn't coddled or anything as a foal... she just 'acts' like a horse, though since i've owned her, she's got to where she loves being loved on more, but at the end of the day, she's still a horse.

Dakota, on the other hand, thinks he's a dog. when he was a baby, I coddled him, I fretted over him, I babied him. I didn't treat him like a baby horse, I just treated him like a baby, like I treat my old dog Toby. A baby. He's almost four now, and he's matured into a great horse, but his mind is still set on 'baby'. He KNOWS that he's the baby. He KNOWS that he's the 'favorite'. But he also knows his boundaries very well. Dakota sometimes gets a little bratty, gets mad and has small 'tantrums' like any 'baby', but he also knows how to focus and knows when it's time to work. He does try to get away with more things because 'he's the baby', and he's sometimes a little more challenging than most horses every now and then, but he's not unmanageable... he's not a 'brat'.

Now, one of my friends young stallions

This horse I'm talking about here is Dakota's almost five year old half-brother. He's a stallion, though he's never bred anything, and his owner likes him the best out of all his stallions, mares, and foals. Sugarbear is a BRAT! He's disrespectful to his owner/handler and everyone else... tries to nip and bite at any oppurtunity, though he does in it play. He's mentally immature, though very smart. He's always picking at you and never leaves you alone. Where Dakota reminds me of a well trained, yet sometimes annoying 'lap dog', Sugarbear would definately be a huge rottweiler who doesn't know boundaries and is always jumping all over you and tugging on your clothes.

See what i'm talking about? So, what type of horse do you have? A 'horse'? A 'dog'? Or something else?
 
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#2 ·
None of my horses think they are anything but a horse. It remains to be seen about Rafe though. He is very friendly but still acts like a horse. I personally don't really like the puppy dog type horses. It is easier for me to handle a horse that has never been handled before than it is to handle one that has been overhandled.
 
#4 ·
Arrow thinks he's a "dog" or person.. Haha and he's about the size of my dog..He was the only "horse" I had for 4 months so I kind of spoiled him really bad. He would even try to come in the house with me LOL Oh and just so you know he is a Mini (a whole 29 inches Haha).

Delilah is more independent and know's she is a horse. If it wasn't for feeding her, she wouldn't need me. And she really dosen't enjoy being loved on like Arrow. He comes up to you and wants to love on you, she dosen't.

And Winter is in between. He can be like a big puppy dog and then turn around and want to go be with his herd..
 
#5 ·
Havana is definately a horse. She wasn't raised by me so I did not have the oppurtunity to coddle her. She was actully abused so she was like your friends stallion, but now she has become a lot better. I still would like her to be more "dog like" though...
Shelly is definately a horse too. (Even though she's a pony :p). Once again I did not have the chance to raise her. She is very grumpy and like to nip. So I suppose she is like the stallion only not near as bad. She's really just an old grumpy pony...
One day I am going to get Havana bred. (Have to have better conditions first) and I'm going to make sure that her foal is the most dog like that it acts like a cat. I personally like these types of horses, and feel that these horses are the ones you connect to the most.
 
#6 ·
My horses are horses, but very affectionate horses. They're always happy to see you and love to be cuddled. I don't like dog (spoiled) horses. Personally I think that they have a tendency to be more dangerous as they are less inclined to respect a human's space. Also, I think that a horse is happier in the long run if it's treated/trained like a horse.
 
#7 ·
Cool guys. I also generally don't like puppy dog like horses... though the one that I have (Dakota) is the easiest horse in the world for me to handle because I know how he's going to react almost and sometimes before he does so since i've raised him. Others get kinda annoyed by him, because he doesn't react the way a horse should sometimes, but he's easy to handle.
 
#9 ·
Lol... my [puppy dog' horse seems to think of me as a 'second mommy'. When my mare gets after him, if I'm around he runs and 'hide's behind me... lol. A few months ago one of my cousins shot a shotgun in the yard to kill a hawk... both my horses were in the yard. My mare ran up to the barn and hid, and my gelding made a beeline for me. Lol. I've never had much of a problem with him... I mean, he does get challengy sometimes,. but it's never a problem to get him back on track... for me. Some of my friends and family members, though, don't like handling him much because while he's good for me, he can get a little irritating with other people. One of my uncles calls him 'The Pest' because you can't go out in the pasture without him coming up to you and following you around. Lol.

I figure a lot of it, though, is his age... he's coming four, so he may grow out of some of it.
 
#10 ·
Lacey isn't really a "dog" but she definitely doesn't think of herself as a horse. I'd call her a cat (becuase she's not all "pet me! Pet me! PET ME!!!" or in my face, she's just kinda "sweet deal! You're petting me! I think I'll stick with you for as long as you want to continue" like a cat). She prefers my company over the company of other horses and she definitely knows that she is bigger than me. She tries to push her weight around sometimes but she's learning that that may have worked in her old home but it's not gonna work with me.

In Lacey's case, her previous owner bred her as "the foal they would keep forever" from her older mare and her stallion. Lacey was obviously this lady's baby to the fullest extent of the word. It was one of those things where Lacey's owner knew that her marriage wasn't going to work out (that's how I got Lacey, her owner was getting a divorce) and so she gave all the love her husband didn't want, to Lacey.
I like that Lacey "needs" me so much. I have a hard time understanding that I am needed ever in my life, so I have a tendency to attach myself to horses that show me, pretty obviously, that they do need me. Logically, I know that she's probably totally fine without me but it's nice to have that affirmation when I go see her, that I am her girl.
I just can't deal with horses that keep it all inside. I can work with them but if I had a choice I'd always work with the ones that wear their hearts on their sleeves.
 
#12 ·
Heres a breakdown of all my horses, in order of their stalls in the barn:
Midnight: Likes to be pet, but is one of those obnoxious puppy horses
Thunder: Not obnoxious, but if youre not doing anything would follow you anywhere
Summer: definately my girl..doesnt mind working for me at all, and while she doesnt liek anybody else, she will follow me anywhere for anything, VERY easy for me to work with
Sugar: is still young, so we will see..but definately has that "mule" stubbornness
Buttercup: is one of those emotionless, "i-will-do-my-job-and-get-it-over-with-so-i-can-just-go" horses. VERY non-expressive..but is getting better
Eeyore: just a pasture-puff donkey
Buddy:young and in training and has his days wheres hes great, and some where hes as stubborn as the donkey
Shadow:great if he has a beginner or small kid on him, but likes to be challenging for more experienced riders, a very safe little pony
Star: I am the only one that dares to ride her..she will really give you a ride youll remember..if you can even get on her without being kicked..great ground manners though if youre not acting like youre going to get on her..great inhand jumper
llamas:
Louie: ANNOYING. will not let you touch him, but likes to jump on/ram/chase the horses youre trying to work with, so you have to lock him in the other pasture
Dahli[Dolly]:Very lapdoggish..LOVES to be pet..but onlyh if its her idea
alpacas:
both are getting so friendly..love poptarts and bananas!
camel:
Clyde:such a big baby [isnt even one yet, so its okay] is sooo spoiled..even gets a mint after his dinner. my aunts pride and joy
 
#13 ·
Well, Most of my horses are very horse. The only two bordering on dog are our orphan (who we are attempting to turn into horse) and my mom's filly. The filly wasn't really handled much until she was broke, but she just never really had any trust issues. She thinks my mom can be trusted...lol.
 
#14 ·
Whew, Dad's horse Pokey is one of those "keep it all inside" types. He doesn't like any loving, not even enough to really groom him before a ride. He is more the "Just brush the big chunks off and lets go to work" type. I guess that's why he and Dad are such a good fit. Dad doesn't do any pampering or lovey dovey with his horses either.
 
#18 ·
Whew, Dad's horse Pokey is one of those "keep it all inside" types. He doesn't like any loving, not even enough to really groom him before a ride. He is more the "Just brush the big chunks off and lets go to work" type. I guess that's why he and Dad are such a good fit. Dad doesn't do any pampering or lovey dovey with his horses either.
That sounds like my dad's old horse. He didn't like me because while my mom was pregnant I worked all the horses. He was wiling to go and do what needed done, but he only let certain people baby him.
 
#15 ·
gypsy knows she a princess. shes sure the whole world revolves around her, which in my life it pretty much does =]
 
#16 ·
When I got mine she was one of the 'bet you can't catch me' horses. Now she's like a puppy. If you walk into the pasture she comes right up to you weather you call her or not and will follow you everywhere. I blame my dad, whenever he comes over he has to give her a treat. He started calling her his 'other girlfriend' a few months ago. He hasn't been on a horse in 30 or so years, he's going to ride her next spring he says.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Ice is one of those "keep it all inside" horses, and I like him that way. If he was up my butt asking for treats, he'd be extremely annoying, but I like his business mentality. I think it comes from being on the track for so long, and the definitely don't wast time babying there! He is very smart though and very willing, there have only been a handful of times in our relationship where I've pushed him hard enough to where he wants love and reassurance afterward. He still is the first to walk up to you in a pasture, but as soon as he sees his halter, he wants to stick his nose in it and go ;)

However to people who are not me, he can be a real piece of work. He's bitten the western trainer twice, his massage therapist once, and loves to pin his ears at people who act like he should automatically give them the time of day.
 
#19 ·
Buzz is mostly definitely a horse. He tolerates me, loves to work and play games (he'll play tug of war with a lead rope in the arena, it's very cool) but when he's done, he's done. Kinda like "Ok, we're done working, now I've got horse business to take care of."

Buttercup is the same. I like it. There are a couple of puppydog horses in the barn that are downright dangerous. Not a fan of that.
 
#20 ·
Does a horse think it is a horse?????
Well that is a question which won't ever be answered - will it?

Would a horse recognise itself if he saw himself in a mirror ???

Would a horse ever think himself to be a donkey or a mule or an *** ???

Would my dapple grey mare think herself to be a Zebra?

Would my horse DiDi think that my Rottweiler Rocky is a small horse??

Does my horse think I am a two legged horse??

I wish I knew

B G
 
#21 ·
Would my horse DiDi think that my Rottweiler Rocky is a small horse??

Does my horse think I am a two legged horse??

I wish I knew

B G
All animals, including humans, will treat another animal as if it were a member of the same species, unless that animal (say your rottweiler Rocky) has extensive experience with the other species (like your mare DiDi). Perhaps thats why we as people continually personify human emotions and responses on to our horses and other animals.
 
#22 ·
JSB
Do all animals see other animals as being of the same species? Humm?

Does my horse know what she looks like?

Why is she frightened of donkeys?

Why have most of the horses I have owned or ridden regularly been frightened
of pigs?

Yes I use human words and concepts to assess my horse.
I might even credit my horse with an 'human like' emotion because then I can use the human word which has a meaning to another human with whom I might be speaking.
A human's emotion may not be the same as a horse's emotion but each emotion might be the equivalent in the humans and the horse's way of thinking.

A dollar and a Pound are both coins , they are both used in 'trade' but a $ and a £1 have different values when measured in Euros - or even against each other.

Eventually we get to 'fear' - which humans and horses both have - but their fears are very different - until one reaches 'pain' or 'death'

Even if I stand DiDi in front of a full length mirror - does she know she is looking at herself??? How can I find out?

This is all very tricky thinking?


B G
 
#23 ·
My horse thinks hes a king... Haha...

Hes so picky he pushes the bad old hay out and only eats the best and greenest parts. And wont eat the rest until he gets fresh stuff. He dosent take the bit unless its warm and dosent like to do things without food. ah.

But when hes in his mood he wants ALL the attention and follows you around and wants to be with you. He has SO much personality.
 
#24 ·
Rena is very confusing, but i love her to death, she has my favourite personality i have ever seen she acs like a princess/tomboy/wallflower/showoff/anything she feels like that day! haha she pretends she doesnt need me but when something is scaring her she makes sure her shoulder is against mine so ethat i am there, or if she doesnt like something that is sorta scary she practically dives her head into my armsand looks at me with those big brown eyes. but when theres things that someone would think she wouldnt like she will go right through it like a brave littl ehorse. haha she likes to give attitude too,but she reconises and likes the people she knows. haha when i was 'hooking up' with her she would be right by my side and do anything but then she would practically say : ok, im done, look at how pretty i can be! ' and she gallops off.haha but shes very independant but very ,well, i dont know how to put it, haha in short she knows she needs her 'royal subjects' as much of a princess as she when you really need her or ask her to do work she puts her whole heart into it and gets the job done, but she doesnt like you to interfere when shes doing a job., haha silly horses
 
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