Got the idea to poll this after answering Fennec's question-- While unacceptable, I have to admit I laugh about this idiosyncrasy of my horse (though of course I address it seriously with him).
My horse has been thoroughly drilled in ground manners. Pretty much to the point that I can flick a finger in a certain direction and get a response. There is one thing though that will crumble his resolve and tempt him like crack to a crackhead, Polar Fleece. He knows without a doubt that mouthiness in any form is absolutely unacceptable and merits a swift correction, but I can see the battle in his eyes when I wear a polar fleece hoodie around him. He literally can't stand it and has to try to grab it with his mouth (which he knows he will be and is punished for) the first time the polar fleece comes out for the season.
So, does your horse have some sort of "Kryptonite" that tests every ounce of their resolve to behave as expected? Does anyone else's horse have this weird attraction to polar fleece?
2011-12-07T16:41:36Z
Meant "Kryptonite" as in a weakness;)
Cracking up here at the responses--horses are awesome and most certainly have personalities!
Becky S.2011-12-07T15:41:43Z
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I tend to not wear polar fleece around my horses--the hair always sticks and I don't like that. I honestly have no idea what my horse would do around it!
His kryptonite? He knocks anything off the hitching rail. Brushes, hoof picks, shampoos, you name it. He doesn't do it when I am watching, but as soon as I turn my back, he noses it off the rail. As soon as it falls, he turns to me with wide eyes like "OMG Mom, who did that???"
Ugh. Goofy horse.
PS--Fennec's question totally idolizes my horse. She refers to "Ol' Buddy," which is the name of my horse. He's pretty much famous now.
Flies are Rags' kryptonite. He hates them, gets extremely irritated by them and is usually covered in hives for most of fly season because his skin is so sensitive to their bites. Unfortunately flies flock to him. He's always surrounded by a cloud of them no matter what eye-watering bug repellent is sprayed and slathered all over him. Rags is a seasoned show horse and is regularly used in lessons. However, he has lost his place in the ribbons at shows because he can't stand still due to flies buzzing around. If he gets bitten or stung on his back end, he will buck hard. He's tossed a few kids getting bitten or stung on the bum.
Ursula is probably the kindest, gentlest, most sensitive mare I have ever met. She's extremely easy to train because she is super cooperative. She'll bend over backwards to please her rider. And she's very level-headed, and calm. She behaved like an angel among the chaos of her first show. She is bombproof with kids, dogs, and traffic. However, her reaction to things that crinkle, buzz or slide is EXPLOSIVE. Ursula is a shire/thoroughbred mix. She usually has the attitude of a lumbering shire but when plastic bags, jackets that are loud when they rustle, snow sliding off the roof, paper, the measuring stick (that makes noise when it slides to extend) etc. is involved, she becomes very much a thoroughbred. I'm pretty sure if you turned on clippers behind her in a starting gate, she'd shoot out of there and beat the world's fastest thoroughbred sprinters. It's really unfortunate that she's afraid of clippers too, because she has a beard that's about 4" long...
My eventer is totally nuts around black and white cows (dairy cows) - I live near a dairy farm and when I'm out doing road work and she has to walk on the road between 2 fields it takes every things shes got not to freak out and leg it ( she snorts from the start of the 1/4 mie of fields full of them until the end)
I find foals to be really tempted by polar fleece !
My horse doesn't like minis or super small ponies. He won't like attack them or be mean to them, he just doesn't like looking at them. Even though that he lived in a field right beside one, when we went out, he acted like it was an alien ! Now, I absolutely love minis and super small ponies (lol) but my horse just stops and stares. Usually if we go around a corner and there's one standing, bam, he just halts and flings his head up. It's kind of annoying because they don't bug him at all and it's also funny because he's so big comparing to them. My horse actually avoided going to one end of the arena because there was one there lol. In show classes, I find it hard to get his attention when there's one either in front, behind or passing him. I'm just happy he doesn't hurt them at all.
He is afraid of minis and foals. If he sees one, he will shift away from it , keep his eyes locked on the little thing and refuse to go anywhere near it. Even snorts at them, and if they approch, he will take off. Its hilarious. Another thing, he LOVES paint horses! Its the opposite of the ponies - he will stare at them and do anything in his power to get close to one. when he does, he just stares. He also goes crazy with water! Whether its a creek or a bucket of water, he will stick his face in, past his nostrils, about half way up his face. Then, he will blow bubbles out his nose. Not drinking, just stick his face in. its soo strange!