Individual Horse "Idiocyncracies"

[WinterTriangle]

Knowing all horses are individuals, I always get a kick out of reading about their uniqueness.

Delightful Kiss is such a gorgeous gray, then you read about his personality:

"He's not a friendly animal. He's an aggressive horse," Anderson says. "You can't walk up to his stall and pet him because he will bite you and, if he gets the chance, he will kick you. I have some scars due to him. It's taken its toll on this old man, but I've never lost my temper. He's kicked me, but he can kick me again if he wants to. I love him to death."

"He doesn't like to be rushed.....He sets his own pace. That is how he wants to be ridden. You can't ask him to do something he doesn't want to do." Calvin Borel

On top of that, "he can be so difficult to saddle".

Delightful, indeed! :) I guess it's why I like this horse, he's his own person, obviously, wouldn't suffer fools. :)

[LottaKash]

Knowing all horses are individuals, I always get a kick out of reading about their uniqueness. "He's not a friendly animal. He's an aggressive horse," Anderson says. "You can't walk up to his stall and pet him because he will bite you and, if he gets the chance, he will kick you. I . :)

Many years ago, I was a groom, and they used to give me all the biters and kickers, and I too have some scars to prove it.........

The secret with those, is to talk so low that they can hardly hear you, and then you whisper in their ears, and continue to talk slowly and softly......Before you know it, most of them would be so anxious to search your pockets for that little lump of sugar or carrot bites, and then forget all about that bitin' and such.....Most, :eek:

Just like a dog you gotta keep distracting them and stay calm and talk softly......no matter what :eek:

But, they are all so unique, and it was fun to try and figure them out....And, just when you thought you had found the keys to him/her....WHAMMO !!!

best,

[Dave Schwartz]

Kash,

Your story reminds me of Alice the Elephant.

When I was about 4 or 5 years old, every Saturday morning my dad and I would go to a local animal attraction. (I don't recall its name - in Dania, Florida.) They had Seminoles wrestling alligators, apes and, my personal favorite, Alice the Elephant.

Every Saturday I'd show up there and buy a bag of peanuts to feed her. She was amazingly gentle with me, letting me pet her and put the peanuts into her nostrils (sounds disgusting when you say it that way.). All under the watchful eye of her somewhat drunken trainer.

One day I got there and Alice was gone. My father later told me that she had trampled the trainer to death the day before. I guess she'd had enough of him.

I always liked Alice more thann the trainer anyway.


Dave

PS: The Seminoles only wrestled the alligators. <G>

[WinterTriangle]

I guess she'd had enough of him.

I always liked Alice more thann the trainer anyway.

Got my best dog like that. Adopted out of a municipal shelter, it was obvious that the animal control officer *hated* him, and this dog was going to be first to the gas chamber. Told me: You'll never get a collar or leash on him, he will somersault and then bite you.

I now have a dog who I put thru obedience training with nary a hitch and is the "favorite" at the vet, etc. going on 11 years now.

(He *did* bite someone a few years ago. Neighbor who hated people and animals, was moving away. Dog nipped his leg just as he was loading the very last packing box into his truck. :lol:

Of course I graciously paid the ER bill, turns out skin wasn't even broken. Dog was just sending a message. :)

[LottaKash]

That's it guys, as I believe it is with all animals, if you can get into their heads a bit and just let them be themselves, they will figure it all out...

.For the most part way too many animals are destroyed each year, just because they tried to give the animals far too much credit for having human traits....I think that most every one of them could've be made to be ok, and willing to please, once we/they get the boss part out of the way......

best,