Horse just doesn't like someone?

prairienights · 02-23-2008, 01:04 PM

I had kind of an odd experience today with my horse; I saw a part of him that I've never seen before.

I don't know if he's what you would call a people horse; he's not the first one up to you in the pasture and he isn't always hanging around for attention. He's very willing to please, but he's also very much of a one-person horse. He is familiar with the way I act, smell, give cues, etc and he has learned to trust that familiarity and is comfortable with that. Not to say he isn't a sweet guy with other people, he'll take a good scratch from just about anybody and is always polite and well-mannered.

I love showing him off so I've had a few different people out to see him. He's his sweet-natured self, he watches me for comfort, but he always lets himself be pet and rubbed on. Well yesterday I brought a friend of mine out and he was just happy as can be to be friendly with the new person. I even put him up bareback and they walked around the roundpen just fine. Well today, I brought a different person out. He came up in the pasture and was being my friendly little pony, but I walked him up to my friend and he put his ears back and would *not* let himself be touched. For the whole time we were out there, Keyenta just refused to be friendly with this new person. He was fine and dandy if it was just the two of us, but he wouldn't lead with my friend he'd just balk, he'd kinda lean as far away as he could when he tried to scratch him, he just hated this new guy. I couldn't figure out what it was, my friend has never been around horses, but I couldn't see anything he was doing to give bad signals to my horse.

Just strange...my pony automatically hated this guy. Have you guys ever had a horse take such a disliking to somebody? Maybe it was how he smelled or something?

Heavenly Jumper · 02-23-2008, 01:07 PM

Sometimes animals get a bad vibe about certain people...

They can smell and sense things we can't, I'd wonder about the guy he hated

Crazy4Apps · 02-23-2008, 01:32 PM

My horse picks out people. I don't trust anyone that Chicky doesn't like. I've learned to go with her instincts. It's safer. Most people shes fine with, but every now and then she will instently take a dis liking to some people. The thing is when she does, I have to keep her away from that person and I have to keep the person out of her paddock, because she will go after people when she doesn't like them.

bnwalker2 · 02-23-2008, 01:53 PM

Every animal I've ever known has been able to just sense things about people. I always trust their instincts, and they've never been wrong.

Reyven · 02-23-2008, 02:04 PM

I've never had it happen with my horse, but my dog will get like that at times.
Animals seem to have another sense that we don't, something about certain people just set them off. Who knows what it is, but they sometimes know more than we do!

stephanie · 02-23-2008, 02:24 PM

That happened to me. This was before I owned Zephyr, I was leasing him though. He decided that he didn't like the BM (she didn't really like him mostly because he scared her though) and it started off that anytime she tried to pet him he would stiffen up and to completely ignore her. Then he decided he didn't want her in his stall so anytime she came up to the door, he would turn his butt to the door. Well she ignored that and would continue trying to work around him and then when she went to his door he would turn his butt to the door and pin his ears and lift his leg and give warning kicks anytime she touched the latch. The horses at the barn had feed dishes on the ground, but Zephyr ended up getting a corner feeder so she could feed him from outside the stall. She used to get so upset when I would go and walk in his stall and he would come right over and put his head in my arms for some lovin'. I didn't like the BM that much either and I have learned that Zephyr is very good at judging people so if he doesn't like someone I am a bit wary around them.

chocchipcookie · 02-23-2008, 02:25 PM

My mare did it to a friend of mine once. Believe me, that friend has never been on Pagan's back again, it was that bad.
In this case it was so much a "bad vibe" it was more the attitude towards the horse.
I figure it's like people, sometimes you just don't like someone for no justifiable reason.

Haas Horse Farm · 02-23-2008, 03:26 PM

Yes this is very common in all horses... they have people they just do not like... somewhat like humans they all have their own personalities and preferences. Glad you learned a valuable lesson in that even the most "trusted" horse will have its day or person that it dislikes...

Glad that no one was hurt.... some guy walked up to my stallion once and slapped him on the belly and my stallion bit him. I also have a mare that tries to bite my husband every chance she gets. Neither of these horses have ever done that to anyone else... LOL

horseyfrk145 · 02-23-2008, 03:32 PM

LOL Mary - you sure have some interesting horses!

I like to trust my horse's insticts. I read somewhere that "When you have trust built in a horse, respect it." The situation was that the horse refused his first fence ever, and the rider coaxed him over it and there was a huge puddle and a lot of mud on the other side and the horse fell and hurt his leg.

TrailBlazer · 02-23-2008, 04:13 PM

IMO they have an instinct that you should learn to trust when it comes to people or “certain” types of riding situations. If your horse does not trust someone it is hard to say why not. Is it just one person or gender specific, it may be it did not like the way it was treated in its past, smell, vibes, attitude of person. Sometimes we may never know.
Someone who boards at the same barn as where I am my mare will pin her ears every time he gets close to her. He has never handled her at all. In my opinion she has good reason. He is very mean/rough to his horse.
I have a friend who can feed, load in trailer, get out of coral, unload from trailer, hold for farrier, saddle her, give her a wormer (which even I have trouble) do absolutely anything to her EXCEPT ride her. I let her ride her once, she tried to buck her off. Then when I got on her she severely tried to buck me off as if to punish me for letting my friend ride her. She has never bucker before or since . To this day I wish I would have came off (severe groin injury) Yet on the other hand other people have ridden her (not many) my barn manager will put “newbies” on her at times. Give then 15 minutes training and let them play in the coral (under supervision).

If my horse refuses when she normally does not. I generally look for a reason why she refused. If I look long and hard enough I usually figure out why. I may not agree with it but at least I know why. Depending on the circumstance I will work through it if needed or time allows.

02-23-2008, 01:04 PM	#1
prairienights Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Alabama Posts: 3,540 Images: 507 Blog Entries: 1	Horse just doesn't like someone? I had kind of an odd experience today with my horse; I saw a part of him that I've never seen before. I don't know if he's what you would call a people horse; he's not the first one up to you in the pasture and he isn't always hanging around for attention. He's very willing to please, but he's also very much of a one-person horse. He is familiar with the way I act, smell, give cues, etc and he has learned to trust that familiarity and is comfortable with that. Not to say he isn't a sweet guy with other people, he'll take a good scratch from just about anybody and is always polite and well-mannered. I love showing him off so I've had a few different people out to see him. He's his sweet-natured self, he watches me for comfort, but he always lets himself be pet and rubbed on. Well yesterday I brought a friend of mine out and he was just happy as can be to be friendly with the new person. I even put him up bareback and they walked around the roundpen just fine. Well today, I brought a different person out. He came up in the pasture and was being my friendly little pony, but I walked him up to my friend and he put his ears back and would not let himself be touched. For the whole time we were out there, Keyenta just refused to be friendly with this new person. He was fine and dandy if it was just the two of us, but he wouldn't lead with my friend he'd just balk, he'd kinda lean as far away as he could when he tried to scratch him, he just hated this new guy. I couldn't figure out what it was, my friend has never been around horses, but I couldn't see anything he was doing to give bad signals to my horse. Just strange...my pony automatically hated this guy. Have you guys ever had a horse take such a disliking to somebody? Maybe it was how he smelled or something? __________________ ___() () _ ~/( o o) _~/ _ __\\ _~/ __ _ (,,)

02-23-2008, 01:07 PM	#2
Heavenly Jumper Senior Member+ Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Yokosuka, Japan Posts: 17,065 Images: 1328 Blog Entries: 323	Sometimes animals get a bad vibe about certain people... They can smell and sense things we can't, I'd wonder about the guy he hated __________________ SUSHI SUSHI nom nom nom Every time I look at my avatar I get HUNGRY!!

02-23-2008, 01:32 PM	#3
Crazy4Apps Senior Member+ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Far Far away. Posts: 3,677 Images: 428	My horse picks out people. I don't trust anyone that Chicky doesn't like. I've learned to go with her instincts. It's safer. Most people shes fine with, but every now and then she will instently take a dis liking to some people. The thing is when she does, I have to keep her away from that person and I have to keep the person out of her paddock, because she will go after people when she doesn't like them. __________________ *I am HGS's official # 1 Redneck!* "Your up there now. The hard parts over. No matter how rough it gets, hang in there and ride it out,and enjoy the ride." ~Aaron Dwelling~ (I love you Aaron.)

02-23-2008, 01:53 PM	#4
bnwalker2 Senior Member+ Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Sunman, Indiana Posts: 7,403 Images: 84	Every animal I've ever known has been able to just sense things about people. I always trust their instincts, and they've never been wrong. __________________ ~Britni~ and: Halo - 5/19/09 - Quarter Horse filly Nacera - 4/22/89 Arabian mare Vega - 5/28/09 - Arabian filly Rain - 4/25/05 - Appaloosa mare I Have Been Gobbled by Thom Turkey!!!

02-23-2008, 02:04 PM	#5
Reyven Senior Member+ Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,729 Images: 14 Blog Entries: 4	I've never had it happen with my horse, but my dog will get like that at times. Animals seem to have another sense that we don't, something about certain people just set them off. Who knows what it is, but they sometimes know more than we do! __________________ ~Freedom did not come free~

02-23-2008, 02:24 PM	#6
stephanie Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Maine Posts: 2,201 Images: 232	That happened to me. This was before I owned Zephyr, I was leasing him though. He decided that he didn't like the BM (she didn't really like him mostly because he scared her though) and it started off that anytime she tried to pet him he would stiffen up and to completely ignore her. Then he decided he didn't want her in his stall so anytime she came up to the door, he would turn his butt to the door. Well she ignored that and would continue trying to work around him and then when she went to his door he would turn his butt to the door and pin his ears and lift his leg and give warning kicks anytime she touched the latch. The horses at the barn had feed dishes on the ground, but Zephyr ended up getting a corner feeder so she could feed him from outside the stall. She used to get so upset when I would go and walk in his stall and he would come right over and put his head in my arms for some lovin'. I didn't like the BM that much either and I have learned that Zephyr is very good at judging people so if he doesn't like someone I am a bit wary around them. __________________ I've been hugged I've got guts, I'm a member of the eventing club http://www.myspace.com/cirrus923

02-23-2008, 02:25 PM	#7
chocchipcookie Senior Member+ Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sydney, Australia... Posts: 2,655 Images: 135 Blog Entries: 14	My mare did it to a friend of mine once. Believe me, that friend has never been on Pagan's back again, it was that bad. In this case it was so much a "bad vibe" it was more the attitude towards the horse. I figure it's like people, sometimes you just don't like someone for no justifiable reason. __________________ Live for today, we'll dream tomorrow.

02-23-2008, 04:13 PM	#10
TrailBlazer Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Manitoba, Canada Posts: 1,176	IMO they have an instinct that you should learn to trust when it comes to people or “certain” types of riding situations. If your horse does not trust someone it is hard to say why not. Is it just one person or gender specific, it may be it did not like the way it was treated in its past, smell, vibes, attitude of person. Sometimes we may never know. Someone who boards at the same barn as where I am my mare will pin her ears every time he gets close to her. He has never handled her at all. In my opinion she has good reason. He is very mean/rough to his horse. I have a friend who can feed, load in trailer, get out of coral, unload from trailer, hold for farrier, saddle her, give her a wormer (which even I have trouble) do absolutely anything to her EXCEPT ride her. I let her ride her once, she tried to buck her off. Then when I got on her she severely tried to buck me off as if to punish me for letting my friend ride her. She has never bucker before or since . To this day I wish I would have came off (severe groin injury) Yet on the other hand other people have ridden her (not many) my barn manager will put “newbies” on her at times. Give then 15 minutes training and let them play in the coral (under supervision). If my horse refuses when she normally does not. I generally look for a reason why she refused. If I look long and hard enough I usually figure out why. I may not agree with it but at least I know why. Depending on the circumstance I will work through it if needed or time allows. __________________ All I pay my psychiatrist is cost of feed and hay, and She'll listen to me any day!