[Drafty]

Originally Posted by mustang_dodger

i use to have one. he was an apploosa gelding. he only would do things for me. he hated my ex-husband. he would always pin his ears at him when he would come close to him. he woul kick out at him too when he got to close. he would also get pissy when i would have other people take care of him for me on the weekends when i was at college. with me he was just fine.

hehe mustang legend was like that for a while but look at what he went threw but he took very well to my hubby on the ground once he got up in the saddle he would stand there and look for me and follow me the only way he would go for him is if i was on double leading or olding his tail he didn't feel safe but after while he was a lil better but never perfect and he loved my mom to death when she wanted to ride he stood there as still as a statue for her to get on and when i was leading her his ears were facing her listening to her and she sang and talked to him and he was happy and relaxed. my dad never got up but he loved my dad on the ground but as soon as he saw an amish man women or child he would put his ears back and be on the tip of his back foot getting ready if needed to be. now lil kids that i used to watch i would take them out ad he would follow them around like a dog and take them for rides and show them all his poop hehehe it was funny but he protected and shielded himself to certain things and that was okay cause with a back round like his i would have to no doubt about it. oh when i went away or to oc marlyland my mom and dad had to take care of him the most he hated other people in his stall or touching him or feeding and watering. I think everyone was to quick and fast for him and he didn't like it and he hated yelling his ears would go back and he would turn his butt to you cause he was mad and wouldn't turn around till you said it was okay then he was fine we would laugh at some of the things he did but it was never mean or nasty

[turn-n-burn5477]

I said yes.
My OTTB gelding, Ego, is a 'one person horse'. Him and I have a very strong bond that he never had with anyone else. I know this for sure, because I have seen him with the two other people who used to ride him, and he was a whole different horse. He is always seeking attention from me, but really couldn't care less when there's a different person in the barn, he'll just ignore them and do whatever. Riding wise also, he's different. It's not just because I'm always the one riding him, because I put experienced riders on him and he turns in to a total brat. Once I get on him he's so willing to please.

[Feliche]

Absolutely! I've found that most horses simply respond to the people the know best--not just from training, but because they know them. Response aside, horses share special bonds with some people that they don't with others. Even on the ground, a horse might shy away from somebody and walk right up to someone else.

I don't think this means another person can't ride a "one man's horse", as Feliche is one I feel, and anyone can ride him...I just think it means there's only one person that it will form a true, strong connection with

[Drafty]

Originally Posted by turn-n-burn5477

I said yes.
My OTTB gelding, Ego, is a 'one person horse'. Him and I have a very strong bond that he never had with anyone else. I know this for sure, because I have seen him with the two other people who used to ride him, and he was a whole different horse. He is always seeking attention from me, but really couldn't care less when there's a different person in the barn, he'll just ignore them and do whatever. Riding wise also, he's different. It's not just because I'm always the one riding him, because I put experienced riders on him and he turns in to a total brat. Once I get on him he's so willing to please.

za

ther are alot of them and i have seen and witnessed it as well i know what you mean and i also do agree

[Lou3]

Some horses simply are only confortable with onepreson riding them and if someone other than their regular rider tries to ride them they throw a hissy fit and really have issues with it.
Mostly I put it down to a mixture of a horse that needs to trust someone completely before they work well for them and therefore it takes longer to form that bond and a horse that is sensitive to even subtle changes in how the rider's weight is balanced or the way the aids are used. For some horses even the rider's leg being an inch below where their normal rider's leg is can cause them issues and then they dont work as well.

It can be trained as well, I was the only one to ride a mare of mine from breaking in for about a year and a half, then my snot of a brother decided he could ride her, got her riled up and she bucked him off - which I inadvertantly encouraged in being pleased to see my brother hit the dust and letting Cory know it. For the longest time after that she would buck off everyone but me. I got the problem solved eventually though.

[Roxi&Bingo]

I do think there are only one-person horses, not because there is some undescribable bond that holds them so close to a human, but more of trust issues. I know a few horses that were abused and will let people tuch them, but not without being spooky, and are only truly comfortable with thier owners. Roxi is an example, she is blind in one eye, and there fore somewhat head shy. She has never raised her head to the extreme that she does with everyone else that she does with me. IMO, this is not becasue she likes me more or would die if I didn't touch her, but merely because I am the one that brushes her and feeds her and spends the most time with her. It is more a matter of familiairty with one person then an unspoken bond.

[Crazy4Apps]

Yes I do think there are one person horses. I own two of them.
Chicky I have owned for 7 years, now anyone can ride her if there relaxed, but she won't preform half as well as she will with me. I'm also the only one she will listen two voice wise, if anyone else yells at her she acts like she can't here them at all, but if I yell at her you would swear I just beat her with a 2x4. She will also walk up to me and stick to me like clue no matter waht anyone else is doing, and she wont let anyone near her or me.
Then theres Brooke. That fillie hates the world, and is out to kill everyone in it too! There are three other people that work around my horses on a daily basis, and not a single one of them will even walk into the pasture with Brooke unless I'm there or shes eating her grain. If I go away for longer than three days she will go off her feed and then she goes phyco.
I went away for four days about two months ago, and when I got back, Brooke was in a small pasture with the high fencing and she had cuts and scrapes all over. My mom called me on my way home and told me Brooke went crazy, and she thinks she might have to be put down. I got back to the barn and Brooke was sweat, and blood fom head to toe. There were to other borders up by her pen watching her and she was rearing up and striking out at the fence and charging the fence biting out, kicking and just looked like a demon! All I did was whistled at her and told her to knock it off and she stopped in her tracks, winnied, and ran so fast up to me that when she stopped she ran into the fence. I walked in the pasture with her gave her a hug and a kiss, and she was my same old little baby angel. I put the halter on her and led her down to the hitching rail, hosed her off, and treated all her cuts and scrapes, and she never made a wrong move, and anyone could come up to her and touch her and she didn't care the least bit. She flipps out everytime I go away if I'm gone longer than three days. When I first got her my mom worked with her the most, but when Brooke made it clear that sh hated my mom my mom told me I had to sell her. Well two days of working with her she was my shadow. Shes been attached to my hip ever since then.

Do you think its Good or Bad? For me it's a good thing, because I don't have to worry about anyone messing with my horses when I'm not there.
Whats your definition of one? Brooke. Chicky is my horse two but at least other people can handle her without me. (Not very well but. . . . . )
What do you think causes it? I honeslty don't know. I thinkit's like people. They sence who they like and don't like, and sometimes they just like one person more.
-Such a special bond with one? Yeah I think thats is what it is with my horses.
-Not enough experience with other riders? Brooke isn't broke in and Chicky gets ridden by other people a good bit.

[AllAroundRdr]

I own a psychotic ONE person horse. I am her human and that's all there is to it. Others can handle her, but she's ALWAYS looking for me and is extremely nervous and spooky. As soon as I pull in the driveway she's pacing in her stall, spinning circles, pawing, nickering, etc.

I'm her 'security blanket'.

I have absolutely no doubt she'd put herself in a bad situation to keep me out of one.

[Drafty]

Originally Posted by AllAroundRdr

I own a psychotic ONE person horse. I am her human and that's all there is to it. Others can handle her, but she's ALWAYS looking for me and is extremely nervous and spooky. As soon as I pull in the driveway she's pacing in her stall, spinning circles, pawing, nickering, etc.

I'm her 'security blanket'.

I have absolutely no doubt she'd put herself in a bad situation to keep me out of one.

i felt the same way about my horse and he did once I was were walking along side the road and nothing seemed wrong then i heard a screch and the next thing you know my horse jumps on the bank and a ford f-250 just missed up and the guys laughed and speed away. i went to all the houses near by to call the cops and all of them were mean except the people that saw it happen and she called and gave the information as well as calling a vet to check my horse he had a lil limp friom jumping up the hill and the cops caught up with them and here they were way over the limit of alchole and they were high on coccaine as well. They were arrested and had to pay the vet bill of 100 dollars my horse pulled a muscle and had to be on stall rest for a couple days as well as meds to stop whatever inflamation that was starting. He was sore for a while but that didn't knock his spirit at all. But my horse knew something was wrong and took action as soon as he jumped up that hill he stopped and i looked and the truck scraped up against the hill and i was thinking to myself that could have been me and my horse. He truely saved my life that day as well as his own we both wouldn't have come out of that. They were at least doing 70 to 80 mph took the cops on a long chase too they clocked them going at least 90 before they caught them on a windy road close to there house. I am glad i was riding my horse and not any others i don't think we would have been so lucky. My horse and i had a very special bond together and i knew one day he or i would put our lives at risk to save one another. He s=is my hero till this day and i will never forget what he did for me and he will never foget what i did for him as well rescueing him from the slaughter and amish. Even though he is in heaven i know he is greatful for me as well as i am greatful for him or i wouldn' probubly be here today from what i saw exsperience and what the cop and lady told me i would have probubly died as well as my horse thank you to the cops and to the lady and vet that helped him and i on that day i am greatful for your help

[Martini!]

Originally Posted by Berlunz

I dont believe in "one person horses". I do however believe in horses that take a great deal of work and effort to trust you. I am sure if other people worked with these "one person horses" as much as that one person does, they could be a more than one person horse. But as it is their trust is hard to gain and so its only given to the one person who is out there working with them. This is more common in mules than in horses. Many of the mules we have had have been what is termed here as "one person horses" meaning it takes a lot to gain their trust and if you dont take that time it just does not happen. We had a mustang before who I spent a lot of time working with and he trusted me and only me because of this, but it could just have easily of been the same story for anyone else had they spent the time and work that I did.

I agree with this. I voted "no" in the poll.

I think a lot of people might like to think they have a one person horse because their horse trusts them more than anyone else, but as others have mentioned, you can sell a horse like this and after some time and effort it will have the same bond with a new owner. Dogs are the same way, how many people out there have rescue dogs? Some of them have been mistreated in the past and are wary of new people, but give them some time and they come around. If two people shared a "one person horse" equally, it would most likely become a two-person horse as long as they both treated it the same.

There are horses than prefer a certain riding style, sure. But that just means that a new rider has to change their style, or you have to find other riders with similar styles for the horse to perform well. Any horse is going to be better with consistency, so of course school horses with tons of different (and often beginner) riders are going to have more issues than they would with just one rider, it doesn't make them one person horses, it's just an inevitable when it comes to lesson horses-they learn bad habits, no question.

As for the mentioned school horses that only perform well for the trainer, this is because they respect the trainer and know they can't get away with the same stuff the beginners and kids let them get away with. It doesn't mean another advanced rider couldn't earn their respect. When I taught lessons, almost ALL of our schoolies were like that. They were like a different horse if any of the instructors got on, they wouldn't even try any funny stuff like with the students.

I've worked with horses that performed better and behaved better for me than others, but I am not going to think that other competent people out there couldn't achieve the same.