Why is it that we’re seeing an increase in ‘difficult’ behaviour in our horses? More specifically in the ‘good looking’ horses!

Here’s my take on it as a professional horse trainer, specialising in troubled horses.

I receive countless DM’s, emails and phone calls from people asking for help with their troubled horse. One of the first question I’ll ask is: “is he pretty?” – and I just *know* the other person is probably thinking I’ve lost my mind, but also that I’m some kind of mind reader. Because the thing is, more often than not, the horse either has striking looks (think: paints, palominos, blue eyed horses, big blazes and 4 white socks) or they’re an unusual breed.

Pretty horses and unusual breeds are most commonly valued for their physical appearance, which does NOT correlate to their education on the ground or under saddle. More often than not, these horses are purchased because we’ve already fallen in love with their looks, and not because of their suitability to us as a riding partner. We are willing to overlook or to be blind to the shortcomings in their education because of the looks.

Think about it: how many times have you seen an ad for a palomino advertised for sale, and there are hundreds of comments below, of daughters tagging their parents, girlfriends tagging boyfriends, husbands tagging wives and others furiously commenting “DM sent! VERY INTERESTED!” and your heart sinks a little, because you know EXACTLY what has garnered this amount of attention. His colouring.

Does this mean the horse is bad or difficult? Absolutely not! But it does mean that lot’s of people who wouldn’t have given the ad a second thought if there was no photo, and just a description of the horse’s skills listed, are now suddenly interested. . So why is this a problem? Because the seller now has two options.

1. They wade through the literal HUNDREDS of potential owners, weeding out the ever present tyre kickers, the inexperienced, the ones who didn’t read the ad correctly and want the horse for a COMPLETELY different purpose, the ones who aren’t in the financial position for another horse but now have FOMO (fear of missing out), the ones who have had 6 different horses in the last 12 months but are adamant that the horses were the problem….. you see where I’m going with this, just to find that one home where the people will admire the horse’s looks AND realistically commit to the horse’s skills and education.
2. OR the seller sees the considerable interest in the horse, and jacks the price way up to reflect the demand. Not necessarily a problem in itself – meeting the market, however, what is the problem, is that the home is no longer considered, and the person who is in the best financial position is ultimately the person who will buy the horse regardless of their experience level, mentor/trainer’s support, knowledge base and goals.

For the fortunate few horses who are purchased for a considerable price AND their new owners have realistic goals, are suitably matched as riding and groundwork partners, and committed to continuous learning together – well, those horses have won the human jackpot.

However, often the second choice is chosen. This means that people without the experience or the desire have purchased a horse who is wholly unsuitable to them as a rider/owner/handler. Then comes the inconsistency in communication, the mistakes and the behavioural reactions from both horse and owner. The lucky horses are moved on quickly, with a small footnote at the end of their ad denoting that they are suitable ONLY for experienced riders.

The unlucky horses are left to fester in their lack of education, punished for behaviour they didn’t initiate or cause, and then their behaviour declines further. Eventually these horses are passed from home to home, each one cementing these undesirable reactions in the horse….

UNTIL someone (probably just like you, a horse lover who is focused on the whole horse, not just his looks) comes along and is willing to take the time to repair the behaviour other people have mistakenly trained.

Does this mean that I think that all ‘pretty horses’ are difficult or troubled? Of course not!

Does this mean that I think that everyone who buys a pretty horse is lacking in skills? Absolutely no way!

But do I think that more often than not, the pretty horse is chosen for his looks rather than for his realistic education? Yeah, sadly I do.

Now, I don’t want anyone to read this and think “hey I have a coloured horse, does Maddy think I’m bad for my horse?” Good grief, no, not at all. I have a very striking pony myself, so don’t worry about feeling judged.

This is simply an observation that I have noted recently about how many stunning horses and their committed owners are reaching out for additional help.

The thing is, if you’re asking for help then you are NOT the problem.

Lucky enough to have saved for many years and you’re excited to buy your dream horse with striking markings or a specific breed? Have you been up late at night, researching potential ethical breeders, breed/colouring requirements and environmental management needs – think pink skin in an Australian summer :'( then you are NOT the problem.

Have you recently taken on a lost soul of a horse who is struggling to find their people and they just so happen to be coloured/fancy to look at? Then you are NOT the problem.

You can and should absolutely have a criteria and Wishlist for the horse you’re going to buy. That’s a GOOD thing.

But, just consider if you are blinded by the physical appearance of the horse and willing to overlook incompatible parts of the horse’s training with your situation. Choosing a horse based off his colour or looks is not a bad thing per se, but choosing a horse primarily because of his looks with complete disregard for how well suited you are together (skill, training, ability to provide breed specific care, understanding and commitment to any potential veterinary treatments that are specific to the breed etc etc) – well then, yes, that IS a problem.

Maddy

I show people my methods for kind, compassionate horsemanship in the subscription training library. Whether you’re looking to solve behavioural issues, starting fresh with a new horse, or you’re fed up with dominance theory or awful methods disguised as ‘horsemanship’ then click the link below to learn how you can start making a positive impact on your horse’s training and emotional state today.

Got a question? Don’t forget, you can submit your own question to askmaddy@whitfordequestrian.com for the chance to be featured in the weekly blog.