An appreciation post...what are 3 things you appreciate about your horse

[RedHorses]

My younger horse.

I appreciate his willingness to try. To be all in, what are we doing today, did you want me to do that, etc.

I appreciate how much I have learned in figuring out how to fix whatever isn’t right so he can give me the try.

I appreciate how much I enjoy him when we do have his world right.

[Risuena]

1. He is SO honest jumping. It’s literally been years since he stopped at a jump. We don’t do anything near the limits of his athletic ability, which helps, but good lord I’ve given him some horrible rides and he bails me out every time.

2. This one is a double-edged sword: In terms of flatwork/dressage, he does EXACTLY what I ask him to do. Might not be what I think I’m asking him to do!

3. He’s a little spicy, which I like (usually), but he’s never dumb

[Hawk_of_May]

1. His level headedness. I found him once with wire wrapped around a hind leg (didn’t see it at first under all the snow and couldn’t understand why he refused to budge from his spot when I tried to lead him). Boy was I relieved to find that he hadn’t fought against it and cut up his leg! Same later when he broke a fence and ended up straddling it. He waited for someone to come and guide him out.
2. His willingness. Even with his persistent lameness issues, he always wants to try for me. He’s one of the only horses I’ve ridden who actually seems excited for a ride. Of course, that sometimes makes it hard to tell if he’s in pain and pushing through or not. So while I appreciate that he wants to go and do things under saddle I do wish he’d be a little more opinionated in telling me when he’s having a bad day.
3. His ground manners. Someone worked with this horse a lot as a baby! He follows me around (even without the halter on) and yields easily to my space. Plus catching him isn’t an hour long circus affair! Other boarders are always telling me how he comes up to them in the field for pets and lets them use him to help catch problem horses. Of course, we did have an incident where a lesson student caught and almost rode him because she assumed that since he came up to her, he must be the horse she was told to ride (in her defense, they were both chestnuts).

[CeeBee1]

He makes me laugh with his silliness. One day he took off when I showed him 3 carrots. He loves carrots.
Another time I went to put him into a yard I’ve put him in a million times.
I couldn’t work out why he was all snorty, then I realised the yard had been half mowed and that is what was spooking him. *face palm *

When he gets a fright and it looks like he is heading my way he moves the other way, regardless of what has scared him.
The first time he spooked and came towards me I thought I was going to end up in a bad way.
Nope, as soon as he realised where I was he moved away.

He is great to hug and cry into his mane when something sad has happened.

[Spudsmyguy]

Spud:

1. The way he always looks to me when I come out of the house, ears up, wondering what I’m up to.
2. The way he stretches like a cat every morning when heading to the barn to feed.
3. He gentlemanly ways, very sweet and kind, moves the way you want him to in a stall, a truly loving horse.

Apache:

1. His steadfastness on the trail.
2. His willing to load in a trailer anytime, anywhere
3. Never poops in his stall, always goes outside

Odin:

1. His silly, goofy personality
2. He is unflappable, something that would spook any other horse, he ignores - like snow falling off the roof of the covered arena when you’re inside it.
3. His love of jumping, refuse is not in his vocabulary.

[atr]

His largely impeccable ground manners, including stoicism for the treatment of booboos.

The way he cheerfully self-loads into the trailer and carefully steps off.

His really wonderful dressage skills. May I learn to live up to them before we both die of old age.