I’m going with Pasture Ornament…my horse is gorgeous to look at! He didn’t want to be a race horse, didn’t want to be a hunter or jumper, and even doesn’t want to be a trail horse…he would be happiest if no riding was involved. He’s nice on the ground and loves getting treats but that’s about it.
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Will is a former cutting/sorting horse. He goes bananas when the farrier comes —he’s all over the poor guy --nickering, rubbing, doing horse-hugs with his head ----farrier has cows and usually is driving the rig he uses for moving them. And of course he’s wearing his “feeding cow clothes.” Fact is, Will loves cows. He loved cutting/sorting. And now, I, his most recent owner who foxhunts him, have no cows. Will’s last owner before me told me to “buy him a cow.” I wonder if that really would make him happier. He seem happy here --until he sees that cow-smelling farrier, then he’s exuberant!
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Honestly, just like people (some of the things that make me the happiest, my husband would outright consider torture), I think it depends on the horse’s personality.
You would think trial riding, pasture pet for some horses, but I know others that would hate that kind of work. Some horses don’t want the large open space, some horses get nervous, some want more disciplined work. Then you take my guy for instance, who was the victim of a lot of bad weather recently and so receiving a LOT of trail riding and hacking. And while he enjoyed it, he was definitely a much happier guy going back to work (dressage). He enjoys what he does.
Other horses I am sure LOVE to jump, to run, to race, to go around large obstacles, to slide, to sort, to drive, etc etc. We breed for a purpose, us humans, right?
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My main mare loves trail rides, alone or in company, and the fewer aids used during a ride the better. She has loved the recent snowy weather where we go out in a hackamore, rarely beyond a walk, and my aids are a light neck rein, or a verbal whoa or trottrot on the clear patches. But she can get pissy in the ring: “why is your LEG touching my SIDE I want to BITE you.”
The other mare I am riding has some 3rd and 4th level dressage moves, and she just loves going through the routine, starting with walk lateral work and then warming up to trot lateral work, and then canter. I got a fairly OK canter pirouette out of her the other night, riding alone! She was quite puffed up and full of herself. But she can get a bit anxious alone on the trails, as if she doesn’t quite get why we would bother doing this. Also she has a 45 minute meter running in her head, and when the session is over, she starts looking at the door.
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Foxhunters. My horses all have loved to hunt.
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I’ve had two horses that sort of puffed up going down the centerline at at show. Their behavior certainly indicated pleasure and eagerness to perform
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Put me in the pasture pet group. Mine are out 24/7, so anytime I can’t make it to the barn I remind myself that they don’t care.
They don’t act displeased when I tack them up, but they certainly don’t get as excited for that as they do for dinner.
P.S. their day jobs are hunters
Petting farm. 
One that has treats available for kids to offer.
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I would add it possibly changes for the horse. I.E. horse’s happiness may change as he/she ages, so long trail riding/jumping may be replaced by happy to have little kids fuss over him and give them a ride once around the ring.
Former race horses who loved to run, very happy to become track ponies
Like people, things change.
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Eating anything and everything edible, followed closely by being petted by small children and by active trail riding that includes an occasional snack break :lol:
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Actually if you want to see my main mare’s eyes light up, start doing clicker tricks with her. The best day of the year for her is our Christmas Open House when we do a tricks routine and then kids come by her stall and get her to play fetch and play ball and smile all day. At the end of this, she is usually exhausted. But the next day, she is looking around for more kids. So I’d say groundwork tricks with treats is her absolutely favorite thing. But it’s not a full time job.
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I literally giggled aloud, PF, because that’s probably Winnie’s NIGHTMARE! She likes (some) treats (NOT peppermints, which are poison, apparently), but doesn’t like kids or being pet.
So funny how they have so many different preferences and opinions, and just like us, one’s heaven is another’s hell.
I wonder how often their physique, which is such a big part of how we choose them and choose what to do with them, aligns with their psyche? Like, is there some poor dressage pony brain out there somewhere trapped within a stocky little cow horse body?
Agreed! I think my WB mare enjoys jumping more than I do. She jumps out of pastures because she can. She was bred to jump and enjoys nothing more.
I have a Fjord…she’s happy doing anything…food-Woohoo! Being groomed-Woohoo! Vacuums-Woohoo! Pop-Tarts-Woohoo! She’s just a very happy little girl no matter what.
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The one where they are understood as individuals and supported with empathy and caring.
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Foxglove, you’re a carnivore, right? You could get him a new cow every year…
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Foxhunt horses are far and away the happiest. I care for fox hunt horses, show ring hunters, jumpers, dressage horses, broodmares, stallions, trail horses and retired horses (pasture pets).
I think our horses as kids were pretty happy. We went trail riding almost exclusively and most kids didn’t school much. We had varied and extensive terrain. The horses were comfortable in the bush, on a suburban street, in traffic. We didn’t weigh very much. We had traditional places where we “bombed” and the horses knew where those were. Lots of kids rode bareback. We often rode in groups but also alone. Horses got to cover a lot of ground, be out all day with their person, take grass breaks, and not have to respond to any serious aids.
Horses stayed sound.
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I bred and raised two full siblings (both mares). Both were pastured 24/7. I like dressage. The first one hated it and wanted to jump (found out when I took her to a hunter/jumper trainer). Her full sister went to the same trainers as the first one. She looks at jumps and goes “you want me to do what?” She loves doing dressage and is particularly fond of trot lengthenings. Go figure!
I think it depends on the personality of the horse.
I have had horses that do whatever I have asked without complaint and we have done several disciplines. They just don’t show an obvious opinion one way or the other and willingly do as asked.
I have had some who show an undeniable preference so I always did the type of riding that they preferred, which was easy since showing ( or much arena work) was no longer something I wanted to do and they all loved trail riding.
My current mare adores getting out and being ridden on trails. She is probably one of the most obviously " happy" horses I have had .
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