Do you think there are men's horses and women's horses?

[tabula_rashah]

So my crazy TWH mare is going back to her previous owner on Sunday (there’s a whole nother thread about that but long story short- she’s not safe to ride and old owner will keep her as a pasture pet). Anyway, the looney lady (fellow self care boarder at my barn) told me today that I shouldn’t feel bad, the mare is probably just a man’s horse and there’s nothing I can do to help that. I’m pretty sure this was just meant to insult me because she makes a herself a fun game of doing that with irritating regularity.

That got me thinking though. I think there are most pro rides and ammy rides and it’s pretty important to match the horse to rider but I really don’t buy into the “oh it’s a man’s horse” crap. So what say ye COTH?

[Lady_Eboshi]

Well, I’ve owned two in my time who were both broke and trained by men; one was a champion reiner in his day and the other is gun-broke and had been used for field trialing.

While they would certainly go along and do their jobs well enough for me, or other female riders, it was PLAIN that they preferred to be ridden by guys. The old reining horse LOVED my father and would do ANYTHING for him–packing him o/f on hunter paces even though English tack wasn’t his “first language.” They definitely had a shared sense of humor and devil-may-care!

The same horse regularly let me know, with a sigh-and-ear-flick gesture, that on several levels he considered me a BOZO and that while he knew his bread was buttered by being kind to all, that would never really change! :lol:

Later, I had an ancient, rescued TWH who taught me to ride gaited and HE let me know I was a bozo in his estimation, too. This horse also loved guys.

The QH former shooting mount went jaw-droppingly beautifully for a friend of mine up from NYC for the weekend who hadn’t ridden in years; better than he EVER went for me, he took instantly to this big burly bear of a guy who rode lighter than a feather and the two of them practically floated over the ground.
Gaits were a 9.997!

There’s definitely such a thing as a “man’s horse!”

[Gainer]

I had a mare that was definitely a lady’s horse. She had no use for any male trainer I ever had. Once I found a suitable female trainer, she was just fine.

She was great with me and small children; but men, not so much!

[BeckyS]

Come to think of it, my gelding has never really cared for the men that rode him.

He makes it pretty clear to my husband that he is merely tolerated because I seem to care for him or something.

[NoSuchPerson]

I once had a mule who was absolutely a ladies’ mule. He was always on guard with men, but trusted women. I always assumed that he was handled roughly by a man in the past and transferred that distrust to men in general.

I currently have a mule who I suspect, all other things being equal, would be a man’s mule. But, I’ve had him since he was born and he makes it very clear that I am his person, so he’s stuck with a woman.

[Trakehner]

My mule prefers guys (and is in love with the 5 yo son of my barn’s owner (kindred spirits). I’ve had mares that I was their person and they acted jealous of other female anything at the barn.

i had a lovely Boxer female…she listened to me, but loved my wife.

[Alagirl]

Had a gelding that was a total bro horse…

I had strong women ride him, he behaved like a complete jerk.

Had guys ride him, mere passengers, and he was an ace…

I do believe horses have people they ‘can’ with, and others they don’t. Some like men better, some women…

[Foxglove]

My horse doesn’t like men and likes kids even less. Come to think of it, he doesn’t like me much either, but he LOVED and still does LOVE his previous owner (another woman). When I say he doesn’t like someone, when the person gets on, he pins his ears and swishes his tail and paws. He will then, grudgingly, do what’s asked, but with no enthusiasm. When I ride him (I feed him and care for him and have for 12 years) he sighs, and does a pretty good job. But with his previous owner (who hasn’t owned him for 12 years), he puts his little ears up and arches his neck and acts like he’s in love with her. She said she always fed him a can of peaches after she rode him and before he went to bed. Maybe I should try that.

[fordtraktor]

No…but there are “finesse” horses and what my GP trainer called “push-pull” horses…those you have to muscle around a course. I had a horse like that and he could ride him like a dream but I had a hard time, and I am pretty strong for a woman. On the other hand, he had me show the sensitive, TB types because I am soft and empathetic and they like me.

So in huge generalities, yes…but some men can ride soft and I am sure some women prefer strong, insensitive horses too.

[bt1]

Nope do not think it. I know it

[NoSuchPerson]

I also think there are horses that like to be fussed over, groomed exhaustively, have their scratchy spots rubbed, be kissed and hugged… And, I think they are more likely to get that treatment from women.

My mule, on the other hand, hates all that fussing. His attitude is very much “do your thing and turn me out because I have mule business to attend to.” Unless, of course, you’re willing to be a continuous treat dispenser. The men in his life are much more likely to treat him in a businesslike manner, no fussing, just get the job done and be finished. And the mule seems to prefer this.

So, I reserve most of my kissyface and primping for the horse, who raised a little girl up to college-age before he came to me and thus learned to act like he enjoys it.

[Beck]

[QUOTE=fordtraktor;8870516]
No…but there are “finesse” horses and what my GP trainer called “push-pull” horses…those you have to muscle around a course. I had a horse like that and he could ride him like a dream but I had a hard time, and I am pretty strong for a woman. On the other hand, he had me show the sensitive, TB types because I am soft and empathetic and they like me.

So in huge generalities, yes…but some men can ride soft and I am sure some women prefer strong, insensitive horses too.[/QUOTE]

This. It is manner, not gender.

[LesleyW]

Absolutely. I’ve owned 2 off-track horses who despise men.

[ladyj79]

My trainer regularly rejects horses as “women’s horses” haha
Sometimes I agree!

[Malda]

How would a horse be able to tell the difference between a man and a woman? I can understand a horse would prefer a certain riding style.

[Guilherme]

[QUOTE=Malda;8870902]
How would a horse be able to tell the difference between a man and a woman? I can understand a horse would prefer a certain riding style.[/QUOTE]

Smell. And I don’t mean fragrances. Men and women sans artificial enhancement or covering smell differently. Horses have a much stronger sense of smell than humans so that will be the second way.

The first way is sight. Men and women walk differently and have a different overall shape. The horse knows from a distance which is which.

I think we forget just how attuned horses are to their environment. They have excellent memories. If all the men/women a horse has experienced demonstrated similar practices they will associate those practices with those shapes and smells. In today’s world 75% (or more) of the average riders are women. That means that the average horse knows women but might not know men. The new and unusual to most horses is the potentially dangerous. So they will be more wary of what they don’t know. And it works the other way if you are in a discipline that is mostly male (like military riding).

Yes, horses can be “men’s” or “women’s” horse’s but I don’t think this is carved in stone and the attitude can either be changed or reinforced depending on the person doing the riding.

G.

[hosspuller]

Had a horse who would follow a strange man (unfamiliar to horse) in the pasture but ignore the woman who fed him everyday. He liked / trusted men better.

[ako]

My gelding loves women and girls. Loves them. Men he will tolerate. My hubby he loves, but that’s involved many treats over the years and my boy has made it clear DH is not to ride him.

Not sure it’s nature causing this, though perhaps in the sense of preferring certain styles over others. I suspect it’s more experience/nurture.

Not sure about my mare.

[Malda]

[QUOTE=Guilherme;8870945]
Smell. And I don’t mean fragrances. Men and women sans artificial enhancement or covering smell differently. Horses have a much stronger sense of smell than humans so that will be the second way.

The first way is sight. Men and women walk differently and have a different overall shape. The horse knows from a distance which is which.

I think we forget just how attuned horses are to their environment. They have excellent memories. If all the men/women a horse has experienced demonstrated similar practices they will associate those practices with those shapes and smells. In today’s world 75% (or more) of the average riders are women. That means that the average horse knows women but might not know men. The new and unusual to most horses is the potentially dangerous. So they will be more wary of what they don’t know. And it works the other way if you are in a discipline that is mostly male (like military riding).

Yes, horses can be “men’s” or “women’s” horse’s but I don’t think this is carved in stone and the attitude can either be changed or reinforced depending on the person doing the riding.

G.[/QUOTE]

This is the best I could find.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/can-horses-distinguish-between-men-and-women-527135

http://www.habitatforhorses.org/do-women-and-men-ride-differently-horses-cannot-tell-the-difference/

It’s possible that men/women smell differently to them, but I doubt they could tell the difference by sight, their sight isn’t as good as ours. They can recognize people they know, but even humans can be fooled by gender behavior.

It’s an interesting concept, and I’ve heard people say the same thing about dogs.

[Alagirl]

[QUOTE=Malda;8871062]
This is the best I could find.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/can-horses-distinguish-between-men-and-women-527135

http://www.habitatforhorses.org/do-women-and-men-ride-differently-horses-cannot-tell-the-difference/

It’s possible that men/women smell differently to them, but I doubt they could tell the difference by sight, their sight isn’t as good as ours. They can recognize people they know, but even humans can be fooled by gender behavior.

It’s an interesting concept, and I’ve heard people say the same thing about dogs.[/QUOTE]

But that theory goes out the window when you raised close to 10 horses from foal, similar blood lines, and most are just fine, but the odd one is special…
It really did not matter in my case how strong or weak the male rider was, the horse behaved better. For the ladies, it also did not matter how skilled she was (and I had some strong ladies on him! Different approaches, too), he was simply a jerk…a chauvinist pig…