Spinoff of the “needs to be in a program” question.
What does “quirky” mean in a sales ad?
I feel like that word was made popular by the teenage crowd, and then got adopted into the horse world (see: unicorn, etc). But what does it actually mean? Do you have a horse you would consider “quirky”, and what does that mean in your case?
Another red flag if I’m horse-shopping for my teenager! I guess I read “quirky” as “picky.” If some little thing happens the horse takes a dislike to (a bad distance, a rough half halt, cows in the distance, whatever) the horse is likely to act out. I assume a “quirky” horse requires a confident and fairly skilled rider who can keep things steady and predictable for the horse, and calmly ride through any little upsets.
Nothing good. In a serious sales ad it means there is something complicated about the ride. It might not be an issue above a certain rider skill level or for some riders. But it’s something that can’t be described in the basic terms spooky, hot and forward, push ride, etc. I would say a horse with a big “no” button under saddle. I would ask more specifically if I was generally interested.
It doesn’t mean the horse smiles for carrots or poops in his water bucket or spins in circles like a puppy when he sees his evening grain, or any other lovable /exasperating thing on the ground. Unless the ad is written by a 15 year old.
I have several horses that I would describe as quirky…often most of your top performance horses are a bit quirky. To me, it is slightly different than just sensitive. But often describes a horse that has quirks…habits or personality traits that are just a part of them and not as typical for all horses. They are the kind of thing you don’t change…and when I describe a horse as quirky, it usually means these are the type that you need to work with and not try and “change” or dominate …like not forcing a round peg into a square hole…they are often also sensitive but doesn’t mean they are not a great horse. They just may not suit all people and all programs…
We have had some behaviors in horses I would have called quirky that had I advertised the horse I would have possibly put in an ad --Our top event horse slept flat on his side with his mouth open --was called to the stable more than once at a horse trail with other exhibitors thinking he had passed in the night. He also groaned loudly when sleeping, and I had a few colic calls too. At home we had a few passersby stop to let us know the horse had passed in the pasture by the road. Even now sometimes I go out on the deck over looking the pasture and whistle so he’ll move --he’s 29 now and I’m never sure . …
We had a Morgan gelding --great horse --who wouldn’t haul with a breast bar. Take that off and he’d travel great. Leave it in and he’d put his front legs over it and ride that way. Quirky.
And there was an OTTB who pooped in his feed dish. Every. Single. Day. If you took his feed dish out, he’d poop in his water bucket.
My current #1 horse has to have his head turned away from the rider as he/she mounts --just pick up the outside rein, and he’ll stand all day at the mounting block, ditch, or where you are getting on. Leave the reins slack or turn his head in, and he circles into the rider. I think this is a trained behavior for possibly quick on-the-fly mounting --but I need him to stand still (old lady) --so, pick up the outside rein and he will.
My #2 horse is the most un-affectionate horse – never nickers, whinnies or puts his ears up when he sees me. Gives me that, “sigh, it’s you.,” Eyore face when I get him in the pasture or out of his stall. 20 years of treats and rubs and he still looks like he’d like to spit on me. But, he’s 100% --never let me down ever --rode him 250 miles across MI in two weeks and he never put a foot wrong. I have heard that his entire line (Hancock) are like that --all work and no love – but I’d tell a buyer (if I ever sold him), not to expect an “in your pocket puppy dog” --so yeah, quirky.
It’s something you’ll have to remain aware of, or something you’ll have to adapt to (vs. train the horse out of).
I had a mare when I was a teen that was the epitome of quirky. She had raced, and then had a fracture, been rehabbed, and attempted to be a broodmare but never took. No idea where in her background she picked up such odd manners, but she did. And nothing really seemed to change that. She was never reliable on cross-ties (even the week I lost her at 29 y/o), and she could be a pill to lead - but would absolutely never hit the end of the lead. If you just ignored her and walked she was 100% fine for anyone. If you reacted to her head tosses and jigs and snapped the lead rope or yelled at her - she’d lose her mind.
Sometimes it’s more an under saddle thing - like a jumper that prefers a specific ride, only jumps well in a hackamore, can’t be ridden with a stick, has to be mounted while walking, etc.
The opposite of “uncomplicated”; another word that you frequently see in ads 😉
I rode one that absolutely freaked out if you used a crop. Like an “OMG he’s going to flip over and kill us both” reaction if you got near him with a crop at all. We didn’t know much about his background other than he was originally meant to be a racehorse but never made it to the track. Now I might have tried harder to desensitize him, but back then we just dropped the crop and rode with spurs if he was having a lazy day.
I also rode one that had made it to the track and anything that sounded remotely like a starting bell would have her taking off like a damn rocket. I wouldn’t call it a spook, and she never put a foot wrong or bucked or anything, so you just had to be aware of it and calmly let her know she could come back to a walk.
This really captures what I think of when I think “quirky.” I would just go a bit further to add that a quirk that could be no big deal for one person might be a dealbreaker for a different person. A quirk isn’t inherently “bad” itself, but it can make a horse a very bad fit.
I had a horse that would not tolerate it if you handed something to the rider when they were on his back or the rider taking off a jacket. Think having someone hand you your jacket on a hot day before a class or your number, even your gloves. Not happening on this precious fellow and he dumped some pretty good riders thinking they could stick.
You just got used to being prepared when you got on to ride.
The really odd thing though was he never refused to let his rider take a ribbon.
“Quirky”
For me, it’s a horse who has habits under saddle you’re just going to deal with and creatively ride around. They’re things that no amount of training is likely to fix, and there’s a STRONG reaction if you don’t ride them “their” way. Some quirks are on the ground/hauling as well. My primary show horse is like this. He’s horribly claustrophobic, so I need to be extra aware of traffic during hacks or he’ll come unglued. If I get too active with aids, especially hand, and he feels claustrophobic from how I’m riding? We’re going to have a rodeo. And when I say rodeo, I mean “leaves spectators gasping in horror” level/everyone gets out of the way as quickly as possible level rodeo. And it can be hair-trigger. It can be as simple as I got extra active with right leg and didn’t give him enough room on the left rein that sets him off. We could end up straight up in the air, we could be bucking, we could be bolting, we could be some whack combo of every possible disobedience. He’s similar on the ground. He will NOT straight tie to a solid wall/trailer without coming unglued, but he’s ok if there’s bars. He won’t handle being in cross ties, but WILL quietly doze if he’s cross tied in the barn aisle. He has VERY specific buddies he’ll haul with and be ok in one trailer space, otherwise he’s going to need two spaces.
Think of it as… If you don’t have the patience of Job mixed with a sense of humor and endless tact, you might die.
I always describe my horse as having quirks when I take him to a new barn, and I think of them as something that can’t be fixed with training but doesn’t make the horse dangerous or unbearable to have in the barn.
On the ground, his quirks include not letting you catch him if he can’t smell you, and he will tremble and lose his mind if you yell at him too much or even if he sees you yell at another horse and thinks you’re still mad. The first is a quirk, the second is boarderline a quirk but also can be ‘trained’ out when he gets used to the staff. Otherwise I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t love him in the barn because he is so so sweet, just nervous of new people.
I ride him in the jumpers, but if there’s no jumps in the ring he’s pretty much the easiest horse to ride on the flat. His quirks come in when you head to a jump, where you have to ride him with a heavy seat or he’ll leave you behind and do it himself. He’s also one you can’t ride with a crop, and gets nervous if he hears another horse being hit. You also can’t ride the same course too many times or he’ll put himself on auto drive and see how fast he can get it done without listening to aids.
I don’t know his whole past and why he is so nervous about punishment, but thankfully he is usually a good boy and doesn’t need much correction. Thus, I call them quirks and not training issues, because I’m sure I could put a lot of time and money into ‘fixing’ him, but they don’t make him dangerous, they’re easy to work into the routine, and it makes him happy if you take the time to key into his world.
Obviously would need to clarify with the seller what THEY mean by it, but horses I’ve known I would describe as “quirky” have one or two, perhaps three, “things” that may be more or less of an issue depending on the buyer’s needs and tolerances, but otherwise are really great horses. Most of the “things” could probably be eliminated with time and effort, but over the years owners/handlers have figured it’s easier just to work around it. A previous instructor had an old Appy school horse, worth his weight as a school horse. Could go from toddler up-down lessons to a trappy jumper course without flicking an ear. Sound as a bell for 28 years. Could not be caught in anything larger than a round pen unless you had all day. The police horses for the city boarded at a barn I used to ride at. One of them would.not.pee on any surface other than grass, soft dirt, or shavings. His officer had to be very careful to find him such regularly over the course of the day, and he’s still let rip as soon as his hind feet hit home soil when backing off the trailer at the end of the day. One of the research/teaching mares at UCDavis was terrified of walking on concrete. If she had to do so for any reason, she would tiptoe. I have never seen a horse tiptoe, before or since. Of course, reducing surface contact area to a few square cm’s of hoof horn is the worst possible way to ambulate on concrete, so she’d slip-slide all over the place and only reinforce how scary concrete was.
It’s not always synonymous with hard, but it’s usually something complicated and not desirable but you can learn to deal with it. I think most upper level horses are quirky.
My 1.45m horse is quite quirky, but I find him to be a very easy to ride because I know him so well. He spins to the left if something spooks him, he doesn’t like to trot, and he won’t slice jumps.
I think most horses, especially any who “perform,” (jumper, eventer, reiner, cowhorse, dressage, etc) could be described as quirky by one who knows him/her well. I definitely think of my mare as quirky. But really, she’s pretty easy. Just has a thousand little preferences that can make life easier or harder. Rub underside of tail dock? Yes. Brush tummy lightly? No.
But in a sales ad, I’d take quirky to mean, “there’s a combination you need to know to unlock this one.”
This! All horses have something they do or don’t. Those are quirks. But to be Quirky - that’s the next level.
My older mare will not trailer quietly when tied. Leave her loose in the slot, she’d go for days. That’s a quirk.
My gray mare will throw a fit if someone who has a whip held out to the side gets too close to her personal bubble. Snaking head, mare ears, the works. I know this and how to deal with it. It’s a quirk. When there’s a sunbeam going through the arena and she is sure it’s going to kill her like a laser gun, thus choosing to either jump it or flat refuse to go to that area, it’s a quirk. She loves having the inside of her ears rubbed like a big dog. That’s a quirk. When you add all of these (and quite a few others) I would definitely say she’s Quirky.
Funny, we have one being leased in our barn who is the same way! His poor rider can’t even take a drink of water while mounted, has to get off in between rounds for a drink! He also spooks hard at anyone standing in the ring, especially if they’re near a jump he’s approaching…quirky.
I still think that in most sales ads quirky is going to refer to some behaviour that complicates riding. It’s not something you’d put in a sales ad to describe a horse that takes long snoring naps in the afternoon or likes to drink frozen lemonade or is friends with a goat. Those are all sweet lovable quirks but are not relevant to the ride, which is what people buy.
Horse is consistently in the ribbons but has some quirks. Suitable for confident adult ammie or junior in a program.
My pony spent 6 years at the same farm so sometimes he’s quirky about things. He’ll forget how to take baths if you don’t give him one once a week. He’s still terrified of the farrier’s equipment. Stuff horses with more experience don’t look at make him spook. Although he’s still green over fences he’s in general quiet and happy to do whatever and he’s an easier ride on that flat than I’ve ever had.
He’s just now started loading easily onto my warmblood sized trailer. I’ve been paid to teach other people’s horses to load and here my 14 hand pony needed two people to shove him onto a 7’ 6" trailer once a week for the first YEAR.
My fiance says who cares if he’s quirky if he brings home the ribbons at every show.
I totally agree. Plus, this post made me chuckle.
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