Spinoff: What does "quirky" mean?

[fordtraktor]

I had a quirky one. Wouldn’t back off a trailer to save his life. I had to buy him a custom trailer with a front ramp (or close my eyes and let him turn around). Despite trying several trainers, no one ever got him past that. he also had a quick left spin that left me planted in the dust several times, and was very, very particular about his equipment.

Best horse I ever had! He wasn’t scared of any jump filler and could jump the moon. But he would spook all day long trotting around. He also had a very unusual jumping preference.he was hot, hot, hot and liked carry some speed to jump his best. I took him to a Joe Fargis clinic once, and Joe was getting everyone to slow down the canter to a set of gymnastics so the horses would think about footwork. But he pointed to my horse and said, “not yours! That kind of horse likes to carry some pace, you ride him like he wants to be ridden! Forward to the base!” Joe is a true horseman, he was able to identify that need within an hour of ever seeing the horse. He also preferred reins that were “too long”.

[Tackpud]

Quirky = you have to learn to live with this horse’s peculiarities and love him anyway. Can be anything from a stall issue to a riding issue.

[cattywampus]

Brilliant but slightly unstable.

Like Coleridge–a considered a gifted poet, but troubled by crippling depression and did a ton of opium.

I had a mare like that*: amazingly athletic, moved like a cat, could get over anything but she had days when I’d take one look at her and put her back, because nothing useful would be accomplished if she was In A Mood.**

Also, she Didn’t Do Rain, or did it only under duress, with such an air of being put upon that a judge once remarked on it.

Even so, she was the most fabulously athletic and talented horse I ever sat on, and gorgeous to boot, and it broke my heart when she died.

*Gifted but temperamental, not addicted to opium
**I called it having her tail in a knot

[BigBlackDog]

I would agree with the commenters who say a quirky horse has some kind of issue that must be acknowledged and worked around, but not necessarily dangerous or detrimental. I had a quirky horse and he was just fantastic. Admittedly those quirks drove me bonkers some days, but even the best horses had off days so I can’t fault him for being extra quirky here and there.

He couldn’t be looked at while he was eating, he had to be hauled with his left side against the wall, and he had to be ridden with an incredibly tight rein or else he could have a hard stop. Not a dirty one by any stretch but you’d be sitting on his neck if you didn’t almost choke him all the way to the jump. There were some days I lamented not being able to ride with a lovely loopy rein, but that was just not how that horse went. He taught me to sit back for sure. He could be balky in the ring but an absolute trooper on the trail. We often had to lead trail rides because nothing fazed that horse! He was very rideable and very kind, did his best to keep me in the saddle short of holding on to me. Just a bit different.

I learned so much about horsemanship from him and I have much to thank him for. I think we could all do with a quirky horse in our lifetimes.

[oldernewbie]

I have two with contrasting quirks. The older one, now retired, was a gem on the ground. You could do anything with him, calm and kind. Under saddle he was great some days and a hot mess others. Brave as heck on the trail except for the first 15 minutes for some reason. I just told people to ignore us, he’d get over it eventually and he would. He had something about plants - someone left a pile of unused decorating plants at the show grounds by A of the dressage ring and it ruined my entire day. He just could not figure out what those plants were all about!

My new horse is rock solid under saddle, I think he only spooked once last year through many a show and show grounds, indoors and outdoors. He is easy to handle on the ground but we found out about his quirks one by one. He hates, hates, hates hot shoeing and will leave the scene at speed if you try it. So no more of that. He also hates the tails of a show coat brushing behind the saddle so I had my coat shortened.

They all definitely have their personalities! Many of the quirky ones seem to be smart and aren’t shy about expressing their preferences. It’s an interesting form of horse-human communications!

[findeight]

@SugarCubes

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.

Ummmm…that’s a result of training but not the right kind and often well installed before current owner got them. Horses that will not allow anything handed to or from the rider have had a scare somewhere involving that action that was never corrected so just got deeper ingrained. Or they’ve been subject to rough handling from a person on the ground while under a rider and learned if a ground person approaches, bad things happen.

Spooking at a person standing by a jump is often the same thing, polling or getting a crack on the butt from a lunge whip at the base of a fence too often just teaches them person by jump = bad things happen. That’s what they learned from that “ training aid”.

Quirky, to me, is just part of the horses basic nature. They tend to want to argue a little, require more negotiation. But they don’t do anything dangerous or intended to harm, just not a “yes master” type. IME most really talented horses that will work their hearts out for you also will make you work a little to earn that performance. Think it’s mostly the smartest horses as well. Another way of saying advanced rider only.

I would not put “quirky” in an ad. It’s a grey area, not black and white. Some riders are not bothered and work around it, others won’t touch them but it depends on what it is so don’t think it belongs in an ad. Just comes off as an undefined negative, might drive a suitable buyer away from contacting the seller.

[chicagojumper]

@findeight

Spooking at a person standing by a jump is often the same thing, polling or getting a crack on the butt from a lunge whip at the base of a fence too often just teaches them person by jump = bad things happen. That’s what they learned from that “ training aid”.

Came here to say this. Horses that have been poled tend to have very strong reactions when seeing a person standing next to a jump they’re approaching. It’s pretty easy to suss out once you’ve witnessed that sort of response a time or two. Some of them never truly get over it, either.

[CanteringCarrot]

@cattywampus

Brilliant but slightly unstable.

Like Coleridge–a considered a gifted poet, but troubled by crippling depression and did a ton of opium.

I had a mare like that*: amazingly athletic, moved like a cat, could get over anything but she had days when I’d take one look at her and put her back, because nothing useful would be accomplished if she was In A Mood.**

Also, she Didn’t Do Rain, or did it only under duress, with such an air of being put upon that a judge once remarked on it.

Even so, she was the most fabulously athletic and talented horse I ever sat on, and gorgeous to boot, and it broke my heart when she died.

*Gifted but temperamental, not addicted to opium
**I called it having her tail in a knot

Brilliant but slightly unstable! This is a good description of a horse that I own.

I’d say he is quirky, but to me it is no problem. I have seen him with the wrong rider, and it is not terrible, but it isn’t pretty. You cannot physically muscle him around, you have to ride with your brain.

A bomb could go off (literally has - in the distance) and he’d stand there like, wut? You can clip him anywhere on his body, doesn’t care. Takes to new places quite well. But will also jump sideways when walking past a jump he’s been by 100 times already. Will stop and stare at a ground pole like he’s never seen one in his life then walk over it and clunk - yeah, if it was so scary, why couldn’t you be bothered to pick your feet up over it.

God forbid someone goes into and out of a closet (at the end of the aisle). Or walks by with a cardboard box that is just the wrong shade of brown. Or that soccer ball a few meters away, def a threat. Spooks at his own hay net.

I’ve done a lot of ground work with this animal, and he’s quite good. It is so ingrained in his personality to be weird. He is a drama queen. He entertains no one but himself. If no one is looking (or so he thinks) he’s fine with said bucket on the ground, if you are caught in his sight suddenly he is snorting at it. The key is to ignore his antics. Don’t get mad, don’t fall in his trap, firmly carry on.

A friend had to take care of him for a week and he convinced her he was afraid of puddles (he’s not). Wouldn’t go into the forest (usually does not object).

He has not had any abuse nor traumatic (don’t ask him though) events in his life. He has no vision problems. He is nice and fairly easy to ride - a sensitive ride, but rewards proper riding. Never hits the end of his lead rope or lunge line. Quite polite. The best horse I’ve had - so smart and knows a lot of tricks on the ground that he learned quickly (bowing, counting, picking up whips, etc.). But my God, is he weird.

To be fair, some say it is a “breed characteristic” and he’s gotten slightly less weird as he ages…or I’ve gotten used to it and no longer take note! :lol: Still my all time favorite horse.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

Unlike “needs to be in a program” I consider “quirky” much more subjective in terms of its meaning. I think within the realm of safe amateur horses, “quirky” usually means a horse that won’t tolerate or requires something out of the realm of what most people consider normal, like a horse who reacts very strongly to the normal use of a crop or spurs. Or a horse who is very lazy on the flat and over small jumps to the point of being able to be ridden by beginners but who can suddenly get very strong to jumps of size. Or a show horse who’s quite good in the ring by himself but has meltdowns in the schooling area with multiple horses flying around him. “Quirky” to me means something that the average person would not expect that’s within this horse’s particular range of regular behaviors but which some riders might find a “work around” because the horse is otherwise safe, reasonably priced, and so forth.

With pro horses, I consider “quirky” much more like Rothchild, a great horse who would every now and then have a meltdown, like refusing the final jump of a jump-off, when by all rights he would have won the class if he’d just gone over the fence.

[Jax]

I think a lot of people are used to describing their horses as quirky based on fun/specific/strange habits they have around the barn and that language carries over to sales ads in weird ways sometimes. Having a personality (especially in the barn) does not equate being a quirky ride.

You can know your horse has a lot of personality (hopefully in a good way) and their specific likes and dislikes, without them being quirky. I think of quirky like the catchall extra “vice”. Your horse can bolt, rear, buck, stop, spook, or be quirky (I’m sure I’m missing some). A lot of people like to write their ads as though they were talking to someone, but to me quirky is a watch word, it means there’s something significant about this horse’s habits that can/may affect your ride.

[Edre]

Quirky:

This horse is “particular” in a way that requires conscious awareness to navigate.

It isn’t something benign that will never come up/won’t impact your life - a horse described as “quirky” has some tic or particular preference that needs to be approached with tact and diplomacy. A “quirky” horse isn’t inherently safe or unsafe, but failing to disregard the caveat about their “quirks” may quickly take you into unsafe territory. Similarly, a “quirk” itself isn’t inherently safe or unsafe - but it probably does run counter to what collective wisdom may typically intuit.

In general, I typically assume that “quirky” (in all of its forms) is best left to capable amateurs and diplomatic professionals who have a sense of humor and aren’t married to a particular idea of obedience.

[freshman]

Quirky means different things, at different times, to different people. But for sales horses, it is never ever a positive descriptor. Sales are serious, at least when serious money is at stake. Please describe the horse’s training, demeanor, etc, in traditional terms. Characterize him without fantasy. Don’t tell a funny story in which he tosses his mane, stamps his feet, and looks hilarious when eating watermelon.

[NO-CTRL]

@BigBlackDog

He couldn’t be looked at while he was eating

I have his brother. Hates other horses, people, dogs, ducks, anything… looking at him while he’s eating. Loses his tiny little orange mind. Nice to know there are others!

[ecileh]

@Scribbler

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.

I would extend this to “complicates life with them”-- but not necessarily in a bad or dangerous way.

I had a gelding who would NOT get on the trailer without his head bumper. Just. Not. Happening. The moment you put it on, he’d march aboard like a soldier.

I currently have a mare who will NOT let you clip her front feathers. That’s her line in the sand and woe to those who trie to cross it. She will, however, stand still for an hour while I scissor them off with exaggerated care. I’ve had this one from babyhood–there is no reason for this. It’s just a personality quirk.

My other mare will NOT let you put the bridle on over her right ear from the left side. She will throw her head around like a lunatic. Took me two bloody noses to decide that it was just easier and safer to put the left ear in, walk around her head, and put the right ear in.

If I were selling, I would feel obligated to mention each of these quirks to potential buyers as they all effect day-to-day life with the animal and could potentially be a game changer.

[rockonxox]

Quirky isn’t a negative to me… but people describe me as quirky person so I take it as a compliment I think of a quirky horse as one who does oddball things here and there that aren’t dangerous and are totally manageable, but if you can’t take a joke from your horse you’ll probably be annoyed. Some quirks are pretty funny and some you just learn to love. I’d ask a seller beforehand to describe the quirks to see if they are ones that wouldn’t bother you personally. One of mine is a puppy dog personality on the ground. However, he gets very looky when an oxer gets switched and you jump it from the other direction (unless you show him first). Hates race cars and most other loud noises - but also anti ear plugs (we’re somewhat near a track where you can hear the noise carrying on a quiet day) and will overjump like crazy (athletic) when the noise is to his back. Nothing dangerous, just need to be aware of what is happening in the world around him and make sure to keep a little extra leg - he popped me clear out of the tack the first time I experienced this, but now that I’ve experienced that I know how to ride when that type of atmosphere is present. Awesome horse, super talented, will jump the moon and honestly a real confidence builder as long as you remember his quirks and hold his hand a little bit. I really love his quirks and I’m not a brave rider to begin with, but his quirks match my riding style so it all just works. However, a true beginner nervous nelly probably wouldn’t appreciate things like I do. One of his on the ground specialties is chewing on the cross ties. We have safety ones (the velcro kind) that he can undo… but then he just stands there like “what, I didn’t do anything”.

[Redlei44]

No disagreements with anything written so far, but it’s definitely something that would annoy me in a sales ad. Because it’s completely non-descriptive, and because one person’s “quirk” is another person’s “vice” or “bad habit”. Or going the other way, it’s another person’s “random personality trait”.

Only ever spooks at a green jacket hanging on a metal fence post is a quirk, sure, except when that spook is a dirty duck-shoulder-spin-and-bolt. That sort of thing.

[BigBlackDog]

@NO-CTRL it made me crazy! BO tried to put him in a stall with just a grate instead of a full divider and he nearly broke the boards from kicking because the mare next to him could see him while he ate :eek: moved him to a more private stall and he would still fling his head and pin his ears when someone just walked by his stall during meal time. When I first got him it was downright dangerous to try and change his blanket while he was eating, but with time he came around to tolerating it. He had no other issues with being handled in the stall! Strangely enough he was absolutely perfect off property…

[Elsari]

When I think of quirky, I think of something that the horse is doing that isn’t the norm (whether it’s riding, handling, trailering, etc.). For example,I have a horse that will get on a trailer and ship “fine”. Loads like a champ, stands like a perfect gentleman, but refuses to eat hay, and comes off a wreck/all washed out (despite a good driver or having a buddy). He needs ear plugs and then life is grand in the trailer. He’ll eat hay, doesn’t get sweaty, and is ready to conquer whatever is waiting at the end of trip whether it’s a show or trail ride.

Seeing quirky in a sales ad doesn’t necessarily immediately turn me away, but definitely warrants more dialogue/questions to understand what triggers it and how to handle it.