I was thinking about this recently and thought it might make an interesting discussion.
What horsey vice (or training issue) is a dealbreaker for you? (For example - I know some people who refuse to buy cribbers.)
Mine is horses who won’t load/unload reasonably. I can deal with a lot of things, but I don’t want to spend an hour getting a horse on the trailer if there’s some sort of emergency and we need to go now. Not an unfixable problem, but still a very annoying one IMO.
Cribbing, for sure. Just about everything else I can fix.
I really don’t consider non-loading to be a vice. That’s just bad (or lack of) training.
Ooh I’m curious what others have to say about this!
Personally, I wouldn’t consider a horse that has a rearing problem. I’m sure there are people who have succes stories fixing horses going up and over, but tonmenits not worth the risk.
Cribbing. I will not tolerate it!
Cribbing…not for the annoyance factor, but because almost every cribber I have ever known has coliced.
Another cribbing hater. I know there are good horses that do it, but I just cannot stand it. If I’m horse shopping, that is one of my initial dealbreaker questions.
Mean or dangerous vices such as biting, kicking, or charging. I want kind, nice horses. There are too many ways to get hurt with a kind horse without adding the risks caused by deliberate aggression.
Cribbing and rearing.
[QUOTE=Frostbitten;8895211]
Cribbing and rearing.[/QUOTE]
I can fix a loading problem and a horse who is aggressive but honest.
Add to the list: A horse without a work ethic. If he doesn’t like to do a job, I don’t want to be his Sisyphus, yanno? I work too hard, care to much and pay to much to have an equine partner whose not going to match my effort.
A dirty, shoulder-dropping stop. Or really, anything like rearing or “bucking to kill” that comes without warning. If the horse is “dishonest” or, really, not readable by me, I will get hurt on him one day. I won’t buy into that future.
Last: A horse who sticks his tongue out. For dressage, that’s a killer; I think it’s otherwise unattractive for a hunter as well. I suppose I could accept that were the horse not going to compete.
Absolute dealbreaker? Bolting. I will not get on a bolter, it shows a lack of sense of self preservation that is truly dangerous.
Having said that, now I’m kind of older and fragile, I’m not so keen on buckers and rearers either, but I have dealt with and resolved both in the past in my younger and braver days.
I think MVP is on the right track–dishonesty is the key problem.
And as a dressage rider, I would agree about the tongue thing.
[QUOTE=PeteyPie;8895203]
Mean or dangerous vices such as biting, kicking, or charging. I want kind, nice horses. There are too many ways to get hurt with a kind horse without adding the risks caused by deliberate aggression.[/QUOTE]
I was thinking kicking as well. PeteyPie summed it up well though.
Kickers… biters…bolters aren’t fun either.
Got my way super cute and amazing to ride (jumps small stuff, goes on long trail rides, you can hop on him bareback) thoroughbred for practically free off the track since he would flip in the start gate. (he doesn’t tie)
[QUOTE=mvp;8895224]
I can fix a loading problem and a horse who is aggressive but honest.
Add to the list: A horse without a work ethic. If he doesn’t like to do a job, I don’t want to be his Sisyphus, yanno? I work too hard, care to much and pay to much to have an equine partner whose not going to match my effort.
A dirty, shoulder-dropping stop. Or really, anything like rearing or “bucking to kill” that comes without warning. If the horse is “dishonest” or, really, not readable by me, I will get hurt on him one day. I won’t buy into that future.
Last: A horse who sticks his tongue out. For dressage, that’s a killer; I think it’s otherwise unattractive for a hunter as well. I suppose I could accept that were the horse not going to compete.[/QUOTE]
Basically everything MVP said, but add kicking, bolting under saddle or ground or a nasty biter. I board and wouldn’t subject barn employees to it. Horse that sticks his tongue out isn’t that big a deal for me, I’ve fixed many horses with that issue.
Being herd bound. I want a horse what will happily ride out alone. It’s such a dangerous vice when they are frantically herd bound.
[QUOTE=luvmyhackney;8895252]
Basically everything MVP said, but add kicking, bolting under saddle or ground or a nasty biter. I board and wouldn’t subject barn employees to it. Horse that sticks his tongue out isn’t that big a deal for me, I’ve fixed many horses with that issue.[/QUOTE]
How do you fix the Tongue Case?
I don’t know if I can fix bolting (I think I can) and I think I can fix kicking. Both involve getting the horse to change his mind about the pay-off for doing those things. But is there some species of these things you guys have in mind? I mean, as long as the action is pre-meditated and the horse has any brain cells to rub together, he can be reasoned with.
[QUOTE=snowrider;8895259]
Being herd bound. I want a horse what will happily ride out alone. It’s such a dangerous vice when they are frantically herd bound.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, herd-bound is a PITA.
I guess this goes under the broad category of “when things go bad, the horse stops thinking and loses all sense of self-preservation.” Most of us can’t ride a horse willing to hurt himself in order to make a point.
Pawing, wood chewing, fussy/mouthy and those that pull their hooves away from the farrier really get on my nerves- BAD!
Cribbing, biting, some kicking and others can be remedied to some degree but when buying a horse, it must be a 10+ in all other area’s before I would even consider one with any vice.
[QUOTE=PeteyPie;8895203]
Mean or dangerous vices such as biting, kicking, or charging. I want kind, nice horses. There are too many ways to get hurt with a kind horse without adding the risks caused by deliberate aggression.[/QUOTE]
This for me too.
Cribbing
I think we may use slightly different terminology - I have a windsucker - attaches to a post, arches neck and ‘inhales’. Honestly, out of all the weird horses and other things I put up with it is what bothers me the least. He is an absolute gem of a horse, lovely paces, well mannered and easy to take out places. I have another that fence walks and that annoys me waaaaay more he also throws his dinner bucket and eats off the ground, that also annoys me more than the windsucking!
Cribbing for me is chewing wood - which I agree is annoying and destructive. But honestly, if the horse is perfect in every other way I would look past it.
My deal breakers are nasty and dominant personalities. I do not tolerate aggressive or dominant horses who are constantly fighting you to be in charge, I can’t stand biting either. Rearing is also a big no.
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