HI Spy: What makes your horse unique?

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Just like humans, every horse has his own quirks. Sometimes these little idiosyncrasies are endearing. Take, for example, the horse who nickers for his owner’s attention every time she visits with another horse in the barn, or the one who will make funny faces after being given a favorite treat. Other times, these quirks can be annoying, like a clever equine who figures out he can hinder bath time by stepping on the hose or the pony who digs a hole in the front of his stall and seems to laugh when distracted humans step into it.

Many times, your horse’s unique traits are neutral. They probably won’t land him a spot on the David Letterman show to perform a stupid pet trick, but they don’t cause any harm, either. They simply make your horse a unique individual!

Is there a quirky equine in your life? Click “Submit a Comment” below and tell us all about him. Some responses may be selected for publication in a future issue of Horse Illustrated!

One selected response may be selected by the editors to win a monthly prize! If you would like to be eligible for the prize, please include your email address in the comment form (email addresses are not publicly displayed.)

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139 COMMENTS

  1. My horse has learned what our car sounds like, and also she loves jumping so much that when I can’t det off her back and jerk her mouth she keeps going every time.

  2. My gelding, though he is unique due to his rare breed (Felver aka Hungarian Half-bred), has another quirky trait that i find sets him away from the crowd. You’ve heard of rider’s who tend to hold their breath while riding,right? Well, my horse holds his own breath while in work. We’re not sure why he does it, but that’s his own little thing. Though he puts on a tough guy face, i think he is just a really sensitive little guy that gets frustrated when he can’t figure something out 🙂

  3. Many horses take the bit well, but I’ve never seen a horse take a bit like my Quarter Horse. She practically dives onto it; you don’t even have to get it up to her lips. If you hold the bridle anywhere close to her, she flaps her lips repeatedly, smacking them together until you offer it to her.

  4. My gelding, Ferdinand, LOVES riding! While my mares want to laze around at the barn, Ferdinand is right there, waiting at the fence and nickering to get my attention. On the trails, if we try to turn around and head back, he will stop constantly and try to head the other way. And don’t even get me started about trying to take the bit out of his mouth! I have to wrestle with him for quite some time before he’ll agree to be un-tacked quietly. But I still love him!

  5. I’ve heard how horses and dogs get along great together. Not mine! Whenever my yellow lab even steps a foot into the horse’s pen, my mare will drive him out! I wish they would get along better; when I got my dog, I planned on taking him on trail rides. But right now, safety is more on my mind than fun.

  6. My Quarter Horse gelding is unique to me because he always loves me, no matter what happens to me! Even if I tend to be unfair with him on difficult days, he’ll still be waiting excitedly at the gate for me the next day! He’s so sweet and loving!

  7. My horse has 3 incredibly unique idiosyncracies:
    1- He is so tidy that he will walk around the pasture with me by his side, smelling each and every “apple pile” that isn’t cleaned up yet, telling me to get to work!
    2- When he finishes his oats, he will stare until someone brings him a drink.
    3- He is scared to death when the gate between his dirt lot and pasture is open when it’s not time to be turned out. He looks like he’s thinking “I might get out!!!”

  8. My arabian mare makes this noise that sounds exactly like a pig squeeling! when another horse comes over to her to say hi she squeels as if they offended her. its funny. and whenever you crinkle the wraper on a peppermint she starts nickering and bobbing her pretty hed up and down

  9. What makes the mare i ride unique is her friendly nature to everyone but the chiropractor! Shes the sweetest horse i have ever known but you would never know it when the chiropractors around!

  10. My horse Prancer is loving, willing, strong, gorgeous… and very mischievous! He has this crazy game of “tag” that he will play. He will nip my shirt and then walk off and wait for my to tag him. When I do, he nips my shirt again. He definately isn’t doing it in a mean manner. He never bites my skin!

  11. I don’t own a horse but I am like the only person who rides Sophie. What makes her unique is she LOVES to go fast!(I had to get stitches cause of her) Plus she will follow you around so much and when I am not there she stomps and throws a big fit.

  12. When it comes to treats my QH gelding is such a picky eater! He won’t eat anything with molasses or carrots in it. Only apple flavored treats and real carrots will do. And if one were to give him say a molasses cookie he will make his displeasure known by dropping the treat on the ground then stomping on it, then gives you a look as though to say “what was THAT? Yuck!”

  13. Joe won’t eat any treats other than the baked wafer kind. He refuses sugar cubes, peppermints, even fresh carrots and apples. The best part is when he tries a treat for the first time. He literally swishes it around in his mouth! You can see his cheeks puff out and hear the sloshing of the treat. It’s hilarious to watch!

  14. My horse Teddy is unique because how we met he actually was the first horse I rode and he actually got me into horses and rding and hes so sweet and we have the best bond!

  15. Romeo isn’t scared of anything at all. I kid you not! The the burn barrel is the most unusual, however. The very first time he saw it he walked right up to it and stuck his head so far down that his white nose turned black with ashes. Other things such as cows, fireworks, and construction equipment have no effect on him. He never fails to amaze me!

  16. The very first horse I rode at my lesson barn is so special! Whenever I give her treat she tilts her sideways to the right in excitement. Whenever she hears the rustle of pappermint wrappers, no matter how far away, her head goes to the side! She’s the only horse I have ever met who does this, and it has my heart wrapped in love everytime she does it!

  17. My grandfathers horse,Wild Willy, is almost like a dog. He will run up to the fence to see you and get pet,and everytime he does,he comes up with bright eyes and a “wagging tail”, and is just excited for you to pet him or give him treats. He even has one of those “doggy spots” where when you scratch him on his chest,his head goes up and down. What a dog!

  18. My grandmother’s horse, Tricky Rex, loves to be scratched. If you had scratched her the day before she will come up to you and turn her rear end in your face and back into you making you scratch it. And if you don’t beware she’ll grab your hat off your head and prance away with it.

  19. One horse I know loves brooms. I’ll be sweeping up and he reaches out towards the broom and fastens his teeth on in. Now if he could only sweep…

  20. My super fat horse Freckels wil eat anything, whether it’s edible or not. We once found her sitting (yes really sitting) in her stall clamly munching a poster that was on her stall door! Though her favorite food by far is cheese pizza, she steals it when ever she gets the chance!

  21. My Horse Kalypso is the most talented little mare you can find! She is 25 years old and won 3 blue ribons at our last show. She won Western Pleasure, Western Horsemanship and Poles all in one day! She never stops giving her all and I don’t think she ever will!

  22. The most unique and quirky animal I’ve ever met, would be my little Saddlebred mare Sassafras. She’s oddly-shaped, from her tail that is permanently cocked sideways, always to the left (no one knows why or if it was damaged at some point, we think she was just born that way), to her tiny ears and overly-rounded nose. Nothing is normal about her habits, either! She snorts like a moose at the sight of anything that has been misplaced or moved in the pasture, such as a tree that fell in a recent storm, or a feed bag that escaped the barn. You can hear her cavorting on from a mile away. Literally! And when old Sass has an itch on her front or hind legs, she has an odd way of going about it. She crosses her legs and moves the opposite leg in an up-and-down fashion until she is relieved. I’ve seen her cross all four legs before! The most common funny habit among horses that she does, is about any time she eats or drinks or smells ANYTHING, it doesn’t have to be a new smell or taste, she will lift her head sky-high and protrude her lip. She can do this for about 2 to 5 minutes straight. She might even add in a snort or two if something is particularly un-tasteful to her. She really is an oddball of a horse and I’ve never seen a stranger equine.

  23. what makes my little pony different is that she can not whinny really she can not although she has tried and tried again she cant

  24. what makes my little pony different is that she can not whinny really she can not although she has tried and tried again she cant

  25. What makes my horse unique is that I know there will never be another horse in the world like her. But what sets her apart from all the others is that she knows she is cute, and so she tries to do things she knows she won’t get away with.

  26. What makes my horse unique is that he is a solid Appaloosa (meaning he has no spots)! When ever he sees me, he will whinny so loud that the whole barn could hear him. He also knows voice commands such as, “in your stall!”. He is also unique to me because he knows my thoughts and I know his. He also knows when to come whenever I call his name. Finally, he is unique to me because his name is Cowboy, which is very unique to me.

  27. My horse Scarlet is unique because she is such a good horse. She is very willing to please and is really smart. Scarlet is also really friendly, and because of that she has made the other horses friendlier, too!

  28. My horse, Bentley is unique because he will literally do anything that I ask.
    He will jump logs and dive to the bottom of his water tank to find a treat.

  29. My horse Apache is unique because he is more like a big bodyguard than a horse. He keeps me safe whether riding or just in the barn. It can be annoying especially when I am trying to work with another horse. I think he tells them they better not do anything to harm me or he will get them back.

  30. My horse likes to think he is very smart and crafty. He flaunts his intelligence by opening gates, taking his halter off, has broken out of his pasture on several occasions and brought buddies with him,and he even opened a padlocked feedbin. Though his antics can drive me crazy at times, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love my Houdini horse!

  31. My horse likes to hide in his stall! His stall is very dark (even during the brightest daytime) and he’s a dark bay. He’ll stand in the shadows in a corner of his stall to make it look like he’s not there! One time, the farrier came and didn’t take care of his feet because he didn’t see him in his stall!

  32. My horse, Clara, is very picky about what I ask her to do when we’re riding. If I cue her to pick up the pace, she’ll stop, turn her head around, and look at me as though she’s questioning my judgment. It used to drive me crazy, but now I think it really adds to her unique horsenality.

  33. My daughter’s horse Shiloh is afraid of cows and most recently camels. She saw her first camel while at the 4H fair this year and hid her face in the farthest corner away from the camel so she wouldn’t have to look at it. Each time we took her out of the stall she would look around the gate to see where the camel was and then would run out as quickly as possible.

  34. My horse Blue is very unique because he helps groom him self. Normally he will hold his brushes in his mouth then after I’m done with one he hands me the one in his mouth. I love my horse’s uniqueness I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  35. My horse, Regie, is very mischievous and sneaky. He will try to get away with anything he possibly can, especially nipping! I have to be very firm with him! To amuse himself, he jumps on the other horses’ backs and is surprisingly good at dodging their kicks! If he finds anything new in the pasture, he’ll pick it up and bob his head up and down. Also, he neighs like a filly and snores when he sleeps!

  36. My horse Possum is unique because he loves trying to see how much he can get away with while being ridden, and he is a great jumper, but he loves dodging around jumps. He also loves getting his tail brushed and falls asleep when i brush his tail

  37. My horse chip loves to use different facial expressions when he has a pic taken, especially when riding. He also loves to fling his feed pan at people. He also likes to lick my boots when I ride. I love my horse more than anything and wouldn’t have him different:)

  38. Roxy is my 4 year old 16 hand appaloosa. She is a huge teddy bear (will have her head on ur shoulder when u r cleaning her stall) but can be the biggest pain ever! As people with appy’s know they like to think for themselves. But what makes Roxy so unique is that she was one of the only things that helped me through my fiance’s deployment to Afghanistan. She put up with 7 months of me obsessing over her, and she kept me busy always giving me new challenges. But once daddy got home, she was the biggest sweet heart in the world, would act dead broke, go through and past any thing.

  39. My horse Pippin’ always escapes from his stall and paddock. He’s a small pony that LOVES attention. Whenever its hot out we set up a lemonade stand and pony ride center. Lots of kids come and ride on him either bareback or with a saddle. I like to take him on walks around the neighborhood. My neighbors always tell me that I have a huge dog:) Pippin’ taught my sister and I how to jump. He always whinnies loudly when I come to take him out of his stall. He is the perfect pony for my family, neighborhood, and friends.

  40. My horse Jackie is a 19 y/o Quarter Horse who always keeps us on our toes. She’s a gentle mother when the little cousins come out, and the spirited red-head when things get boring. She’s great with dogs of all sizes, and even tolerates the cats. She always does somethings funny to lighten our moods when the day is dull. She picks a new “sweet spot” everytime she’s scratched. She’d lay her head on the hay bales and fall asleep when she’s groomed. One day she even played “shadow”. My sister kept sticking out her tounge and making making funny noises at Jackie and everytime she did it Jackie would mirror her. There is never a dull moment with my old red-head.

  41. My horse has both cute and annoying habits. Whenever anyone decides to take the rear route he let’s it rip and he hardly ever misses…our horse sitter got a smelly surprise once. Other then that he basically has cute habits, like nickering every time he sees someone coming to his pen…he’s always hoping for a treat.

  42. My horse, Passion, is the funniest handsome boy! When a horse flips out, he’ll just stand there and look at them with his ears forward with an expression like “Huh? What happened?”

  43. When I was helping bathe the horses at my stables I learned that we have a very smart horse there. After I bathed him I went and sat with him in a very nice “clover patch” in the sun. Well I guess I only thought it was in the sun because as soon I let him go he went to only patch of shade there was. The grass there was a bit dry and looked as if other horses had already eaten most of it. I think I sat there for a hour while he SLOWLY dried off…

  44. My Shetland, Pixie, is quite the character. She’s very smart. She’s been known to untie herself when left tied up. She’s also very eager to please. When I was teaching her how to drive, I could practically see her thinking “I don’t understand why we are doing this, but I’ll do my best to do what you want.” She’s also incredibly sweet, with both people and animals. She’s at the bottom of the pecking order, but doesn’t seem to mind. She’s happy hanging out with other horses, but she’s also happy hanging out by herself.

  45. Many dark thoroughbreds blend in together, telling them apart can be difficult at times – however my mare you can point out in a crowd! She has the most soft eyes and elegance to her walk. When she trots she tosses her head back, lifts her tail and prances ever so whimsically. Her playful personality outshines the rest and you can’t help but smile.

  46. My horsey son named Jim Dandy is a goofy little Arabian who, at first glance is very shy, but when you get to know him, is very funky. A quick run to the pasture to grab him for a ride ends up turning into an hour endeavor sometimes as he likes to turn and face me with his butt. He has one white eyebrow, and I think to this day he raises it at me and says “You’re crazy.”

  47. My American Quarter Horse, Hot Brand Seven-X, makes sure you pay attenion on the trail. He’ll swerve toward trees then brake into a lope. You ALWAYS have to be on trak, and he knows when your distracked.

  48. I have a little 4 year old mare, who is super sweet, and SUPER quirky. she loves to zip and unzip my jacket, and while were braiding her at shows, she unties knots in the rope holding our braiding kit. She has a silent knicker. We can see her nose and mouth moving but you can barely hear anything. She is super calm for her age, but every once and a while, she has a total baby moment. She also will spend tons of time licking my hand, eating my shoelaces and messing my hair up. She’s very mouthy but she has never bit anyone 🙂

  49. I have a ten and a half year old palomino quarter horse gelding who is so sweet! Evert time he sees a handful of Froot Loops, he goes nuts! He canters over, and bobs his up and down while constantly neighing! Tango is so funny and sweet! 😀

  50. My 5 month old colt, Justice, is hilarious! He’ll come up to you of his own free will and chew on your hair.He’ll rub up on you looking for feed:D

  51. my 5yr old horse red is unique because of his personalty. he will let u climb all over him we have snow ball fights and i run beside him in the pasture. he also will play fetch sometimes i love him a lot he he is the best horse i have ever had.

  52. The thing that makes my horse Teddy special is how we met. He was a barrel racing horse that wasn’t trained well and was not being used to his full potential. I was about 3 years old when my love of horses started to happen. My mom let me ride Teddy every weekend at our cousins farm. I would scream and cry everytime I would get on any other horse but Teddy. Now me and Teddy are in Pony Club and showing and having a BLAST!

  53. Most of time everyone says that their horse is perfect, but just like humans there is no perfect horse out there. I’ll admit that my 13yr old AQHA Chestnut gelding isn’t the greatest. He lazy, slow, & pins his ears when you ask him to canter, but his a keeper. He love anyone who gives him cookie, he shines in the show ring & can make just about anyone laugh. He may not be perfect, but his one the horses you just got to love.

  54. My horse is a Tennessee Walker, but he doesn’t gait. His job: jumping & barrel racing, & he absolutely loves it. He’s the best horse I have ever been on, & the best horse I will ever own. 1 of the many reasons why I love him: he’s so different compared to other Walkers. People are shocked when I tell them that he’s a Walker, & I’m proud to call him my own.

  55. My horse is the funniest horse. I can be feeding him a treat, and one minute he’s eating treats form my hand, the next he’s off at a gallop with a barn dog on his heels. He will cock his head at me, and I know he loves me. My horse has his uniques; laziness, quirkiness, and his high dislike of the local canines, but I love him all the same.

  56. Not many people would find my horse attractive. Not because of his looks – he’s stunning to look at – but because his personality is so opposite from what most people want in a horse. He’s stand-offish, aloof, and definitely not a “puppy dog” type. He’s also a handful under saddle. I’m over the moon for him, though. It makes my day when I’m brushing him and he turns and nuzzles me or rests his head in my arms. Coming from a horse that isn’t usually personable, it means the world and it makes me feel like I’ve earned his affection. He has such a rich personality, and a gentle spirit beneath his rough exterior. I couldn’t ask for a better companion.

  57. My 3 year old miniature horse, Nosy, always makes me laugh! Her name pretty much says it all. She’s nosy. If you sit down beside her and you aren’t paying attention to her and her only, she’ll lift her hoof and place it on your leg. She always wiggles her lips whenever you kiss her, and whenever she nickers, she sounds like a dying moose. And when we practice her tricks, she gets so distracted. When I first met Nosy, she had horrible manners, but now she’ll walk right next to you while you’re leading her, and she even knows voice commands! Although I can’t ride her, I love her to pieces! I just can’t imagine life without my “Princess.”

  58. I’d say that having a 1,000lbs Quarter horse ex-barrel racer believe thoroughly that he is a lap dog for lesson kids makes him a wee bit different than others. Shhh! don’t tell him the truth, he’s adorable this way!

  59. My 15 year old quater horse Newt can help his fellow horses by opening gates. When its a boring day, he leads the others to the hay barn, and somehow manages to unlock and pry open the gate to a very easy meal! When its time for me to feed them, I see Newt walking briskly out of there, trying to escape being being caught!

  60. My 21 year young gelding is unique because he LOVES animals. He loves it when the cats rub around his legs and when the dogs lay close by. He also doesn’t mind when our clubs foxhounds jump up and put their feet on his side to get a treat as long as he gets a treat too. He is always very gentle and watches the ground around his feet so that doesn’t step on any animal that might be underneath.

  61. A horse at my barn, Philly, seems to have a 6th sense we call her “treat radar”! She KNOWS if you have a treat on your person, then makes the “treat face” where she stretches her head and neck towards you and puckers up her muzzle.

  62. My Friesian cross Tobi loves water, too much! He developed a frusterating habit of dumping his water trough all the time. I would fill it up and ten minutes later I’d hear a big splash!. Thankfully I’ve finally found a trough too tall and heavy for him to dump! But he still likes to stick his nose under the water then make funny faces.

  63. I have a yearling thoroughbred. She acts just like a human child if you have it she wants it. My sister had her car keys in her pocket and Azarah took them out then went running through the barn with her head in the air. When I was mucking she took the pitchfork in her mouth and would not let go of it. She has suck a fun personality.

  64. My TWH/Qarter cross, Jojo, likes to talk to me everytime he sees me. And if Im late feeding him in the mornings, he will literally get right up under my bedroom window and growl an grunt until I get outta bed to feed him.

  65. EVERYBODY knows that horses eat apples, right? Well my 11 year old Tobiano Paint simply refuses to eat apples! I’ve tried offering various different kinds and cut different ways, but she still sticks her nose in the air and looks at me with the expression: “WHO would wanna eat THAT?!” And the worst part is, most horse treats and dewormers are…. dum-da-da-dum! Apple flavor. 🙁

  66. I know a horse with a “problem”. One of the horses at the lesson barn is nicknamed “Houdini on Four Legs” because he can get out of just about anything from the stalls,to the arena and paddocks.But we still love our Dash-man!

  67. my 5 yr old appy elektra loves to run and show off her speed at home and on the trails but as soon as we get to fair she puts it into “cruise control” and im left doing barrels on a horse thats running 10mph slower than the rest of them, at times i feel like im gonna be arrested for not going the speed limit.

  68. My horses Buddy and Rusty are kind of opposites when it comes to food. One will eat anything, even things like popsicles and he’s even eaten horseflies before. The other horse is very picky about his food, he won’t eat things like apples (actually he’s snorts and blows like he’s scared of them), but he’ll eat any grain or store bought treat you give him!

  69. My horse, Pal, absolutely hates pepperments. The first time I gave him some, he ate it, shook his head and wouldn’t take treats the rest of the day!

  70. My horse,Aspen,is unique because he is very mature for his age.He is a two-year-old,dark bay Thoroughbred with one coronet and a sphere on his forehead.Aspen never shies,spooks or gives a buck.He does have a little rear in him.He is as gentle as a lamb and will do anything you ask him to do.
    I do not take owning a horse for granted,as do some.I work for his board and pay for all his needs.I am thankful to have the best horse in the world.

  71. My 11yr.old chestnut Thoroughbred mare has many cute quirks that she does like when you give her a treat she sucks the ruth of her mouth like she is savoring the taste. A lot of people say shes like a kid sucking her thumb. Another thing she does is everytime you bridale her she has to yawn 4 times no matter what. The funny thing is she only does it with me. She also loves to play. She will trot/canter behind me while tossing her head and a occasional buck, always keeping her space so she doesnt hurt me though. I love my TB mare. <3

  72. Everytime I bring a water bottle my horse wants to have some. He will bite the bottom of the bottle. Also everytime I bridle, he shakes his head when the halter comes off. He also tries to make an exercise harder than it is supposed to be. He will switch his lead randomly in the middle of the exercise.

  73. One of the horses that my sister used to work with was a 16.2 hh retired from racing standardbred mare named Diva, she was very smart and often would break out of the fence in the middle of the night to pay a visit to the shetland pony stallion down the road!

  74. My horse,Ammy, is very unique because of the bond we have formed over the years. I could have no other bond with any other horse in the world which makes it unique to me.

  75. My horse, Libby, is a Norweigan Fjord, the only one I’ve seen in Michigan, so she draws alot of attention at MIHA meets. When people come up to pet her, she will give them kisses or try to steal their hats! But what I love most is that she takes care of me, even if it means going against what I ask. I couldn’t ever ask for a better horse.

  76. My quarter horse gelding Hollywood nickers anytime I pull into the yard of the farm where he’s boarded and heaven help me if I have an iced capp with me! He has to have a drink of it or he pouts for the entire time I’m out with him!

  77. I have recently retrained my appendix mare from western (primarily barrel racing) to hunter/jumper. As anyone knows, it can be a big jump from tearing around the ring at uncontrollable speed to trying to look like you’re cantering in cruise mode. My mare is unique because, even though I’ve loaded her mind to bursting some days, she has born it all wonderfully. She’s such a sweet horse, really tolerable. The best part is at the end of every day, she always insists on giving me a horse hug.

  78. I have a 30 year old Thoroughbred gelding. Unbelievably, he still gives lessons on a daily basis. He even shows and hunts once in a while. His little uniqueness is that he is voice trained, like a dog. So, instead of using your legs and reigns to ask for transitions, you use your voice. He knows the words walk, trot, canter, and whoa, and will do them with just your voice. The fun part of this is when we are showing, the judge will say, “Now trot please, all trot.” and all I have to do is look pretty and let him listen to the loudspeaker and do what he hears. It’s awesome!

  79. what makes my horse unique is he is like a big dog hes only 5 but he nickers to me every time i go see him and feed him he also can bow and do other ticks and i can tell him anything and he wont say a word he is my everything

  80. When I go to the pasture at night to bring Playboy in, just before I enter the gate he does two whole laps at full speed around the pasture. As he’s speeding around I stand with his halter open and ready. He comes to a skidding stop in front of me and drops his head into his open halter. We then walk peacefully to the barn.

  81. What makes my horse,Sugar, unique is she will take care of me and siblings when we are riding her. She behaves wonderfully for my siblings when they are riding her but she pushes me when I’m riding her. However, she will get real serious if she senses danger or something that is dangerous to her then she gets real protective.

  82. My new mustang mare Gizmo, is unique, because she is so smart, she knows when the hot fence is off in the summer pasture. When no one is looking, she will crawl under the bottom wire, and walk around looking for the perfect patch of grass. She never wanders off, but knows just when someone has found her out.

  83. My horse Apache has a unique trait lol he refuses to wear a fly mask no matter how many no-seeums, knats, sand fleas, or flys are flying about lol. I have tried everything that looks durable and secure without compromising his jaw but makes a lot of clearance for his eyes which I believe is the sole reason for why he wont wear one(Ive even tried trimming the eye whiskers to try and help…)Its that its buggin him and he would prefer the bugs then the mask LOL
    I have tried the cushel quiet ride w/ and w/out ears, the lycra/spandex fly mask w/ears-the one that is suppose to stay on no matter what, Kensington Bug Eyed Mask w/ and w/out ears, even a fly bonnet w/fringe attatched to his halter so he has something and he wont keep that on either…
    He will as soon as it is put on proceed to try and rub his face all over me and/or any surface he can get his face to to try and rub it off. In fact if he can’t get it off by the time he is in the pasture, he will get down in the dirt after I have thoroughly cleaned him ..grrr… (as he is 75%-ish white lol) right there infront of me. I have had a few times not been able to get the halter off fast enough and he will already be droppin to roll and scrap the thing off lol he’ll sit there and scrap his face across his knees and the ground untill it comes off lol… Dang horse! =) I have spent darn near $150 on fly masks this year trying to find “the One” that he will like lol

  84. My horse Abby loves to step into the tack shed which is only 8×10 to help me do my chores and to help herself to the hay bales. She is very curious and has now learned to lift the lid with her nose to the can where her Senior Feed is. Still shocked every time the lid comes back down on her head tho. Needless to say she loads and unloads really easy into her horse trailer with all that practice in and out of my shed.

  85. My horse has many traits that make her unique-the way she nods her head every time the treat bucket is opened, the way she practically falls asleep the instant I turn the clippers on! She loves anything pink, but hates hoof conditioner. The smell of it repulses her, and she makes that clear by trying run off after one whiff every time I open the container! But what makes Goldie stand out from all other horses is that she was created just for me, and reminds me of that fact every day.

  86. I think what makes Bo unique is that everytime I sneeze he sneezes also. It’s like he’s saying “Bless you!”. He is also made just for me and is exactly like me. It’s like we were twins just one somehow became a horse. Another amazing thing to me is that he is 20 but he acts like a 5 year old. We moved him to a new barn and the manager almost didn’t believe me when I said he was 20!

  87. Vegas is a very unique horse indeed. Have you ever seen a horse that tries to lick hoof oil off his hooves right after you put it on? If it’s black, it gets all over his nose! He also waits for the hay to start falling into his hay rack from the hay loft, and then nudges it (he’s pretty tall) down to the ground. It’s a NIGHTMARE to clean up. But the most unique thing about Vegas is that he was made perfectly for me .

  88. The horse I ride, Ginny is unique in her own ways. When she’s naughty or upset, (or just being her loving self!) she places her head into your hands and lets you hold her, and stare into her eyes. It’s like she is understanding every word you say to her, and she’s waiting to talk back!

  89. When my horse see’s me fall he always comes to me and see’s if I am okay whether I did it on my own or he made me fall down because he doesn’t want to budge.

  90. Joker is unique because he is such a gentleman! I clicker train him, which means I’m giving him food rewards all the time. He knows my pockets are stuffed full of his favourite treats, but he patiently waits for them and gently plucks them off my hand. He loves attention, but he’s never pushy!!

  91. My mom’s horse, Lark has a very big personality. She is an escape artist whenever she is in her stall she lets herself out. We have changed the lock many times but she always figures it out. Then she gets lonly so she lets all the other horses out too. She also pushes you toward her stomach when she wants to be scratched, then she looks at you like if she’s saying, come on please. It can be anoying but I love her anyway.

  92. My horse, Dancer, has very unique colors. He is a palomino tri-color. He has three colors, palomino, white, and black. He is spotted all over with palomino and white like a paint horse. His knees are black and he has black highlights in his white mane and tail.

  93. The roan pinto pony I ride, Paco is such a cutie. When were out on trail rides, he has to trot to keep up with all the other horses with bigger gaits

  94. My Quarter horse Charlie likes to rub the inside of his nose on every thing. He has possished my boots doing this before. Every time he is shown somthing he has never seen befor the first thing he does is rub the inside of his lip on it! It is really funny to watch.

  95. My horse Phantom is an Arabian Quarter and a 5 year old on top of it and boy is he a smarty pants. He figures out how to until himself and let out other horses. The one thing I Really love about him is that when he knows he did something wrong he will bat his eyes and curl up to you. He acts like a prince around all the mares even though none of them care. He is like the dog Marly but as a horse. I’m glad he is in my life to make me laugh when I need it.

  96. My horse Rhett is just such a ham whenever it’s possible for him to do something idiotic, but all in fun. He bucks during a barrel pattern(at a show 🙁 , wiggles his lip when being fed a favorite treat, chews my hair when I’m picking his feet, and soaks us both when we ride through water. I love it all and he knows it!!

  97. I think my horse is unique for many reasons. She is 18 years old and still acts younger than my sisters 9 year old. She loves to run or trot all the time . If I try to slow her down to a walk she will either bite and chew at the bit or prance,sometimes both. She also sweats all the time while I am riding her,even if we only walk.

  98. My horse Fali is unique for two reasons. First, I always have to lunge her for 20 minutes before I go out for a trail ride! She’s 18 years old and still acts as hyper as a yearling! Second, when she’s hungry, she’ll wave her head side to side and whip it around in circles once in awhile until I give her food.

  99. My gelding, Fella, is unique in many way but there is one thing that makes him particularly special to me. Fella LOVES kisses! He will bring his soft nose right up to my face and just leave it there while I give him loads of kisses. It warms my heart!

  100. Destiny, my Quarter mare is more thatn unique because she has taught me the will that she has to live. Once she stepped on a rusty nail that went into her frog and an infection started to spread up through her leg. The vet said that if the infection had spread any further we would to have had to put her down. But Destiny wasn’t going to quit together we overcame and now her hoof is completely heeled and we are riding like it never happened!

  101. Pumpkin, my four year old mare is unique in that, she is missing a front tooth (we call her a pirate) but it doesn’t crimp her insatiable appetite! She also nickers whenever she sees me, I taught her to do this for grain, but now she just nickers for everything. When she’s tied up and I’m doing other chores she will watch me, and nicker at me when she thinks I’m too far away. I love my horse!

  102. My 13 year old thoroughbred gelding is a wimp, I love him so much but he is scared of everything, he even spooks himself! Although he is scared of everything, he is super friendly, I went in the tack room to get my saddle and when I came out, I saw him, relaxing next to the tie post, with the barn cat laying on his back, asleep!How can he be afraid of his own shadow but when a cat jumps on his back, he’s totally fine with it!?

  103. My horse does something that makes her quite unique. She smiles on command. Her name is Rocka Rooney. She is a quarter horse and is 15 years old. Its pretty funny and visitors just love it! Everyone cracks up laughing at her which makes her smile more. She throws her head high in the air and curls her lips and shows all her teeth!

  104. Zander, the Quarter Horse who I exercise, is always grumpy and has his ears pinned back on the ground. However, as soon as you give him a kiss on his star, his ears perk forward, only to momentarily go back again.

  105. My 5 year old welsh/haflinger x pony, has an itching problem. She scratches on everything, from fence posts to stall doors. Wich has led to the loss of her mane and tail. She even has an interesting habit of sitting on her hind legs and pulling and pushing herself back and forth. It is very amusing to watch. She also enjoys having her udder scratched.

  106. Years ago I bought my first Spanish Mustang, a grullo colt. I named him Standing Bear. I notice, but was never sure but he seem to be protecting me at times. One day I threw apples to the older horses, him included. As I fed a couple of young ones bites off a apple,I looked up to see him chasing after his apple. At that same time one of the colts bit me and I let out a scream and Bear lifted his head and came and chased the young ones away and just dropped his head and look like he was saying now you will be ok. I always say he is like a big dog. He is now 20 yrs old and I love him so much. He takes good care of me!!

  107. My horse has two unique “butt scratching” tricks. In the pasture, he will run you down, swing his butt around and back into you to get it scratched. Under saddle, he will wander off the trail and find a good bush to step over and rock back and forth to scratch his butt. It makes you feel like you’re dancing. He won’t stop until he’s thoroughly done.

  108. My horse, Maverick has a few quirks. One of them is that he LOVES rosehips! He eats them as if they are oats! Once I found him picking them off a rosebush in his pasture! Also, he has such clear facial expressions, that he might as well speak English! It is very funny to have conversations with! One time, I was at a clinic, and I didn’t notice, but a well-known horseman said to me ”look at him. He’s saying ‘this is my Becky”’I looked, and sure enough, he was standing proudly with his nose tipped towards me, and it was clear that he was trying to tell the crowd ‘see? this is my Becky!’ I will always remember all my conversations with that horse.

  109. My horse swagger is a paso fino and he is the cutest thing ever! he loves to suck on my thumb or he loves to smole when you take his picture!

  110. My horse swagger is a paso fino and he is the cutest thing ever! he loves to suck on my thumb or he loves to smile when you take his picture!

  111. My horse Aragon likes to shake his head afer I brush his forelock to mess it up!I have to do it at least 3 times until he stops. When i ride i put two fingers up to Aragon one is english and one is western he picks and thats what i ride him. No matter who does it he picks the same thing hes so smart!!

  112. my six month old filly Crescent does not act like your typical baby. her personality is that of a well mannered older horse. she three days after i got her she was following me around like a puppy and she was never handled that much due to the fact she was a nurse mare foal. i can pick her feet lead her over obstacles and lead her on a trailer and she dont flinch a muscle at all. shes practically bomb proof already after being at my place for 2 months.

  113. Every time I go for a ride, when I take the bridle off of my 7 year old palomino gelding, I have to turn around and let him scratch his head on my back. If he is unable to do this, he will stand at the trailer and stomp his feet until I let him scratch his head… I love that silly horse!

  114. I have a 10 year old buckskin gelding who LOVES his treats. He knows that I keep them in my pocket, and he likes to wiggle his lips on my pocket until one comes out!!! He has been doing this for at least three years!

  115. I used to wear biking gloves when I rode. My now 10 year old quarter horse used to when I put my hands up to her mouth, grab the strap and pull them right off!

  116. My horse, Ace, loves doughnuts 🙂 The first time I gave him a piece of one, he took it like it was no big deal, like he had always eaten them. Our other horses don’t like them.

  117. One horse at my former barn was very unique in that he would often scratch his hind end on the arena fence. It was quite unusual when I was riding one horse and I looked over to see the hindquarters of TJ, swaying back and forth against the fence!

  118. My horse,Tess, is unique because she nickers when she hears me coming and she comes when I call her from the field. Also she likes to ”snuggle” with me and rub her head on me. Also she’s very gentle about the way she takes treats from your hands.

  119. Jay-Cee pretends he doesnt want anything to do with people and hes a real jerk when grooming but when the attention is shifted to another horse he nickers untill you cuddle him.

  120. We are bording a horse named curley at my barn we have 3 goats that stay with him in the pasture. He is friends with them all but when they jump on the picnic table he will go over and push them off of it.

  121. My 28 year old Arabian loves to stick him tongue out. Not only does he like to do this, but he also loves you to pull on it. It is also a way I know he is feeling playful and has a lot of energy.

  122. My 12 year old OTTB gelding acts like he HATES affection, like no hugs or anything. But when you are feeling really down all of a sudden his personality changes and he is all ready to give you a hug, and give you his shoulder to cry on. He also likes to eat anything, so my friends and i have learned to never eat anything in front of him, unless we plan on giving him some of our lunch.

  123. My horse, Huck, is unique because he has two dollar sign brands on his left hip. Evertime I go to a show people always say, did you know you have $$ on your horse’s hip?

  124. My Quarter Horse gelding, 21-year-old Chief, hates apples! He’s nuts! I love apples! Then again, his brother, 5-year-old half-Mustang Lakota picked up a bad habit of Chief’s that I had gotten out of him: eating leaves and stems of grass on trail rides!

  125. my horse is unique because he is an ex race horse that survived a horrific injury. He was pinned in the start gates and it resulted in him getting his leg nearly severed off. The vets worked hard to put him back together. He is missing a portion of his right pectoral muscle and his right leg is a little base wide but he is sound and he is beautiful.

  126. My 18 year old Arab, Angel, loves peppermint treats, but HATES actual peppermints! And my mini, Pea, loves to chase my Border Collie around the pasture.

  127. My horse is unique because he is unknown to me, but a faith for the future. He will be a dream come true, a wish granted, God’s blessing. He will be all my wishes and daydreams in a physical being. He always is in my mind, and he is unique because he will be the only horse that is mine-truly mine.

  128. My horse Chance is unique because I haven’t quite figured out what he is! I know that one of his parent’s had to be a Haflinger because his mane is blonde and thick, he’s only 14 hands, and his coat is a light chestnut, but his other half remains a mystery. Every time he has an accomplishment such as clearing a high jump or prancing around with his gaits my mind immediately says, “Oh he’s part Saddlebred, he must have some Thoroughbred in him.” It’s fun to have a special mystery horse!

  129. My horse, Homer, is unique because of his looks. He looks old because he has gray hairs and he just has a look to him that makes you think wow he must be at least 30. It looks like someone stretched him out when he was a foal(he’s so long), his eyes are more sunken in looking than other horses and his mane is parted to the left but flips over to the right halfway down so it’s always sticking up. Many people call him ugly but to be honest I think he’s the cutest horse at the barn!

  130. What makes my horse special? Well first of he is mine 🙂 and he is a Appaloosa. Which really helps in the show ring because he makes sure that we get noticed. He is also extremely calm and nonchalant about almost everything (he gets excited over carrots apples grain and hay, but who wouldn’t?) He is also part Quarter Horse and gets lots of attention every where we go, to the dressage schooling shows, the vet, & lessons. He is also just one year younger than I am and we have learned so much. I’ve brought him up through the green stage and we are working on being a level 3 team. He is special because he shows me how far we have come and how much further we can continue to go. He reminds me of how care free I am with my friends and how change is necessary and he is special because he reminds me of me and how to have fun

  131. My horse.. I don’t even know where to start, well okay so my horse is a big 17 hand chestnut thoroughbred gelding named Just Believe (JB) that has a interrupted sock on his left hind leg. He’s related to secretariat!!! No one ever believes me but I’ve seen his blood line sheet. He’s also related to 30 of the most famous racehorses in the world:) he loves speed and jumping so he’s amazing at cross country!! JB makes sure we are seen where ever we go, sometimes not do nice comments are said about us; ( his show name is just behave because he really needs to learn his manners!! But other than that he’s the best horse!!

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