by Lydia Bagley
There are certain behaviors that horses develop during the course of a lifetime some good, and some bad. There are some behaviors however that are unacceptable and dangerous to children and inexperienced handlers. The following discussion lists several behaviors that are unsafe and should be considered red flags when you are buying a horse. If you are looking at two very similar horses and one has a behavior issue and the other does not the horse that is well behaved is the horse to buy.
Behaviors that are unacceptable under saddle: bucking, bolting, rearing, kicking, and head tossing.
Bucking: There are several reasons that a horse may buck under saddle: the saddle may not fit correctly, soreness, or the horse has been poorly trained. As the buyer it is not your responsibility to figure out why the horse is bucking. Consider it a warning and continue your search. This was not the right horse.
Bolting is one of the worst behaviors for a beginner’s horse. The horse must be reliable, a horse that runs off is not reliable. Bolting decreases the rider’s confidence that he/she has control of the horse.
Rearing is very difficult to fix and can be caused by many things. Again as the buyer it is not your responsibility to fix the problem. Do not buy a horse that rears. This can only get you hurt and certainly frightens beginners.
Kicking under saddle is rare in most horses. They may stop and kick at a rider’s leg or attempt to kick while you mount. This horse is most likely in pain of some kind but again this is not your problem continue your search.
Head tossing is the last and least worrisome of the unacceptable behaviors however a horse that repeatedly tosses his head can cause anxiety and worry in the rider. If you are comparing similar horse go with the one who behaves perfectly.
Behaviors on the ground that are unacceptable: biting, kicking, rearing, bolting, refusal to stand tied, refusal to load, turning the hindquarters to you when entering the stall.
These behaviors are red flags; please do not buy a horse that presents any of these behaviors when you go to look at them. These are considered vices. When approached the horse should not bite or kick out at the handler. When being lead the horse should walk quietly beside you with no resistance. If the horse should rear while being lead do not buy that horse, it does not matter if the horse is scared. A horse that bolts is not trustworthy. Refusing to stand tied while not a huge offense is difficult to deal with. A horse that sets back can break halters, lead ropes, and seriously injure themselves, or the handler. Continue to look for a horse that has every characteristic you are looking for. Refusal to load is a vice that is pretty easy to fix, if you do not have a professional that you are working with and you want to be able to haul on your own keep looking. A horse that does not face you when you enter the stall may have several different problems. It indicates that the horse may be difficult to catch in the pasture and that the horse is unfriendly.
Not all of these behaviors are dangerous to the horse or the handler, some are indicators of a horses personality. Its important that you are comfortable on the ground, in the saddle, and that your personalities match.
I hope this article helps you understand some equine behaviors. If you have a question about any of these behaviors give me a call or send an email, and I’ll be happy to discuss the possible causes and corrections if your horse presents any of these behaviors.
