Horses personalities

[karrotsishere]

Read the last sentence below in Stripes report. Got me thinking about horses & their personalities, how much does it effect their racing, happiness & so on? On top of fact, watched a horse yesterday had been keeping eye on & it ran a great race compared to recent performances. Trying to figure out why, but this horse seemed to love to lead. And hasn’t for a while. So was personality a factor in it trying so hard? How much does personality come into things? Stripes report below stated that Courage of M lost interest. Lol lost interest.

Also remember chatting with some peeps from Stonewall & they said that BD Joe was a lil toad when young. The naughtiest on the track. Like Sugar Me, read Dalgety saying S. Me, was naughty too as a youngster. Not interested in being a race horse. Both slightly older have turned out to be nice horses. Coincidence perhaps. But personalities. Karrots young horse same naughty lil fart on track but VERY friendly AS, the second off track. Like sweetie - turns naughty - back to sweetie - turns naughty. Its very funny. Not funny for the driver tho on track lol.

Thought perhaps this thread could be on any stories of horses you might/may be connected with or know of and about their personality. Might get some good - fun stories here.

Mr Neal further stated that COURAGE OF MONTANA had then dropped the bit and lost interest after the incident near the 1350m and as a result he had not been persevered with.

Edited October 14, 2021 by karrotsishere

[Honest john]

Always remember Paul (gavinjnr)Hampton telling me 20 years ago? His dads horse while Init’s paddock used to throw a stick up and sometimes catch it. He watched it many times he told me. He used to tip me horses when I saw him at fulton hogan.

then there  was a mare we had used to play up at the start, one race as they let the tapes go she rared  up almost to falling over and never joined the race. 

 

Hj

[karrotsishere]

1 hour ago, Honest john said:

 while Init’s paddock used to throw a stick up and sometimes catch it.

Love it. We love story time don't we Honest J 😃 Must be a bit like horsey in pic below Lou likes cone lol. 

I also heard of a horse that towards the end of her career she only tried if she was in lead. 

Re BJ Joe they said he used to when young swing neck head from side to side kind of thing, even with a galloping pacemaker & they had to put gear on maybe pole & special horse bit thing. Cant remember the horse name terminology. 

Anyway tell you more story about Karrots horse named Sweetie - A Lou filly. She tried to run off track on 1st lap lol, naughty Sweetie, when Karrots went to watch 1 day. Karrots was standing by gate & oh dear here comes Sweetie. So had to put barrier up. Then Sweetie, next lap when sees barrier put up, starts to shake shake head & neck you know like Joe. So Karrots started to point the finger on next lap loud yelling out "naughty, naughty Sweetie", saying "no no". Sweetie soon listened as last 2 laps she did it perfectly 😃

Come in @Double R @Enteebee @Lightning Blue @Mike @Globederby19 surely you guys have a personality story to share. Mike you might have 1 about horse transport. Whats the funniest or weirdest story you can think, e.g. how many men has it taken to get a horse on truck or how long ... ? Its story time.

[Honest john]

My fave horse shakamaker looked so cool racing without an overcheck, head hung right down. I saw it in the intercoms in chch    

Hj

[karrotsishere]

11 minutes ago, Honest john said:

My fave horse shakamaker looked so cool racing without an overcheck, head hung right down. I saw it in the intercoms in chch    

Overcheck - I prefer seeing horses racing without them. Makes me think what if they fall over & then strain their necks because when they land their necks are restrained. 

Also think too, horse can stretch neck out at finish in a photo finish hehe & not be like all restricted like this.

[Lightning Blue]

5 hours ago, karrotsishere said:

Thought perhaps this thread could be on any stories of horses you might/may be connected with or know of and about their personality.

LIGHTNING BLUE was quite a character . To mix it up and not be in the gig everyday, you could play tag with him at the old Chrysler Valiant window , as you're driving/jogging along he would try and 'bite in through the window' now and then , while feeling good , or kick up the heels and bang the panels of the car to keep you from dozing off at the wheel. 

A very fine horse, not-thick set like your usual stallion. more like a gelding. The photo with young lady (sadly passed away young with cancer) on one of his many Interstate successful raids, shows Blue a very gentle stallion around people and other horses. And try His Guts out in Every race, like you'll Never See from 99% of track racehorses.

Here is is winning Interdominion at Addington from Paleface Bubble and Sunset Candios , and that 'head shot' after that win says it all. Gave it everything !!!  even the great Lightning Blue was thinking let's sleep in for a few days after that one.  Popped back to Addington to win NZ Cup later that year too.

Edited October 15, 2021 by Lightning Blue

[Globederby19]

26 minutes ago, Lightning Blue said:

Here is is winning Interdominion at Addington from Paleface Bubble and Sunset Candios

Yep and he only made the final on a defection from Bag Limit as he hadn't made enough points to get in the final field. But stick on he did after drawing 16 from the barrier, under a massive drive . MY all time fav Luxury Liner lost me some money that day, and also ran second to LB in the Cup.

Aussies, One Two Three was the call from Reon that day. 

[Globederby19]

As far as personality's go my son in law who trained Gobstopper said that when he didn't want to race he wouldn't ,full stop, no matter what the jock tried ,but when in the mood could probably beat anything as he did by streeting the NZ Cup field.

Another I saw from long ago was an Australian horse called Welcome Advice whom I saw run in the Inters in Sydney. Brilliant animal but an entire and a pig to boot.

In a couple of the heats he tried to bite the horse next to him, probably a mare.

[Lightning Blue]

17 minutes ago, Globederby19 said:

MY all time fav Luxury Liner lost me some money that day, and also ran second to LB in the Cup.

Here's a treat for you then Globe. quick fire revenge and you may of got a quid this day hopefully?  Tony Herlihy , as cool as ice, running down my All time favourite BLUE by a nose just 3 days after that Cup in the NZ FFA on Showday with the great Luxury Liner.

Luxury Liner with his white neck strap , and Lightning Blue with the lugging poll. 

If you look closely you can see a little head in-between them of FRANGELICO (1/2 head back 3rd)  , catch driven by the great DENIS NYHAN for Richard Brosnan,  who sadly passed away last month . Denis The trainer driver of Robalan and Lordship to win 3 NZ Cups between them.

[Dancing Show]

My brother's horse, Life's A Beach - the one before the current one racing -  used to hate puddles - no matter what size.  He'd give them a wide berth if he could but if they were at the top gate to his paddock we'd have to walk him down the paddock to another gate to get him into the race 🙂  

[karrotsishere]

1 hour ago, Lightning Blue said:

 he would try and bite

Biting - A funny story - To stop Sweetie from play nipping occasionally, researched this problem & it said to give them a very light/soft tap on leg with your leg/foot every time they go & bite. That way they associate biting with a tap to leg.

So tried it. Sweetie goes in for play bite, tap on leg with foot, then few mins later again, so another lite tap on leg. Looking like she is going to go in for a 3rd attempt & funnily enough retracts & LOOKS STRAIGHT DOWN AT HER LEG lol. Worked a treat.

Edited October 15, 2021 by karrotsishere

[Globederby19]

2 hours ago, karrotsishere said:

Biting - A funny story - To stop Sweetie from play nipping occasionally, researched this problem & it said to give them a very light/soft tap on leg with your leg/foot every time they go & bite. That way they associate biting with a tap to leg.

So tried it. Sweetie goes in for play bite, tap on leg with foot, then few mins later again, so another lite tap on leg. Looking like she is going to go in for a 3rd attempt & funnily enough retracts & LOOKS STRAIGHT DOWN AT HER LEG lol. Worked a treat.

Bit hard to do that in the middle of a race Karrots. Horse looks down at its leg and falls over bringing the rest of the field down.🤣

[Globederby19]

3 hours ago, Lightning Blue said:

Here's a treat for you then Globe. quick fire revenge and you may of got a quid this day hopefully?  Tony Herlihy , as cool as ice, running down my All time favourite BLUE by a nose just 3 days after that Cup in the NZ FFA on Showday with the great Luxury Liner.

Luxury Liner with his white neck strap , and Lightning Blue with the lugging poll. 

If you look closely you can see a little head in-between them of FRANGELICO (1/2 head back 3rd)  , catch driven by the great DENIS NYHAN for Richard Brosnan,  who sadly passed away last month . Denis The trainer driver of Robalan and Lordship to win 3 NZ Cups between them.

I backed him in just about all his starts,since he was a juvenile. He had a peculiar action with his head which rolled from side to side. Great horse who could stay all day. 

[craigos1]

When I was a Young Fella , my favourite trotter was Stormy Morn 'cos he carried his head low.

Found this vid of him winning Rowe Cup , funnily enough his head dosen't look that low.

 

[Globederby19]

Another barnstorming finish from Sir Castleton . Fastest finishing trotter I have ever seen. Our own Dark Horse had that sort of speed, pity she had so many tendon problems.

[karrotsishere]

@Mike hey where is your horse personality story 😄 Come on, tomorrow post one please 👍 

Im doing the fast finger posting on selections game like dis

[karrotsishere]

19 hours ago, Dancing Show said:

My brother's horse, Life's A Beach - the one before the current one racing -  used to hate puddles - no matter what size.  He'd give them a wide berth if he could but if they were at the top gate to his paddock we'd have to walk him down the paddock to another gate to get him into the race 🙂  

Yes a very young horse in that sometimes shares a paddock with Sweetie, same thing. 1 time when they were switching paddocks for grazing, this young horse would not walk thru as a big puddle lay in-between. Nothing could get this young horse thru. So handler had to catch & tie young horse up to gate & literally push its thru using the handlers body. As at time it was prob about 7 months and little was able to do that. Not sure what handler will do with that horse when it gets bigger lol.

I researched it after this incident & recall reading something along the lines that horses can't judge the depth of a puddle or something. To be sure just researched again & found this. (Note I researched it as was a bit worried for the wee horse). But now after your post note this isn't so abnormal behaviour - so thanks for sharing.

Researched below.

"Horses also have poor depth perception when only using one eye. They can’t tell a trailer from an endless tunnel, or a mud puddle from a bottomless lagoon. Their perception is improved by about 5 times when using both eyes (binocular vision)".

 

 

[karrotsishere]

Have always been meaning to ask someone this, tried researching it but nothing came up.

Not to do with personalities BUT

If horse is working out, jogging comes back sweaty but hardly puffing. Is this a sign? A sign of something?

Or is this normal?

Always trying to look for signs with Sweetie 😃

[Mike]

Look at the date Karrots

It might be summer

[karrotsishere]

50 minutes ago, Mike said:

Look at the date Karrots

It might be summer

This is not story & Mike owes Karrots story. 

Not sure what you mean summer, not this happen in winter, both stories - re puddle & re Sweetie not puffing much. 

[Double R]

On 10/16/2021 at 10:03 AM, karrotsishere said:

Have always been meaning to ask someone this, tried researching it but nothing came up.

Not to do with personalities BUT

If horse is working out, jogging comes back sweaty but hardly puffing. Is this a sign? A sign of something?

Or is this normal?

Always trying to look for signs with Sweetie 😃

Hi Karrots,

My answer to the hardly puffing would be, it is fit or is getting fit, and hence isn't puffing, and perhaps getting ready for more serious work, or it could have been just a jog day, if it was ready, or at the races.

Cheers.

Robert.

[karrotsishere]

9 minutes ago, Double R said:

Hi Karrots,

My answer to the hardly puffing would be, it is fit or is getting fit, and hence isn't puffing, and perhaps getting ready for more serious work, or it could have been just a jog day, if it was ready, or at the races.

Cheers.

Robert.

Thanks for reply & NO thanks @Mike for no personality story. Im in a grump with you. Not talking for 24 hours now. The silent treatment.

Now back to you Double R, was Sweeties only after being broken in, 1st time in like 1st prep & only like 6th ish day, jogging. So thinking she must have a natural high ish fitness level. It really SURPRISED ME. Was a bit weird. Why not puff more after being in paddock for so LONG.

Hope it good sign 🤞

[Double R]

1 minute ago, karrotsishere said:

Thanks for reply & NO thanks @Mike for no personality story. Im in a grump with you. Not talking for 24 hours now. The silent treatment.

Now back to you Double R, was Sweeties only after being broken in, 1st time in like 1st prep & only like 6th ish day, jogging. So thinking she must have a natural high ish fitness level. It really SURPRISED ME. Was a bit weird. Why not puff more after being in paddock for so LONG.

Hope it good sign 🤞

The other thing Karrots is, you may have heard the expression, that some horses are clean winded, and don't need alot of the work. I think it is good sign that she is being eased back into training in a measured fashion, and wouldn't be concerned.

 

[karrotsishere]

16 hours ago, Double R said:

The other thing Karrots is, you may have heard the expression, that some horses are clean winded, and don't need alot of the work. I think it is good sign that she is being eased back into training in a measured fashion, and wouldn't be concerned.

No not heard this one. Clean winded. Oh I like 

Sweetie must be CLEAN WINDED like this one. Thanks Double R. 

Edited October 22, 2021 by karrotsishere

[Double R]

Some horse personality traits that I have observed over the years.

A horse that had an open yard, and covered box, which it was able to wander in and out of for water and feed, would only back into the box. He would not go in head first.

When a dominate horse in a stable got sick, the rest would take their opportunity to have a go at it.

A horse that was not a good float traveller would be turned around, and faced the opposite way to what the float was moving.

Some horses travelling to different areas, would not drink the water, because they were not used to fluoride in the water, so trainers would bring their own water from their home towns.

I am sure others will have other interesting contributions.

Cheers.

Robert.