08/11/2026
Not every spook is a problem, not every unsettled day is a step backwards, and not every horse needs fixing.
Perhaps it’s time we brought back a little more forgiveness, understanding and realistic expectations when it comes to horses.
Something I’ve been thinking about lately, particularly as someone who buys, produces and sells horses.
I’m finding it increasingly difficult to source suitable horses for clients because, quite honestly, I think the expectations placed on young horses are becoming exceptionally high.
We seem to have reached a point where horses are expected to arrive in a new home, settle immediately, behave identically the same, adapt to every environment, rider and situation, and never question anything. And if they don’t, suddenly there is a problem with the horse.
I think we need to remember that horses are animals, not programmed machines.
They are naturally prey animals who have adapted to domestication and learnt to live alongside us. They have their own personalities, fears and boundaries, just like us.
Regardless of a horse’s age, experience or previous education, every home, yard, environment and situation is different.
One horse might walk into a new home and settle within hours, while another might take days or weeks. A horse might be completely comfortable in one environment but unsettled in another. It might travel hundreds of miles without batting an eyelid, yet become worried by something seemingly insignificant in its new surroundings.
And that is completely normal.
Think about us as humans. We are not equally comfortable in every environment. Some places and people make us feel completely at ease, others take time to adjust to. We all react differently to situations, even when we have experienced them before. Why should we expect horses to be any different?
I think we’ve become so used to seeing the perfect moments on social media that we’ve started expecting that same perfection in real life.
We see the finished product, the good days and the highlights, but rarely the time, patience and setbacks that go on behind the scenes.
We’ve forgotten that even the most genuine, well produced and experienced horses are still animals with minds of their own.
And this doesn’t just apply to young or inexperienced horses. I completely understand that when someone is investing top money in an established, well produced horse with competition experience, they have expectations of the education, ability and experience they are paying for. Quite rightly so.
But even those horses are not exempt from being horses. A horse that has competed at major shows, travelled hundreds of miles and been exposed to all sorts of environments can still find a new home, new routine or new surroundings unsettling.
Experience doesn’t mean a horse will react identically in every situation, and a proven competition record doesn’t mean it will settle into every new home / competition in exactly the same way.
Just like us, horses can have off days. Even something as simple as a poor night’s sleep can affect how we feel and perform the following day, and horses are no different.
As sellers, we can provide education, give honest descriptions, share relevant information and do everything reasonably possible to find the right match. But we cannot guarantee how a horse will feel, react or settle once it leaves us and enters a completely different environment.
We can stand by the information we provide, the education we have given a horse and what we have personally experienced with it. However, we cannot guarantee a horse’s settling period or expect it to react identically in every new environment or circumstance. That is an unrealistic expectation to place on any living animal.
What we can do is produce horses with good foundations, positive attitudes and a willingness to learn.
I genuinely think we need to take a step back and remember what we’re working with. These are living, breathing animals, not manufactured products that come with a guaranteed performance in every possible situation.
Sometimes a little patience, understanding and consistency go a long way.
And perhaps that’s something we could all do with bringing back.
Of course, this is just my opinion. Everyone is entitled to their own, and it doesn’t make either right or wrong.
