28/08/2025
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO STOP SAYING OUR HORSES ARE JUST BEING âNAUGHTYâ?
Now I know itâs the yard humour, naughty horse, heâs just doing it to p*e me off, heâs just trying to get me off today because he doesnât like meâŚâŚetc etc etc
Heâs sooooo ânaughtyâ
But this simply isnât true.
Thereâs no such thing as a ânaughtyâ horse because naughtiness is a human trait because we have an intellectual brain and can understand a rule then purposefully break that rule should we want to.
So firstly a horse doesnât understand your rules or you havenât set any - they have no idea actually what you are asking.
They donât have a human intellectual brain like we do
Horses donât preplan- they are reactionary, they can work in the moment - Iâm scared, whatâs that? or Iâm in pain for example.
So letâs change the word ânaughtyâ to whatâs really going on - letâs use a better word.
Hereâs some examples:
* Young, yes a horse may just be young, he doesnât understand life yet in the human world, heâs trying to figure things out and asking lots of questions and maybe not getting the answers
* Confused- oh yes we see lots of confused horses that again have no idea what you want, what they are supposed to be doing and how they are supposed to react to situations because you havenât actually said, clearly and every single day what they should do in a situation
* Untrained - that brings me to this word - How many untrained horses do we see and hear of, lots and lots sadly, so again horses need to be trained as a trained horse is a happy horse!
Imagine not helping your kids out in life, not educating them, not ensuring they do their lessons and homework and not doing your best by them to become the best they can be in life going forwards.
We wouldnât not help them out, we wouldnât not explain things to them and not spend your time as a parent doing this - we educate our children to become informed, rounded adults who hopefully under the world and how to behave and go in to be happy and successful.
Our horses need the same - when we buy a horse we take a contract out with that horse that you will train them, teach them, educate them and answer all their questions so they can become a well rounded, happy and confident horse then we can sit back proud of that achievement
You have to train your horses,
* Pain- thereâs another word, itâs not naughtiness but instead something hurts, this could be saddle fit pain, back pain, teeth pain, foot pain, internal pain like ulcers, colic, kissing spine, they could have been stung by a wasp.
Many examples of pain, but your horses canât just say ouch as easily as we can and explain what hurts so they arenât been naughty- something hurts.
*Excitement - horses are allowed to be excited sometimes, itâs normal.
Some horses are more excitable types than others.
We have an excitable type horse here, heâs been this way for 11 years now, we love him dearly and actually like this type of horse as heâs so much fun but if we didnât we have 2 options - Donât choose to ride or buy this type of horse if you donât like it or change yourself to like an excitable fizzy type of horse. Easy!
But you canât spend 11 years hoping your horse will change to a slower plod type and missing 11 years with your horse and not enjoying it.
So hereâs some examples of whatâs really going on, but p*eing you off, trying to get you off for a laugh, not loading up when you are late for a show, bucking into canter, bolting when they are scared, rearing, breaking into next doors field because thereâs more grass, treading on your foot, not standing at the mounting block, you get the picture, isnât naughtiness and personal.
Itâs a horse saying tell me what Iâm supposed to do, whatâs that, what do you want me do, something hurts, Iâm feeling good today, I donât like the horse trailer, you havenât told me to stand like you actually mean it and repeated that everyday.
You get the idea
Enjoy the journey of training our horses and helping them out and make sure your answer their questions!
