HorseHawk wrote:

I have a mare that has one of the best, most trusting personalities a person could ask for in a mare...now. She does everything I ask with a simple word of direction. 

But when I bought her she hated her owners & even was kicking at them while tied by herself at the end of the barn hallway, 30 feet away, while waiting to be loaded in my trailer. They evidently had whipped her previously trying to load her to take her to the vet. Never could load her, so the vet had to come to them. Anyway, long story short, I believe a horse's personality is formed by how they are treated. As I've had many horses that were abused when I bought them & turned out to have great personalities after I had worked with them for a while. So, IMHO, I buy for ability & then help form their natural trusting personalities as I'm training them. And as well as someone can shape their personalities with TLC & understanding, they can also quickly destroy a horse's great personality with abuse & training ignorance, too.

So, I agree with Goflip...I never buy for a horse's personality...

BTW, all my horses have trusting great personalities, even my studs. As I'm their protector, cook, doctor, teacher & Chief Bottle Washer, & the one who is always there to "Pull the thorn out of their foot" when & if it happens...lol... 



I agree with this somewhat, as I've seen a few horses who have completely turned around (for the better) with new people.  But, I've also seen a few who have just always been "assholes", despite how nicely they were handled.  Like this one at the barn, he's only 6 (I think).  Was bought by these people when he was 3.  He's never tried to kick or anything like that, but he will pin his ears and make ugly faces at you EVERY time you walk by his stall.  Once you have him in the halter (or riding him) he's fine.  He does it when he's outside too (pins his ears back when you walk by).  I'm not sure why he does it, but he's never been treated badly.  The people who bought him knew the previous owners (partially why they bought him), and they know he was never mistreated.But yes, I do think some have the personalities they do because of how they were treated throughout their lives.