# Evil horses I have known.......



## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

By far the vast majority of horses that I have known have been kinder than most people deserve.
But I have know a very few that I know had evil intentions from birth.
One was a horse that was bred and raised by a woman I knew and bought as a long yearling by a friend. I knew that neither of these people were likely to have abused a horse- quite the contrary. Yet from the first time I saw this gelding as a youngster, he had to be watched, If in a field of other horses, he would slowly try to sneak up on any human and kick them. You could see his eyes following you as he "pretended" not to actually look in your direction. To go into his field needed a handful of rocks to keep him off.
I also knew a thoroughbred mare who would swish her tail at people when they walked by. Now that doesn't sound so bad but she aimed for people's eyes and had sent more than one person to the emergency room to treat an eye injury. She simply never missed the face.
Thank goodness such animals are few and far between. These are not the "wiill buck, scrape you off or dump you" sorts who just hold strong opinions about their place in the world and your relative importance in it. These were animals who looked to cause injury.


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## Irish (Feb 10, 2012)

I believe there are 'evil' horses. As someone who has bought and sold quite a few horses in my life, plus started and showed many, I think there is about 3%+ of horses who are born hardwired wrong in the brain. Same with humans, just some breathing things are not born right.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

I sent a palomino named Taz off to the rescue thinking someone else could train him with one-on-one. Not a chance. He will probably live his life out there at the rescue; everyone loves him for his beauty and doesn't see the evil until it strikes out; he has been returned three times, the last time by a trainer.

I am not sure if his evilness was brought about by humans or a brain malfunction; he HATED men and would act out on them dangerously. I got him from a sale barn where he was obviously drugged.

He was a good ride but had a few kicks on the trail; one time caught my beloved Buddy in the chest so hard he had to stop for a minute. No telling what would set him off; a hand flung in a conversation, a guy in a cowboy hat, a loud laugh. He was ignorant mean to my other horses as well; when he left they never called after the trailer or even ran to the gate as he was being loaded.

I am the last one to say that a horse has been "abused," but with Taz I truly wonder.


Nonetheless, he is comfy at the rescue and has never acted out on any of the girls there so he has a spot for life. Had I known he was truly beyond help, I might have just had him put down to save a spot for a rescue horse that might have had a chance.

Taz NEVER acted out on me, ever, but any man in the field was toast.

Crazy, huh? People swear that horses do not care if you are male or female, but Taz was living proof that they do.


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

I think the only horse I've met that came across as "evil" was an appaloosa stud at a breeding barn. They had to double fence him and put warning signs up because he would charge the fence and try to grab/attack people over his fence... I shudder to think he was their "breeding" stallion and his behavior was excused because "it's breeding season"... If he was mine, the sucker would have received a lead supplement right between the eyes.. "breeding season" or not!


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## saanengirl (Apr 7, 2009)

No evil horses in my barn, but there is one that seems to deliberately fart when my students clean his hind feet. I think he likes the reaction he gets...


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

saanengirl said:


> No evil horses in my barn, but there is one that seems to deliberately fart when my students clean his hind feet. I think he likes the reaction he gets...


Definitely not evil- just a good sense of humor.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

I had a mare that had been abused.... there was nothing evil or mean about her. It's not abuse that makes them mean, its meanness. And it is hereditary. Meanness plus bad handling can make a nightmare though. There is acting out that can be taught by bad handling or abuse, but that's not meanness as I see it. 

I did have a mare once many years ago that had a pretty strange streak in her. I don't know if I'd call her mean, but she was unstable and, one day would be fine with something and another time, she'd pretty well flip out with it. Her training didn't seem to stick with her. I'd correct her for something and it was always a surprise to her, like there wasn't really a connection in her head. She just wasn't safe. 

We ended up sending her off to a horse trader for a great little QH gelding. Best thing we ever did and, yes, it was full disclosure. I suspect she went off to the auction, it would have been a good place for her.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

What a breath of fresh air!

Yes, just like people, there are animals that are born mean. 
Known a few horse's that were just evil, none of them abused. 

But try to tell some people that, sigh ~~~ 

Right now, I just have two Icelandic's, one a rescue to which I have been retraining in manners and she is finally coming along. Stubborn as all get out....would make a mule proud.
The other mare, she is just.... odd. LOL Call her my "little noodle" but she loves people and very trust worthy. My last is my mini, Maggie. She is such a wonderful wee horse.

Life is too short to keep a dangerous horse!


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

we had one cross our paths. a small palo. mare a family friend gave to youngest dd. the mare was just coming 2, never handled. the friend in no way would've given her any reason to be the way she was. she was sneaky and mean. she'd bite or strike when possible. I worked with her (ground) just like I have for many others, who in the end wind up being very connected to me.; they LIKE me. 

this mare just waited til the right moment to get you. she was small, looked like one of those horses in old paintings, ewe necked and scrawny. she'd never be big enough for a full sized adult, which was the only ones who'd be able to handle her. 

she'd stuck her head in between a gate and post, really messed her up. I'd clean it every day, she loved that. but as soon as she was "done" with my efforts, bam! she'd try to strike me!!

dd had been doing great with big old duke, so why bother? we gave her back. he sent her to trainers, and when she got back, she dumped him HARD. it was if she liked to fight. she lives in the pasture she was born, untouched. :shrug:


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

Most people don't have evil intentions but some do. I cannot help but believe that there are 'Ted Bundy' horses. Some serial killers, for example, were seriously abused as children but many were not.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

It is especially sad when the horse has been MADE insane by mean people, like GC said. they also learn very well...if I do XYZ, this person will get away from me. Once that has been learned it is tough to get out of his brain.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

My next door neighbor had one that was a real dangerous looney tune. The day she was born, she could barely walk yet and if you walked into the stall, she would come at you teeth clacking and feet striking.

She didn't ever get any better, either, and the neighbor had her put down. That's the only one I've ever seen like that. I've known other horses that would hurt you deliberately, but nothing like that filly.

The dam was a sort of zombie. No interaction at all with people, She did her job and that was that. I never would have bred her in the first place because temperament is so inheritable. But not my horse and not my call.


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## RedSonja (May 16, 2010)

I had one, years ago. An accidental incest baby, so maybe it was inbreeding that made her mean. Boarding barn owner turned my colt out with the mares, and somehow two of his neighbor's mares got in there as well... :smack The following spring, Evil Filly was born, the result of my colt breeding his own dam. :grumble: Evil Filly broke my foot, on purpose. I was trimming her feet, felt her move and looked back at her head. She looked right at me and jerked the foot away and stomped my foot. She'd also kick at anything that walked by for no apparent reason, and got weaned early by her dam. She liked to clamp teeth on her dam's teat if she didn't want to stop nursing when mom moved away to end the nursing session. I sold her at 18 months old, full disclosure, to a trainer. A year later I got a call from someone, not the person I'd sold her to, asking if I'd sign a transfer slip so she could get her transferred to her name. I did, and went to do so in person. Evil Filly stomped her foot at me when I went up to her. Yeah, nice to see you too, I thought. A year after that, same person asked if I wanted to buy her as she had to get out of horses. Um. No. 

She wasn't the first foal I'd raised, and I treated her the same as every other horse. She was just not right in the head. Last I checked she was still in my name per the registry, too.

-Sonja


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Years ago my training partner and I bought a QH-TB cross gelding from the sale barn, sold loose (here's your clue), supposedly well trained.

We had done this in the past quite successfully, usually finding only minor easily repairable vices.

Saddled him up and went for a ride in the woods. First he tried to buck. No problem, he wasn't very good at it and he gave up. Then he flipped over backwards. I stepped off and threw myself on his head and held him down for about 5 minutes. Stepped back on, went about 50 yards and up he comes again. I step off to the right as there is a large tree on my left. Half way over he throws himself to the right, trying to land on me! I have no doubt that he wanted to kill me. I walked him back to the barn and he was on the next kill truck out of town.

Evil Horse


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## Irish (Feb 10, 2012)

Heh...well, let me tell you about a Paint mare who was brought to me for starting. She'd been a broodie for a few years and had nice babies. The babies were pretty nice and turned out to be good under saddle. All should be well, eh?? Well, nope...

I got her sacked then saddled and finally on the way to the round pen. I'm kind of old fashioned about breaking and training. I don't take forever on the ground but I give some time for each separate lesson and horse better be smart enough to keep up. Well, she was a typical start for me. I thought I was doing very well with her. Nary a peep out of her. 

So, we did a bit of work in the round pen and things were going well. I like to see a smidge of sweat in the V of the neck, right in front of the shoulder blade, somehow for me, that translates into 'we're ready'. She was listening, ear on me and going like clockwork. I eased up to her side and did my stuff about pressure and reins and the usual. Then I raised my boot to just touch the stirrup...*tink* She came flat unglued! I mean went sky-high!! Bogged her head and bellowed around the round pen like a mad hog!! She wasn't sun-fishing, she was peglegging it, the whole way, around and around. She wasn't trying to get at me, just around and around, bellowing!! 

Finally, she stopped and I thought maybe I'd misread her somewhere and back we went over stuff. I believe in taking time and doing when the horse is ready, reading the horse. Everything just fine again. I gathered rein and touched the stirrup with my boot...*tink* You guessed it...she blew again.

Only this time, she actually bucked so hard, she sucked out from underneath a cinched saddle and left it on the ground in front of her and went on around peglegging and bellowing! My cowboy uncle from way back used to tell me stories about horses who could do that but I thought he was just being a windy Texas cowboy. Nope, it's true, horses CAN do that!! 

I stood there about 20 seconds, went to the house, called the owner and said come get her. They came to get her. The owner's mother let slip that others had the same problem (gee, thanks for the warning) and 'they kept hoping'. Anywho, the upshot was, a guy after me had the same problem and finally she was sold to a rodeo string, whereupon, her first time out of the chute, she bucked so hard (sunfishing) she ran into the fence and broke her neck! Sad, huh?? 

On the ground, the gentlest of the gentle. Not evil but oh-so off. But no one, no one was going to get on that beauty. Since no necropsy was done, we'll never know what was wrong. Either physically or upstairs in her pretty head.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Only a couple of times in my life have I ever used a trainer. Once to start a horse that I thought needed a lighter rider. And the other horse was too difficult for me to stay with.
So I told the trainer that the second horse had bucked with me and was so quick I couldn't stay with him. She said it was amazing that I told her what the problem was. Seems that people always handed her horses without letting her know what the problems were.
Now why do that? She's going to find out soon enough and it's better that she isn't hurt. Seems to me................


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

I owned a pretty pinto mare that had something wrong in the wiring between her eyes and her brain. You know how sometimes a rock looks like a monster to a horse? Multiple that by 1000. Only it wasn't all the time. Like some sort of electrical storm shorted out her brain. Maybe some sort of strange epilepsy.

She'd hurt you bad, but it wasn't deliberate. She wasn't aware of what she was doing.

A horse trainer friend bought her from me. Thought maybe she could work around it. Did I mention gorgeous? Medicine hat, beautiful body, perfect legs and neck, classy head. Blue eyes. And sweet as she could be. A kind horse until she flipped out.

I don't know how she ended up. But I can tell you, a horse doesn't have to be evil to hurt you badly.


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## fellini123 (Feb 2, 2003)

When we were active in Arabians, I had a trainer that I trusted completely. I always had him go with us when looking at a new horse.
I had found a beautiful, pure white, gorgeous Crabbet Bred Arab. She was wonderful. As soon as the trainer got out of the car he started laughing. Seems this little horse had made the rounds. Even he had her for a bit trying to ride her. This man was experienced, except for this one, allthe horses loved him. But not this one.......she was fine on the ground, but no riding.
There was no doing it. She would go insane as soon as she felt weight on her back. She had had several different vets and acupunctureists go over her,and couldnt find anything wrong.
She was just crazy and nothing bad had ever happened to her she just didnt want to be ridden. I didnt buy her, and I think she ended up living her life out in a field. At least as far as I know she was never bred, that was good!!

Alice in Virginia


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

The only truly evil horse I've known personally was a beautiful QH gelding. He was very well bred, worked beautifully in a ring and had won a lot at shows. He had been gelded because of his bad disposition. It didn't help, he got worse as he got older. He was a known bad to be around horse, but instead of putting him down he was sold with full disclosure to a 4-h mother in my kids 4-h club.

Everyone tried to talk her out of buying him for Tracy except her older DD's. He was cheap, the older girls were sure they could handle him--typical overconfident 17 and 18 year old kids. Tracy, the younger sister, had outgrown her pony and wanted a show horse. The 4H leader told them that they could not bring this horse to meetings, that Tracy could ride and show one of theirs but they bought him anyway.

Less than a month after they bought him, he blew up in the barn, in cross ties, and managed to cow kick Tracy in the temple. She died after several weeks on life support. She was 14. 

I would never keep a truly evil horse like that no matter what else it had going on. The only thing you can do is put them down. Tracy's uncle shot the horse the day they told them Tracy would not survive. Her mother was thinking about selling him.


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## mrs whodunit (Feb 3, 2012)

Back in the early 90's I read a story about a horse who maimed a few people and went through a lot of auctions before some girl got hold of him. I believe she was told not to ride him due to him being dangerous. He was considered unrideable.

She of course snuck to the back where nobody could see her and rode him. When he started to buck she started to laugh.

He went on to become a world famous barrel racer under that girls riding. I believe the horses name was Scamper. Found one article online but its not the same article I had read in Western Horseman back in the 90's.

Reading that article helped or inspired me to deal with my first donkey.

Willy (short for Willpower... I didnt name him) was a donkey that tried every move he could think of to get rid of me, well placed kicks, being unstoppable, running as fast as he could down hill, breaking down plank fences by putting his chest on the top planks and rocking till he worked the spikes loose, going through wire fences, running away... the list goes on. Mom wanted me to sell him due to his being unmanageable and dangerous. I put an ad in the paper for him with a really high price tag. He didn't sell. Surprise surprise.  

I was able to slowly one up him on every one of his tricks. He became an incredible riding donkey that trusted me and did whatever I asked. He took me over hundreds of miles of backcountry.

The guy that I sold that Willy to found him to be also an great riding donkey willing to work... just dont drive him. It was the only thing I couldn't one- up him on unless of course I rode him while he pulled whatever.

Laughing while he was trying out his tricks was key.

Sure wish I could find him


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## Irish (Feb 10, 2012)

oregon woodsmok said:


> I owned a pretty pinto mare that had something wrong in the wiring between her eyes and her brain. You know how sometimes a rock looks like a monster to a horse? Multiple that by 1000. Only it wasn't all the time. Like some sort of electrical storm shorted out her brain. Maybe some sort of strange epilepsy.
> 
> She'd hurt you bad, but it wasn't deliberate. She wasn't aware of what she was doing.
> 
> ...


Something which was brought up to me years ago, after my having dealt with a horse who was overly looky. It seems a horse can have mini-strokes and the eyesight/brain power isn't the same, although usually it's an older horse, not a young one. A bucket which a horse has seen everyday all of a sudden is a horse-eating monster, that sort of deal. I've never done a lot of research on this but, on the surface, seems reasonable.

Also, once I knew of a horse who was a total wash-out at barrel racing and sold at the local horse sale for little $$. A girl I knew bought him and turned him into a jumper, which he loffed!! Something about turning and burning drove him nuts but going over high fences was his cuppa. I wondered at the time if his eyesight was a little wacky, could see only straight ahead of him, not so good at sideways.


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## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

Molly Mckee said:


> The only truly evil horse I've known personally was a beautiful QH gelding. He was very well bred, worked beautifully in a ring and had won a lot at shows. He had been gelded because of his bad disposition. It didn't help, he got worse as he got older. He was a known bad to be around horse, but instead of putting him down he was sold with full disclosure to a 4-h mother in my kids 4-h club.
> 
> Everyone tried to talk her out of buying him for Tracy except her older DD's. He was cheap, the older girls were sure they could handle him--typical overconfident 17 and 18 year old kids. Tracy, the younger sister, had outgrown her pony and wanted a show horse. The 4H leader told them that they could not bring this horse to meetings, that Tracy could ride and show one of theirs but they bought him anyway.
> 
> ...


^^ This made me cry. As a mother of a horse crazy daughter it makes me so sad that someone would WILLFULLY endanger their kids and then pass a murderous horse on to someone else. I can't even compare this to anything to explain to my non horsey husband how serious this is.... it's worse than a drunk driving story.


Stories like:


> Back in the early 90's I read a story about a horse who maimed a few people and went through a lot of auctions before some girl got hold of him. I believe she was told not to ride him due to him being dangerous. He was considered unrideable.
> 
> She of course snuck to the back where nobody could see her and rode him. When he started to buck she started to laugh.
> 
> He went on to become a world famous barrel racer under that girls riding.


 And all those myriad of inspirational horse stories-- usually about a teen girl who knows nothing about horses "loving" a "wild, problem horse" enough to "earn his trust" and become a master horsewoman with this exceptional horse that responds only to her in the space of a summer-- saving the ranch or winning the big race in the process. Right. Because you're 14 and think a problem horse is pretty, you of COURSE know more than someone who's entire livelihood has been horses. 

Stuff like that CAUSES people to make stupid decisions to take on "pretty horses" and get seriously hurt. Love is NOT greater than skill and experience.

I've been around horses my entire life and still consider myself a novice.


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

we tried one that came from a kill pen once too. like many here, he was gorgeous! had him 2-3, did ground work like a pro. but try to ride him is like play russian roulette. 

we had a big king-bred mare. 8yo, never been rode, but was halter broke. hubs and I did a lot to just try to get on--touch the stirrup and she'd blow. and she could BLOW! he built a, basically, bucking chute. she hopped out, froze, tipped over sideways like a falling down bike!? got up, got back on, and she was gold. never again any issue. within a week, I was riding her bareback with a halter, along a RR track. she was solid the rest of her days. miss our reno!

I am loving this thread! its crazy hearing all what horses can pull!!


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

I'd a mad filly I rescued from a bad situation, the first clue should have been her dad was bat ---- crazy, they finally sent him to a trainer who gently pulled up a leg and rolled him down, to do that horse whisperer "rebirth stuff" and kept him down...after that he never got up. Not a thing wrong for him, just would not get back on his feet, three days later put down where he lay. This filly was small, cute, and actually very good under saddle, but a monster on the ground, went after my kids, had to give her all her shots as the vet would not get near her. I gave her to an experienced friend with full disclosure who put her out in a field with his retired horse, she jumped the fence one day and got hit by a car...in the army I had one horse on my string who actually attacked the coach who had him before me while she was tacking him in the stall, put her in the hospital so she lost her nerve and moved to West Point to care for the mules, that crazy bastard took two stable hands to hold him, and I learned to vault real quick with no irons because he would take off if you put a foot in the stirrup, stable hands or no! man, he could jump though, but strong, ran away with me once and jumped across the bed of a full size pickup truck, scared me snotless I can tell you...but like I said, if you could get him in the arena, got him to the base of anything, the sun of a gun would go over...


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

Dusky Beauty said:


> ^^ This made me cry. As a mother of a horse crazy daughter it makes me so sad that someone would WILLFULLY endanger their kids and then pass a murderous horse on to someone else. I can't even compare this to anything to explain to my non horsey husband how serious this is.... it's worse than a drunk driving story.
> 
> 
> Stories like: And all those myriad of inspirational horse stories-- usually about a teen girl who knows nothing about horses "loving" a "wild, problem horse" enough to "earn his trust" and become a master horsewoman with this exceptional horse that responds only to her in the space of a summer-- saving the ranch or winning the big race in the process. Right. Because you're 14 and think a problem horse is pretty, you of COURSE know more than someone who's entire livelihood has been horses.
> ...


I agree..the normal once can hurt you bad enough by accident, 1000 pounds with a brain the size of a walnut is bad enough, if they have half a walnut I say no joy!


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## cathleenc (Aug 16, 2007)

saanengirl said:


> No evil horses in my barn, but there is one that seems to deliberately fart when my students clean his hind feet. I think he likes the reaction he gets...


I made the mistake of sharing this story at the end of dinner last night. My boys, ages 8 & 10, are now walking around telling farting horse jokes constantly and falling over laughing. Much merriment! silly horse and silly boys.


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## birchtreefarm (Jul 22, 2007)

RedSonja said:


> She wasn't the first foal I'd raised, and I treated her the same as every other horse. She was just not right in the head.


OK, not picking on you specifically, but just using what you wrote as a jumping-off point.... so, if someone breeds (accidentally or otherwise) a horse like this, that's not right in the head, that clearly is just looking for that next opportunity to damage somebody, and has been that way since they were born, why aren't these horses put down? Is it the hope that the next trainer might have the magic recipe to fix them? There are so many good horses out there - why keep one around that is a potential maimer/killer?


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## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

birchtreefarm said:


> OK, not picking on you specifically, but just using what you wrote as a jumping-off point.... so, if someone breeds (accidentally or otherwise) a horse like this, that's not right in the head, that clearly is just looking for that next opportunity to damage somebody, and has been that way since they were born, why aren't these horses put down? Is it the hope that the next trainer might have the magic recipe to fix them? There are so many good horses out there - why keep one around that is a potential maimer/killer?


I agree. There may be a lot of hope that a foal or yearling will "mature" out of it but there comes a time when you aught to know that just isn't going to happen.


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## Blue Run Farm (Feb 14, 2011)

We took a percheron mare on trial years ago. Supposedly trained to ride and easy to handle, etc. That mare turned out to be dangerously crazy. Would be perfectly soft-eyed and normal, then suddenly spin and try like the dickens to kill you, double barrel kicking at your head. I am not exagerating. We had a trainer coming out to work with my young gelding at the time. He saw the mare out in the field and asked about her. When told that she was dangerous and going back to the seller, he asked if he could work with her. I said sure, but it was on his time and I would not be responsible if he got hurt.

He went out, put a halter and lead on that mare, and started walking her. She was fine for about 25 feet, then exploded. He had that mare circling and trying to kick him for a good 5 minutes while he kept pulling her head in towards him to keep her back feet away. Then she'd rush him and he'd have to go at her head to back her off. And she NEVER gave in or stopped trying to kill him. It was amazing that he managed to get out of there. He said he'd never had one that aggressive before. This wasn't normal horse silliness, this was I am trying to kill you. The mare was close to 18hh and 2,000 pounds of crazy. My vet and I discussed her and we think she may have had a tumor causing the behavior, as it was so unpredictable. He saw the behavior too and agreed that she needed to go ASAP. My oldest son was a toddler at the time and there was a real fear that she could kill him if he ever wandered near the horse field.

When we contacted the owner and told him to come take her back, he said we just needed to "show her who was boss." With what, a 2x4? I truly think she had a medical problem, but I wasn't going into all that on a horse we only had on trial. The guy kept not showing up to pick her up, until one day my hubby called and said he was not allowing a dangerous horse to stay on our property and if she wasn't gone by the end of the week, she was going to auction with full disclosure and the meat man could have her. If she had been our horse, I would have put her down.

The day the guy showed up to get her, she was having a good, non-psycho day and loaded up just fine. Last I heard they were breeding her to a Fresian stallion. Great job for her, because those are really the genetics I'd want to be passing along. Sigh...


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## JanO (Jun 17, 2003)

Of all the horses I've been around I only remember one that I would call truely evil. My dad used to be a horse broker of sorts and picked up a beautiful gelding for a gal that was getting into horses. This horse could do it all. Dad rode him, the seller rode him, I even rode him. (I was 6 or 7 at the time.) Not one single issue with him, so dad bought him with the intention of selling him to this gal. Anyway, we brought him home and put him in a large catch pen that had a metal access gate to another pen that went out to the pastures. The access gate was closed so we could go out to the pastures without having to worry about him. I was cutting through the pen leading another horse when all of a sudden all hell broke loose.

He went through the access gate, ears back and teeth bared, right at me. Fortunately the horse I was leading was in the way so he couldn't get me immediately, but after the horse I was leading spooked back out of the way I fell and he got me in the shoulder with his teeth. He broke the skin but didn't really get a good bite of me. However he was still pawing at me, trying to kill me. Fortunately there was another guy there that saw him go through the gate coming at me and he rushed in to get me out of there, or he would have killed me. I remember is my dad telling someone to get the gun from the house as my mom was loading me in the car to take me to the hospital.

I got 9 stitches in my shoulder that day, and when we got home that horse was gone. I assume my dad put him down immediately, but never knew for sure. Later we found out that the sellers were selling him because he'd gone after someone else and bit off a finger or something. That horse should have never been sold to anyone, except perhaps the kill barn.


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## gracie88 (May 29, 2007)

> There are so many good horses out there - why keep one around that is a potential maimer/killer?


No kidding. I have a 4 yr old with no super special breeding or training in my field who all but begs to be touched and worked. We're still working on some personal space issues but there's no mean in him anywhere. I hate to sound like a horse meat evangelist, but with my goats, I put everyone who's a little nuts or doesn't milk well in the freezer, I don't breed them or pass them off to someone else (except for meat). I would love to see a little more of that mindset in the horse industry.


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## RedSonja (May 16, 2010)

birchtreefarm said:


> OK, not picking on you specifically, but just using what you wrote as a jumping-off point.... so, if someone breeds (accidentally or otherwise) a horse like this, that's not right in the head, that clearly is just looking for that next opportunity to damage somebody, and has been that way since they were born, why aren't these horses put down? Is it the hope that the next trainer might have the magic recipe to fix them? There are so many good horses out there - why keep one around that is a potential maimer/killer?


In hindsight yes, I should have just put her down. The trainer wanted her pretty much from birth so when we moved out of state, I sold her rather than haul her. I guess she turned out to be an okay pleasure horse because the woman that contacted me later said she took her on trails and she did great.

Now, being older and hopefully wiser, I wouldn't invest the time in such a horse, or pass it along to possibly hurt someone. I don't heal up as fast as I used to and the ground hasn't gotten any softer for those unexpected flying dismounts. And I don't want the emotional or legal ramifications from someone getting hurt.

-Sonja


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

That's a hard question to answer - about the potential damage to future riders/handlers.
I agree that a very few horses are dangerous and should never be allowed to go on.
But I bought one who frightened people- he was big, young and full of himself. I bought him because he was cheap and starving. 
He had his moments but in truth for all his giant leaps while you were trying to lead him and his not stopping when asked to canter, he really was a good hearted fellow that gave me much pleasure for 13 years. 
After I had him for a few months, he actually gained a reputation as a real gentle duffus- which he was not either. I would have never put most riders on him because they would have not been able to deal with him. 
I remember the one time I did let someone ride him, I watched while she circled and circled and circled and circled at a hand gallop. Finally she came past me and I realized he would not stop for her. I yelled "Yard on him," she did, and he dropped right out into a walk. 
The difference between him and what I term an evil horse is that he would go out of his way to avoid hurting people. He never ran dangerously, he just demanded a really, really firm hand to drop him out of a canter. It was his thing- he loved a rolling canter. If he did one of his giant leaps while you were leading him, he was careful never to even pull on the lead or get in your space. If he bit, he would snatch clothing, never flesh. 
But at 16'3" he did frighten people.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

There was an old saddle horse mabe walking horse and standerdbred cross but long necked and leged dumped off on our farm back in the hills.you could ride him acrooss bridges through rivers in traffic ,he was nicely gaited and steady as a rock but out of nowhere for no reason unexpectedly he would through a bucking fit like a rodeo bronko then nothing for 3 or more years then he'd flip out while being led as if a tank was gonna run him over he would kick and fight to excape the invisable demon .my young cousin clamed him as he got older he got meaner imposable to catch in pasture and refused to enter a barn.he started fighting the other horses and livestock away from the feed and round bales even tryed to kick the feed bucket out of your hand he would steal the dog food from the rabbit beagles even get on his knees and stick his head in the dog houses which were on wooden runners so they could be moved to a clean spot every few days .we guseed his age to be over 35 as hi evelness and stiffness increased but withaa string in your hand you could not get close .then my older cousin said on spring as we watched him bullying the cattle away from the hay if that sob don't die soon I'm gonna shoot him can't winter em no more noones tuched him in 17 years .wheather he did it or not or the horse moved out on his own the last I saw him he was shiny and mean as ever. The leaves began to turn but no sign of him mabe the buzzerds didn't even want him or through some cowboy trick they got a rope on him and sent him to the glue factory


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

My grand father would never keep a horse over the winter getting a cheap beast in the spring to garden and raise some feedcorn for chickens and fattening up the hogs then trade it off in fall this being common practice in the 1940s around the coal mineing areas of the virginias hay land was scarce unscruples horse sales men made the rounds with spring and fall sales .they got a big mule gentle as a lamb till the drug wore off as he was hooked to the plow with 8 big brothers they would not be out done knowing that they could get him to work as was the way in those days of do or die they had delt with his kind before they fought kicked bit beat and sweated never being able to unharness him they taking a little more punish ment than him over the next 3 days till the beast jumped the fence and hit the road what was left of the old plow they found a few hundred feet away but their mule and a size able investment was never seen again they always reminded me that the world was smaller then and the next town though only a few miles was rarely visited but asi was also reminded they didn't look very hard for him either .so were the tails I grew up on many more were of honest old plow ponys who would do the job become respected freinds of those tough miners only to be traided in on a hog or steer at the end of a season


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