Spirited Minis (show or otherwise)

[Magic Marker Minis]

Was watching a video of First Knights Billy Idol... He was all prancy/dancy showing off, really pretty... He looked like a runway model... or a shampoo commercial, throwing his mane all over the place...

There was probably a mare close by that he was showing off for... Anyway, how the heck do you get that 'fire' out of a stallion or any other show horse?

Our stallions get all prancy when around a mare, but certainly not to that extent... It 'might' be that we 'train/discipline' them if they get out of hand... But, still, I'd like to see a little more fire out of ours...

Just wondering if it was feed or supplements or extra grain that gives them that 'fire.'

Kari

 

[disneyhorse]

Well some horses have fire and some don't.

For a video you can try things like plastic bags or shaker bottles, liniment on them, etc to get them amped up.

 

[disneyhorse]

I did see that video of Billy Idol... The shots where he is striking out and tossing his head in the whole video is about ten seconds total... But edited in slo mo and with dramatic music really stretches just a few seconds out for all they're worth

 

[Magic Marker Minis]

oooookay ... so it's Mar-ket-ing... Been there, done that for automotive belts and hoses...

 

[Magic Marker Minis]

Unfortunately, we've pretty much despooked our Minis to plastic bags... and they're quickly growing blasé about shaker bottles. I've been training a couple of stallions to cart and I drive over tarps, plastic bags, grain sacks, etc. to desensitive them to 'stuff.'

 

[Tab]

There's usually one in every barn that has to make their presence known. Head tossing, screaming all the time, running the fence. It makes for flashy footage, but sometimes it makes you want to tear your hair out. (ie screaming constantly in the middle of the night during breeding season lol!) I'm not really complaining, the sassiest are usually the most fun!

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I'm not so sure you can have it both ways. If you want a calm sensible horse for harness that is not reactive to most stimuli, it is unlikely that you will still have that flash and fire. The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive but to see both in the same horse is pretty rare I think.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

Having met Billy Idol once at a show, I'd say he's like that. Tried to kick my stallion in the warm up arena and we weren't really anywhere near him. The owner/handler made the groom take him back out until his class was called, so he must have been a handful all the time.

So, I'd say it depends on the horse. Our stallions are required to be mannerly on a lead at all times. Some people like the "fire", and I do, too, but it has it's place.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I am lucky enough to have a (probably) Perlino son Of Billy Idol just up the road from me and I can tell you it is hereditary! Not mares either- just anything really, he showed off for me until he was introduced then he ignored me. When we turned my colt out in the arena next to him he did the whole show, only in spades this time! Incredible, and a very beautiful colt as well.

 

[disneyhorse]

I think you can find (fire and lives to show off BUT tractable and well trained) in what I consider the best Liberty horses. I've had a few... They are quick to flag their tails and rear and buck when asked to show off, yet are quickly turned "off" when asked.

My Modern Shetland pony is like that.

Here is a (slightly terrible) video I made of him as a three year old stallion. The first minute shows him flagging his tail when the bag is shaken even though he's actually desensitized to plastic bags. It's just a cue.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EFMVGgChBPE

And here he is that year in a liberty class:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UeccL32xPpc

Some horses just have a lot of energy and love to really move and show off for mares/the audience!

 

[ohmt]

My stallions are spitfires and will dance and prance, but they have manners and we do not allow them to rear, kick, look like they're going to absolutely jump out of their skins like is seen in pictures and at shows a lot. Some of them just have "it" and they can have it while behaving as well. I like my stallions to have that fire. I have found that the mares play the biggest part of whether a foal will have that spark or not, though.

 

[srminiatures]

I don't know though because I have a stallion who loves to show off but knows when its ok and when its not. He is very calm being lead even if a mare is right next to him or even another stallion but its like he can read my mind because when im wanting him to show off he does it and let me tell you he's got fire and he knows he looks good....