# What is an "honest" horse?



## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Here's another question that's been floating around in my mind for a while. What do you mean when you say a horse is "honest"?

The question popped up in my mind again when @Knave was describing a horse that was "honest" as one that would do whatever you asked. 

However, my trainer calls Pony "honest" because he lets you know what he's thinking. I have found this to be the case as well -- when we're coming into a jump, he lets you know well ahead of time that he's thinking of, say, ducking out to the right. You then apply right leg pressure to keep him straight and he then goes over the jump, as asked, with no problems. He has no last-minute ducking out (cough cough Moonshine) and no dirty stops.


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## Txshecat0423 (May 27, 2020)

I think of an “honest” horse as one with a lot of heart and try. They may not be the best at their job but they will give you all they’ve got and work as long and hard as you ask them to. They may ask for the “why” of what they are doing a couple of times, but once it’s explained or shown or communicated to them in some fashion, they’ll go into it wholeheartedly.


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## Knave (Dec 16, 2015)

Hmmmm…. I guess that is a good question. When I said it I meant the mare would never do anything you didn’t ask of her, and she did everything you asked to the best of her ability. She did have some ability too.

I see what your trainer said though too. I would call Zeus honest because he would never hurt a person, but call Beamer honest because he is more like the mare. I guess I don’t really think of exactly what I am trying to say.

I do know what I wouldn’t call an honest horse though. Horses that are going along fine and then lose their head. Horses that will try and get you when you are out of position, and horses that take shortcuts because they are lazy. (There’s a lot of fragments for you. Lol)


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

They do what's asked of them to the best of their ability.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

I think it can mean two things. It depends on how it's used to describe the horse.

For example a horse that will do the job he's asked to do:
"He's an honest head horse".
Meaning he knows his job(heading steers) and he doesn't play dirty tricks like cheating(not running all the way up to the hip) or ducking off before you dally and set the steer. A team roping example makes this the easiest to explain.

Or a horse that tells you what he's going to do if he's going to pull a dirty. For example:
"He does buck but he's honest about it."
Meaning he will get tight and you'll feel it before he commits to it and you can more than likely talk him out of it. Rather than a horse that waits until your a little off balance to buck you off or waits until later in the day when you let down as a rider and cheap shots you, which would be considered a counterfeit horse.


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## Milton'sMama (Jan 9, 2021)

I use "honest" to mean that the horse communicates with you (good and bad) and never tries to do you dirty. 

Milton is a very honest horse. Today I was riding him bareback in a big field next to some turn-out pastures. Unbeknownst to me, the horses in the pasture we'd just trotted past had taken off running to their gate (other side of the pasture). I knew Milton was suddenly very up and tense and forward, but I didn't know why. Once I figured it out, I was able to address it and we worked through it together. 

A dishonest horse would have just bolted and probably left my butt on the ground. Milton was like, "Mom, Mom, Mom....MOOOMMM!" trying to let me know he was excited and something had gotten his tail in a twist, LOL.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

COWCHICK77 said:


> which would be considered a counterfeit horse.


Ha! THAT'S a term I have never heard before! But I guess if there's an honest horse, there has to be a counterfeit horse?


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## Zimalia22 (Jun 15, 2021)

To me, an honest horse is one that comes to you at the start of the day, works hard all day with out giving you any grief, and just is a good guy, honest horse. They aren't trying to shirk the work. 
I've had the pleasure of several honest horses in my day. They see the job, and they are ready to get at it. 
Honest horses are a pleasure to be around and work with.


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## Part-Boarder (Aug 17, 2019)

Hmm. No one ever calls the horses at my barn “honest”; I’m now wondering if I’ve accidentally fallen into a herd of highway robber horses or whatnot


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

**** .. highway robbers. I have a group of thugs . they are honest. They let me know that they are going to pitch a fit, spook, buck . They are thugs when they decide with no warning to take off when you are leading them. lol. Old horses know lots of tricks. They tell you when they do not want to , pinned ears, tensing up , tail swishing. calling to the other horses.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

Maybe technically, horses we call "honest" are the most dishonest ones.
"Oh yes, I feel like doing everything you want to do. Yes, master. No, those pants don't make you look fat."
And the ones we call dishonest let us know how they really feel. 😁


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I agee that honest to me means that the horse 's behavior is more or less predictable becuase he tells you what he is thinking, AND, mostly doesn't surprise you with bad behavior that sees to come out of the blue.


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## Txshecat0423 (May 27, 2020)

I’d say my boy Skip is honest (because he’s PERFECT doncha know???? ) because of this example:

I went on a competitive obstacle trail ride once. I knew I couldn’t be competitive because I didn’t work on obstacles all the time and we were in the midst of a very busy rodeo season so I basically didn’t worry about challenging him with things he wouldn’t run into in the arena at that time in his career. Anyway we went with some friends just to go and hang out and try a few things. One of the challenges was the horse sliding on their butt down a ravine type hill and landing in some water. He approached it, looked at it and said “Nope!” and we found another way to go around. Later on we approached another water hazard in which the horse had to slide a little ways down and then ended up on small river rock.
At least half the horses fell sliding onto the river rock because it was so slick.
Skip refused to attempt it. He’s had an issue with water crossings since he went blind in his right eye…I think maybe related to depth perception and if I ask him to do something a couple of times and he really puts his hoof down about it, I don’t push it. I thought some of those riders were nuts with what they were asking their horses to do! He was honest in his refusal, and I tried to be an honest owner in not pressing him to do something he (and I!) felt was dangerous.


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## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

Technically, I think all horses are "honest" in that they're all the products of their breeding, handling, training, and experiences. Horses don't lie, they just learn.

But in a traditional sense, an honest horse is calm and listens, tries hard to please its people, and isn't overreactive. An honest horse might still spook, but usually it's at something significant, that makes sense. Like spooking at a dog jumping out of the bushes right beside it, rather than ????? ! They don't spin and dodge or take off on you without apparent provocation. Or don't do evasive behaviours to get out of work. They also communicate their thoughts well to an attentive rider.

I'd say my horse is about 99% honest, haha. She will try very hard and she's pretty chill. But the two times I've fallen off of her (in over 700 rides, over 6 years, so a pretty good record) it has been because she seemed perfectly calm but then spooked and spun at.... well, I still don't know what!


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