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What is an "honest" horse2007-11-24 21:21:33

I've never been able to understand why people will refer to a horse as being "honest". Horses don't have a sense of morality as we do, so how can they exhibit honesty or the lack thereof? I guess it just strikes me as a thing horse people say because they think it sounds good. It's kind of like how people are now always describing everything as "surreal" but most probably don't have a clue what it means.

I've been around horses most of my life, and the "honesty" label just doesn't ring true. I'm trying to keep an open mind, so please enlighten me!

Answers:

I think rsc said it the best, as far as a horse that always does what it is told, or trained to do. This does not translate into babysitter, or a horse that will pack around anyone and forgive all pilot error. An honest horse knows its job and will do it without fail. Some examples I can think of...there was an older mare at a cutting facility I worked at, used as a lesson horse. You better hope she didn't lose you while she was working a cow, because she would keep on working the cow. She was trained not to lose a cow, and she would do her job - now, if she lost you, that was your problem. She was honest. In the reining world an honest horse will not try to anticipate a stop or lead change, even if that is likely the next part in the pattern. For example, a straight run down the center of the arena is almost always followed by a sliding stop, and many horses will learn to anticipate. An honest horse will run clear to the fence until you ask him to stop. I have seen a few go into the rail. Honesty in racehorses is demonstrated (sadly) quite often, when an injured horse won't quit the race, even if the jockey is trying to pull him up. Honesty, like a lot of other human traits cannot literally be applied to horses. Many people do give horses a lot more credit than they probably deserve, but this term is not to be taken literally.

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The term to me has usually meant that the horse behaves reliably and does not have a flighty personality or spooks easily

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An "honest" horse means that they are always reliable and loyal and they probably always listen to what you say and do it. I think it's the same as an obedient horse.

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An honest horse is a horse that is good-tempered, well-trained, and always gives his best effort every time. An honest horse is one that does not have a mean streak.

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An honest horse is one that is well trained, and does what the rider tells it to. Like if you say a horse is honest over fences, it means it will consistantly give its best effort, it doesn't duck out before the fence, it won't refuse, etc. But it 'honest' isnt equivalent to a 'packer' ( a horse that will carry its rider around anywhere, no matter what), an honest horse will just do what the rider tells it to, if the rider makes a mistake, the horse won't cover for them, it will do what they told it to. Like if the rider sets the horse up for a fence, it will try to do what the rider tells it to, it won't correct its self and jump the fence anyway.

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That isn't true! Horses have a sence of morality just as humans therefore they can be loyal and honest, they just have there own way of showing it.

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What I have called an honest horse is one who will go out and perform the same way almost everytime. I consider my husbands roping horse to be honest. He goes into the box, rates, and put you into position to rope the same nearly everytime without a lot of effort on the riders part. (no "schooling" needed). Does not matter if you ride him once a day, once a week, month, or year. He is still the same dependable guy. On the other hand, we have a gelding that has been fully trained and is counterfit as the day is long. He spends more time trying to get out of doing something than he would if he would just go on and work. He jigs, he tosses his head, he snorts, spooks, shys, and this will go on until he wears out and decides to get on with the day. And then it starts over again the next day. He would be perfectly happy being a yard ornament. So that is my definition of an "honest" horse.

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Im with you.How aboutpeople saying there horse is bomb proof?Thats a joke too.

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I've always associated the term "honest" with a horse that always does its best to jump any fence put in front of it. The opposite of an honest horse is a "dirty quitter". That's a horse that approaches the fence normally and at the last moment cuts out or stops.

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I think the term "honest" horse varies by its discipline, but as the other people on here have said, it's typically a horse that will do it's job relatively worry - free, it is a well trained, quiet animal that doesn't act up or do stupid things.