Naughty or Nice? Where Does Your Horse Fall on Santa’s List?

By: Brittany Bevis

“He’s making a list and checking it twice

Gonna find out who’s naughty and nice.

Santa Claus is coming to town!”

Has your beloved equine partner been extra well-behaved this year, learning new skills, delivering reliable performances at the horse show, or taking young kids for pony rides?

Or, has he been quite naughty, destroying his blankets, requiring extra time on the longe line, or refusing to load in the trailer?

We asked our EquineChronicle.com readers whether their horses have been naughty or nice this year and what they might ask Santa for, if they could make the trip to the mall… Here’s what they had to say!

Erin Bradshaw- John Simon, 2016 APHA stallion

“John Simon is on the nice list. The nicest thing he’s done is bless me with his amazing babies. The naughtiest thing he did happened last week when he let himself out of his turnout and took off on the property not allowing anyone to catch him! For Christmas, John would ask for a live-in girlfriend!”

Karly Matusik- Megatron, aka “Mega,” 2-year-old APHA gelding

“My horse is on the naughty list, because he likes to eat my hair, chin, and phone every time I see him. The nicest thing he has ever done has been letting me stand on his back. The naughtiest thing he has done was trying to give me kisses during Showmanship class at a show. If he could ask for anything for Christmas, he would ask for a lifetime supply of Likits. Every time I put him in his stall, he touches his nose to the Likit holder to see if he’s going to get one that day. He can finish a Likit in about five minutes. It’s impressive.”

Lindsey Brown- Willy A Breeze, aka “Lucie,” 2-year-old APHA mare

“Lucie is on Santa’s nice list this year. She’s a phenomenal horse. We had a fantastic 2017 show year. I’m beyond proud of her and all the milestones she has taken on. The nicest thing Lucie has ever done happened the first time she let me sit on her back. She turned back at me and gave me the sweetest look, almost like she was saying, “It’s OK, Mom. I’m ready!” The naughtiest thing Lucie has ever done, which is very rare for her, is she decided one afternoon she was going to tear her fly sheet into a million shredded threads. If Lucie could pick one thing for Christmas it would be an entire 50 pound bag of alfalfa cubes. This is the only thing this mare lives for.”

Emily Lundstrom- Too Hot To Be True, aka “Elliott,” 2012 Appaloosa gelding

“Definitely nice! This year, I have been asking my horse to learn A LOT of new things, and he has been such a good sport about it. Elliott has saved me from my own mistakes countless times: whether it be getting him too rocked back in Showmanship pivots or in the wrong position in our Horsemanship maneuvers. He really has my back. He would LOVE to have a full 24 pack of Coke! I always get McDonald’s on the way to my trainer’s place. If we have a good practice session, he gets the rest of my Coke. He hasn’t been bad yet!”

Sabrina Janis- Ima Money Magnet, aka “Magnet,” 10-year-old AQHA gelding; Ever So Sudden, aka “Sammie,” 5-year-old AQHA gelding; Blazin OnThe Horizon, aka “Rico,” 9-year-old AQHA gelding, and Raise Ur Bid, aka “Rachel,” 5-year-old AQHA mare

“All my horses are definitely on the nice list this year! We have worked so hard together to achieve some of our goals, and it really has paid off! The funniest/naughtiest thing I have ever seen a horse do definitely happened with my horse Magnet. I remember putting him out on the exerciser one morning. About an hour later, I walked out to find that he had turned himself completely around within the stock and was BACKING around the exerciser as the other horses were at a brisk walk. He continued this for almost 20 minutes until I stopped it and made him turn back around!”

“I would say the nicest thing that any horse has done for me would be back during my 13 and under years. My very first horse was a Quarter Horse named Duies Creditor, aka “Duie.” He and I were showing at the Congress, and I accidentally pushed his hind end over too far in the back through chute. He put his hind foot outside of the chute for about five seconds before realizing I had cued him too much, and then he quickly proceeded to put his foot back into the chute for me! I will never forget him saving me like that; he truly was the best horse ever!”

“If I had to speak for all of my horses that I currently show, I would say they would all ask for Paddy Cakes! These treats have been my horses’ favorites for as long as I can remember, and they can never get enough. I think it’s because they all come with some sort of candy on them! Another thing that I know all of my herd loves is when they get a little break and get to go outside for a while in the round pen or the paddock to play; it’s like recess!

Ashley Roach- Midnight Dreamer, aka “Sara,” 3-year-old AQHA mare

“Sara would definitely be on the nice list! Although, Santa told her she needs to be more humble and that if she didn’t stop telling the other horses in the barn that she was the prettiest that she would have to be moved to the naughty list. The nicest thing she does is consistently giving 110%. The naughtiest thing is she told me to tell you she’s never naughty.”

“For Christmas, Sara would love to find a bag of peppermints and a copy of The Chronicle, with her as the covergirl; but, if that’s too much to ask for, she would be ok as the centerfold.”

Hannah Warren- Dreamin To Extreme, aka “Gus,” 4-year-old AQHA gelding

“My horse would definitely be on the nice list! I don’t think he’s ever had a naughty thought cross his mind, in his life. He’s a complete sweetheart! We do Hunter Under Saddle, but are hoping to expand into some all-around events next year. The nicest thing he does is give kisses! If you kiss his nose, and then put your head down to him, he’ll wiggle his nose against your cheek and kiss your face. The naughtiest thing he does is stop on the longe line and refuse to go! When I’m longing by myself, he’ll stop and stare at me. I can chase, whip, and do anything to try to get him moving again, and he just stands there and looks at me like I’m inconveniencing his nap time. It’s pretty embarrassing when there are others waiting in line to longe their horses, and I’m in the middle flailing around at my un-amused lazy boy! If he could have anything this year for Christmas it would be more naps… and peppermints, which he already gets way too much of!”

Christine Gillett- JBL Dudley Did It, aka “Reno,” 1996 AQHA gelding

“My ole’ reliable guy has done it all – the hunters, Western, IHSA, camp riding, and other silly things like swim, trail ride, and work cows. He’s been my best friend for nearly 10 years! I would have to say that he is 100% on the nice list. He has truly embraced his very well earned retired life! He spends his days surrounded by chickens (truly) and takes such care in never stepping on one or disturbing them. The nicest thing he’s ever done was give the ride of a lifetime to a young girl at a summer camp I used to work for. At 16.2 hands, he’s a big horse for most kids – so I had to coax her onto him. Once on Reno, he took the most careful steps as she teetered on him, unbalanced and nervous. Reno was the perfect babysitter. This gal gained enough confidence to try trotting. I think I saw the biggest smile ever during those few strides.”

“He hasn’t ever been super naughty; but, one time, I had the bright idea to take Reno out for a trail ride by myself, with my DLSR camera, on the property where I keep him. It’s a beautiful farm, so I was sure that it would be great and relaxing. Well, I didn’t bank on encountering a very, very large turkey. Clearly, Reno didn’t either. When the turkey came into full view, I was quickly dumped into a heap on the group. Luckily, both my camera and I survived! Reno hightailed it back to his buddies while I had to do a trek of shame by myself back to the barn.”

“I think Reno would certainly ask for a grapefruit or two and one of those giant buckets of soft peppermints. I swear, he can hear those wrappers a mile away. They are the key to his heart.”

Miranda Peck- Kid B Styling, aka “Kid,” 10-year-old AQHA gelding

“Up until this year, Kid used to compete in Halter. Even though he’s my boy, and I love him to death, I would have to say he’s definitely on the naughty list. The naughtiest thing that Kid has ever done was he figured out that if he shook the stall door long and hard enough he could wiggle the latch loose and open the door. One time, he did escape his stall and decided to help himself to some food and mess up the barn. After that little breakout, he now has a special lock on his stall door, but that doesn’t stop him from trying to breakout again. Even though he can act like a total kid, I don’t think his name was a mistake or a coincidence. He does have some nice moments. One of the nicest things that he has ever done for me is he helped me win my first youth World Show Championship with him in 2011. Another nice thing he does is he puts up with the endless amounts of pictures that I take with him.”

“If Kid could tell me what he wants for Christmas, I would have to say he would ask for more time with the mini pony and donkey that he has become great friends with during his retirement; more food, because he’s always hungry; and more time with me, since he likes to be the center of my attention when I’m at the barn. He gets jealous if I step away from him to go check on my other horses. Even though he would be on the naughty list, I wouldn’t trade him for a horse on the nice list.”

Diane Chilton-Harper- AQHA stallion Radical Rodder

“Radical Rodder is probably on both lists! When he was with Joe and Suzy Jeane, they also stood Sweet Talkin Chip, a horse that, at the time was owned by the Parrish’s. Radical and Sweet Talkin Chip absolutely did not get along. One time, Radical was out in the corral at the Jeane’s. Just by chance, Sweet Talkin Chip’s winter blankets were on the fence, within his reach. Radical tore them completely up. Joe, in his wisdom, decided that Sweet Talkin Chip and Radical should be at opposite ends of the barn.”

“Radical was sent to Cleve Wells in 1997 to tune up for a return to the World Show after having been in the breeding barn. He was very sad, but he loved Cleve. Radical did not know he was going back to the breeding barn when he was qualified. When breeding season started in Feb 1998, we went to pick him up and bring him back to Joe for the season. When we arrived, a large group of people were standing in Bob and Ann Perry’s barn looking at studs. Radical saw Joe, and, in the tiniest voice, he nickered to him. Joe was very strict about a stallion’s behavior, no bad behavior ever. So, he told Joe how happy he was to see him with a little tiny nicker.”

Not sure whether your horse falls into the naughty or nice category? Take this fun quiz to find out!

Equine Chronicle Naughty or Nice Quiz

1. You are _____ happy.

a. sometimes

b. always

c. never

 

2. When your next door neighbor steals a bite of your hay, you _____.

a. pin your ears

b. are happy to share

c. show your teeth and kick the wall

 

3. When your owner starts loading the trailer for the horse show, you _____.

a. hide in the back of your stall, hoping she will leave you at home

b. wait patiently for your turn to load

c. refuse to get on the trailer

 

4. When your owner puts on your blanket, you _____.

a. roll in manure so it has the lived-in look

b. give her a snuggle to say thank you for the extra warmth

c. remove the blanket, shred it into a million pieces, and throw the offending item out of your stall

 

5. What do you want for Christmas?

a. a bucket of treats

b. a kiss on the muzzle and extra pat from your owner

c. to be left alone

 

6. What’s your favorite part of the horse show?

a. receiving ribbons and trophies

b. showing off all of the new things you’ve learned

c. taking the opportunity to humiliate your human

 

7. When your human isn’t happy with your ride, you ____.

a. offer up your barn mate

b. apologize and promise to do better tomorrow

c. show them just how high you can buck next time

 

8. What’s your hobby?

a. eating

b. napping

c. cribbing

 

9. When you encounter something scary, you ____.

a. prance in place

b. stop and wait for reassurance from your rider

c. head for the next county at a high rate of speed

 

10. When your human is done getting you ready for the horse show, you ___.

a. rub out a few bands

b. stay as clean as possible until show time

c. roll in manure, rub your tail, make sure shavings get in your mane, and dump your water bucket to flood your stall, just for good measure

Mostly As- Feisty!- Although you have a good heart, you’re inclined to participate in mischief and are high maintenance. Your outlook on life is a bit pessimistic and you can be quite vain. Try a little harder to get along with others and you might find an extra flake of hay under the Christmas tree.

Mostly Bs- Nice! You’re at the top of Santa’s nice list this year for your excellent behavior. Your sweet temperament and ability to share make you a barn favorite. You will be receiving plenty of extra treats this Christmas. 

Mostly Cs- Naughty! If the Grinch came in horse form, you would fit the bill. You’re temperamental, hold a grudge, and don’t play well with others. It’s your way, or the highway, and people better fall in line or get out of the way! Change your attitude before Christmas or you might end up with nothing in your horse stocking.