No Vices

I've been looking at a lot of ads for horses for sale, and consequently horses wanted, and it's an interesting phenomenon to observe. Everyone wants a 'unicorn' between seven and 12 years old, 'more whoah than go' comes up often, as does 'no vices'. 'No vices' is usually qualified by the addition of 'no bite, kick, rear, etc'.

The word 'vice' is defined as 'immoral or wicked behaviour', and is generally attributed to weakness of character. The definition implies that 'vices' are indulged in voluntarily by those who lack the moral fortitude to resist them. An interesting concept to apply to a horse, especially these days when we seem to be finally coming to understand that horses don't 'misbehave' simply in order to spite us.

Stable vices, like cribbing, weaving or windsucking are the result of the stresses of confinement on an animal designed for wide open spaces. Vices under saddle like rearing, bucking and bolting generally stem from confusion or pain, while kicking and biting are defensive actions that often result when more subtle forms of communication from the horse are ignored.

Obviously you don't want any of these behaviours in your new horse. But don't you find it odd that we need to specify that each particular horse doesn't display them?

My old Thoroughbred mare is known for her quiet and agreeable nature, but she has given me nasty bites on two occasions. Both these times the object of her aggression was actually another horse, but I was closer to her and the teeth connected with me. Both of these happened nearly 20 years ago, but I learned not to get between her and another horse in a stressful situation.

This mare comes from a line of horses who I was once told 'either buck or bolt' when first started under saddle. My mare was a bucker. Fortunately she usually bucked in a straight line, so I could just sit tight and wait for her to finish. Later she got to a point where she would buck as soon as someone tried to get on her. At the time I attributed this to a pinched nerve in her wither. Knowing what I know now I suspect she has ECVM (malformation of the 6th and 7th cervical vertebrae), a condition that is tragically common in Thoroughbreds.

To categorise the symptoms shown by this horse as 'vices' would be incredibly reductive. Despite being unsound for riding from a young age, she has been an integral part of my horse journey for 25 years and is a sensible, trainable and patient animal. There is nothing 'wicked' about her.

Happy horses don't have 'vices'. Wild horses almost never display them. 'Vices' are dysfunctional coping mechanisms, symptoms of pain or bad training, or a response to overwhelming stress. Why are we still using a word that implies that horses display them due to character flaws or poor morals? If your horse has a 'vice' it is up to you to find out why and to deal with it.

Accurately describing a horse's character in an advertisement is hard. People often misinterpret what a horse is trying to tell them, and a previously misunderstood horse can thrive with a different handler. A horse that appears quiet and non-reactive can actually be shut down through stress, and this stress can unveil itself in more sympathetic hands.

I think the concept of 'vices' needs to be relegated to the archives of horsemanship. Those labels tend to stick even when the causes of the maladaptive responses are addressed and healing has taken place. Horses should not be judged solely by who they are on their worst day.