"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out!" or How I finally met my ...

[ahf]

match.

The mega-alpha mare's other foals for me have been shy Sweet, but shy. Then came Margot. WHo came out of the womb announcing her arrival. Literally.

She gets her way with every equine on the farm. Even the grouchy other broodmare who has no time for other people's kids. Whatever this little Diva wants, she charms or tantrum's her way into it. Everyone's hay pile or feedbucket is her own - she brooks no opposition. Her dam washed her hooves of her some weeks ago. If a broodmare could give a sardonic eyeroll, this filly's dam would. Margot IS the eveready bunny. Limitless energy - has to be into everything. And...she has made it her mission on this earth to cow the one living being who won't let her have her way.

Me.

She bites. She walks on her hind legs as easily as she walks on all four. She stamps her feet. She has the most indignant "indignant squeal" I've ever heard. Every moment I work with her I can see her thinking, calculating, planning - I NEVER let down my guard, and I never do anything lengthy or important when I am tired or less than my best . If I take her for a walk, and she throws a tantrum, I see her watching me with sidelong glances; "Hummmm...that didn't work..what if I try THIS!"

I am, quite honestly, awed by her sheer will. And her magnetism. And her beauty. She eagerly awaits the time I spend with her, both plotting and reveling in the fact that while I am with her, "It's all about ME! Me! Me! Me!" She has the biggest ego I've ever seen in a foal. Even the other half of this filly year watches her in disbelief. I've never actually seen a foal watch another foal and say "What the Hell?" Until now.

I cherished the hope that weaning would have the comeuppance effect we all frequently see. I weaned her a few days ago.

No deal.

I know, as I have known few equine absolutes in my life, that this filly is special. I just hope that I live to see her four-year old year, and that I allow HER to live to see her four year old year. THe odds in Vegas right now are even money. Right now I'm trying to focus on the fact that foals like this don't come along often - Thank GOD! I am blessed and cursed.

My next foal crop in 2010 had better be colts. :D

[MagicRoseFarm]

lol GREAT !!!!

[Silly Mommy]

If this is the Moose filly, you should have traded for my moose filly when I came down.

My moose thinks she is a dog and will do ANYTHING to be petted. I could probably drop her lead and walk away from her and the farrier if I promised I would come back and give her scritches. Go figure, since my moose wasn't handled much until she was 5 mos. old...

Good luck, and if she needs a trip to "Manners Central", I can make room for her. Haven't had a good "Come to Jesus" meeting with a baby in awhile...;)

[DownYonder]

Oh, that is hilarious - a true diva! I bet she will be a magnetic show horse, too. With a good rider that can work with her personality, she sounds like the type of horse that judges can't stop looking at. Good luck with her!

[Izthatrt]

Too, too funny. I have one of those, but she is now 22...forgive me....she was an orphan and I made her that way..I feel your frustration.

[ticofuzzy]

Great post!! Hysterical!! I had one of these. Her barn name is Diva. I got her at two so she wasn't as bad as your baby, but I would venture a guess that she was just like yours as a foal. She would have tantrums and periodically stop to check that people were watching. If she noticed someone paying attention, she would increase her tantrum ten-fold. I used to have to set up a lawn chair and sit behind her with a whip in my hand when she was on x-ties because she would calmly walk backwards and break them any time the mood struck her. She has turned into my favorite mare because that attitude and self confidence became very nice features once "Manners 101" was installed. She enters every new situation with extreme confidence and you can tell she thinks she is the most important horse to walk the earth. She is the type of mare that gives 110% under saddle and is an absolute joy to ride. Her Diva-like attitude has mellowed with age but has not gone away. Just last year someone had the nerve to walk by and ignore her when she was announcing that she was ready to come in, so she picked up the water tub with her teeth and flung it out of the pasture at them. I wouldn't trade her for the world!!

[Hampton Bay]

I have a filly like that, out of my alpha mare. She is sweet, but only if it gets her what she wants. She is 8 months old, and she is bossing around my friend's new Arab mare. When I introduced them, she stood ON the hay pile (which was very large), and refused to move. No baby faces for her. She was weaned with my easygoing gelding, who let her be in charge because she was the baby, and my mare lets her have whatever she wants, because she is the baby.

When I go to feed (mine are all out 24/7), she is no longer allowed to eat until she lets me mess with her. There have been a couple times where I would go to feed her and she would shove me aside then run off so she could not be disciplined, and God forbid I try to remove her blanket. She will not let me anywhere near her. So now she does not eat until the blanket comes off, or I at least am allowed to pet her all over. I will lock her away from the others if I have to so that they can eat and she can't steal their food.

She is learning. She is going to be one heck of a nice horse, but she certainly got her mom's in-charge personality. I was hoping her dad would mellow mom out a bit, but she has just been allowed to get away with murder by her pasturemates so she has learned to be a PITA.

The funny thing about my filly, is she enjoys the game. If I am limited on time and she knows it, she will give up and let me mess with her because she knows she will not get fed, that I will go back in the house and leave her with her hay and nothing else. So she pitches the fit to make her statement, then gives up.

[Christa P]

I have a PONY mare with this attitude. Her name is Nuisance and it fits to a T. She is part of my driving pair with her (long gelded) sire. Getting this mare broke to drive was a test of wills and we finally had to start her in a pair. I am way to big for her, but I finally had to get on to break her to ride when she was 10.
She is 16 now and still has more than a bit of attitude, but she will give her all when asked for and she is now a blast to drive single or pair. I still would not trust her with inexperienced handlers, but if you now what your doing the attitude gives her an edge.

Christa

[BBowen]

LOL. Thank you for making my morning. This is hilarious. Congratulations and I am so sorry all in one. It does sound like you have a good handle on this little princess; talk about having a presence. Gotta love those girls!!!!

[Home Again Farm]

Too funny! I am betting that you will win and end up with a fabulous show horse. That is the attitude that, once tamed, owns the performance arena.

[00Jumper]

:lol: Hysterical! And even more so because I have a horse like that now - she's 8 and thank God someone was patient with her in her early years because without good training early on she would have been a NIGHTMARE. She's still ornery, though - I was bringing her in from the paddock the other day and I noticed her eyeing the sleeve of my jacket. And then, very deliberately but very quickly, she reached out, bit, and pulled back. I turned to yell at her but didn't get a word in edgewise because she was already running backwards. I put my hands on my hips and gave her a good glare, and she looked sorry for herself and mildly concerned that I was going to beat the snot out of her, but when it became apparent I wasn't, she put her ears up and started walking right along with me, like nothing had ever happened. She hasn't tried it since, either - I think she's added that to her long, experimentally tested list of 'things not to do to mom'.

And I am thinking of breeding this animal in a year or so. Please, God, someone talk me out of it. :lol: If her baby takes after her personality at all the two of them might send me to an early grave! :winkgrin::lol:

[Sakura]

Tough horses, like tough children often turn out to be gifted... or criminally insane... :D.

[Spectrum]

This post is definitely giving me a pause for thought, as my mare (also VERY appropriately named Diva) is quite dominant and fully expects to be treated as the center of the universe. And one of my main life goals is to get a filly out of her.

Her previous colt, which I sold to my sister, turned 3 last summer and has me frequently apologizing to her and saying, "I'm afraid that may have been genetic." LOL. In a lighthearted way, of course.... like his mom he is full of charisma, very well-conformed, an extremely nice mover and oozing talent out of his pores. But he also inherited her "mouthy" gene and a tendency towards the (as the OP called it), "Ok, what if I try THIS!!" attitude. And I can see from how saucy my adult mare is that it is exactly what led her breeder and original owner to drop her at her 2nd owner's doorstep and say, "I can't STAND dealing with this this mare! You take her and we'll discuss a price later!"

Little did she know that you just needed a balance between drawing the line and giving royalty it's due. LOL. And as for prices, I will absolutely never sell this mare.

Until reading this post, it has never occurred to me that a filly version of my mare might just end up being an even bigger P.I.T.A. than her young colt was.

hehehe....

Spectrum.

[railmom]

LOL, this is the funniest thing I have every read!! Presence like that cannot be made it is born....
"indignant squeal" this brings tears to my eyes, hehehe!
I betting on you AHF ;)

[LivviesMom]

I definitely feel your pain as well! My filly was a terror..very smart and very calculating. Even now at 3 and a half I can see her thinking/plotting of ways to get out of work. She's not nearly as bad as she was.

We thought weaning would knock her down a few pegs.. NOPE.. not a care in the world, in fact she kicked her new aunties out of the lean to in the pasture.. bugger.
I've always made sure to put her out with dominant mares. She bugs the crap out of them and still does but has learned her place a little better!

It does get better!( usually!) hang in there!

[SuperSTB]

Awesome!

Sounds like the perfect filly...

[VirginiaBred]

Post of the day award!!! :lol:

[YankeeLawyer]

Too funny! I am betting that you will win and end up with a fabulous show horse. That is the attitude that, once tamed, owns the performance arena.

Ditto. Sounds like she has the makings of a champion, to me.

[ahf]

what led her breeder and original owner to drop her at her 2nd owner's doorstep and say, "I can't STAND dealing with this this mare! You take her and we'll discuss a price later!"

Mozart....if you are reading this....you may not have to wait until my sudden and tragic demise from a CoTH-induced aneuyrsm. Just feign surprise when Perry Transport pulls up at your barn door. ;)

And Sabra, not the moose filly. Our meese are both cut from the same cloth.

[Fairview Horse Center]

OH, my, too funny! I can just imagine her look if she ever places 2nd. :lol:

[Mozart]

Mozart....if you are reading this....you may not have to wait until my sudden and tragic demise from a CoTH-induced aneuyrsm. Just feign surprise when Perry Transport pulls up at your barn door. ;)

And Sabra, not the moose filly. Our meese are both cut from the same cloth.

:lol::lol::lol:
I AM reading this because I love reading your posts..but as impeccably bred as I'm sure your filly is...I would have to graciously decline as I have my own diva to deal with at the moment!

I laughed out loud reading your post. My two year old diva filly has somehow worked her way to the top position in the herd. I think the only one that might have stopped her was HER mother.

They drive us crazy and yet...somehow they become our favourites. Her full brother is a Mr. Mellow, laid back nice guy. He's the one all my friends and visitors want to take home. And yet...if there is time for a few extra scatches from me..Diva Filly gets them.

Don't worry ahf, I'm sure you will win in the end. ;)

[chestnutmarebeware]

The Chestnut Mare was exactly the same when I bought her as a 5-month-old. Rearing, biting, refusing to be caught, and that pissy squeal when she was (occasionally) thwarted.

It took me, the BO and two men three days to corner the little brat in the stall to get a halter on her (and she was completely halter-broken when she came to me—the breeder bred halter horses, so they worked a lot with the babies) a week after she arrived. She repeatedly jumped a 4-foot wire fence to get out of her paddock to play keepaway. And she hated my trainer so much for making her behave that she would start grinding her teeth at the sound of the truck pulling in. :lol:

She reached her peak of evilness at 18 months, and plateaued there for another two years. We both bear the scars to prove it! It was only two severe health crises that required me to sleep outside her stall for about 10 days that finally forged the bond between us.

She's 8 now and still known as the Evil Princess, but I wouldn't trade her for the world!

[3GreyMares]

I'm enjoying this thread immensely!! LOL!!

My ASB "daughter", Bonnie is one of those mares. I've owned her since she was 4 months old. She is now 11, and has mellowed........a bit.

She was nicknamed "The Spawn of Satan" and "Alpo" at 6 months. Was a total hellion as a baby. I kept asking myself, "Why did I buy her?"

When she's on, she's breathtaking. When she's not...well, it's downright ugly. There is no in between. "Want Bonnie wants, Bonnie gets!" This mare has taught me more about riding and horses than any other. I'm blessed to be owned by her. LOL!

She's in foal this year. I'm really hoping resulting baby is a filly......just like her mom! ;)

[Spectrum]

[QUOTE=Mozart;3717001]:lol::lol::lol:
I laughed out loud reading your post. My two year old diva filly has somehow worked her way to the top position in the herd. I think the only one that might have stopped her was HER mother.
QUOTE]


Gotta be careful with that idea, though! My mare's former owner also bought her mom eventually and the two of them absolutely could *not* be turned out together. They had mare wars of epic proportions and neither would back down, so they'd just sit and pummel each other unceasingly until they were separated.

Apparently it was determined by those watching that one or another of them was going to end up dead or severely injured, so they were permanently separated.

I must say that when my mare was about 9 months pregnant an extremely agressive mare was added to her herd where she was boarded. She and the mare were together about 3 days, and were spotted double-barrelling each other over and over again until my mare finally got kicked in the hock (my mare was barefoot and the other had shoes, of which I was unaware).

While my mare is now sound, I'm sure her performance career was shortened. Fortunately she had about 6 months of pasture rest after that and before she went back into work, so she had plenty of time to heal.

Let's just say I'm now pretty adamant that she is not turned out with other dominant mares. :(

Spectrum.