[propspony]

So I observed this interaction today, although, it's not unique to today. It's every. day.

Zack is a fat, white arabian in his late teens.
Lyric is a 10 month old mostly TB filly.

They are turnout buddies.

Zack: "Lyric, let's go PLAY! Whee!!"
Lyric: "NO!"

Zack: "Let's go TROTTROTTROT and SNORT! Whee!"
Lyric: "NO!"

Zack: "Let's play halters, and then LEAP UPUPUP into the air! Whee!!"
Lyric: "NO!"

Zack: "Fine, we'll just stand here with our heads over/through the fence then
and stare at the house."
Lyric: "Good."

Forget Jeff Dunham's Walter, I am raising the grumpy meme cat... Poor Zack, he's trying so hard, and she just WILL. NOT. PLAY. I don't think I've ever met a horse that hated being turned out so much. She seems to feel that it is cruel and unusual punishment... Horses belong in STALLS. Preferably with FOOD in them. LOL! She's such a good girl, but the turnout thing is wacky.

Grumpy cat for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about:
http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3r2gic/

[Arcadien]

My OTTB lease could be "Grumpy Gelding" using this definition - he never wants to go have fun & my poor young TB mare just sighs & agrees to stand in the boring corner with him.

I LOFF Grumpy Cat - getting the new pics on facebook every few days always makes me smile. But the owner says the real Grumpy Cat is very sweet & happy - it is just her face that happens to look perpetually "grumpy" (and adorable!)

[Appsolute]

Oh I love “Tartar Sauce” aka Grumpy Cat – I think she is my “power animal” (and Arcadien is right - she just has an underbite - makes her look frowny)

On the opposite end – My youngster has always been a “pester monkey” – lets PLAY come on’! Look I found a BAG! (as the other horses go running in fright).

One crotchety gelding HATED her so much – he took to jumping OUT of their pasture, and into a neighboring one to get away from her.

[Judysmom]

Ok we need pictures!!!!! of grumpy foal. LOL!

[propspony]

Ok we need pictures!!!!! of grumpy foal. LOL!

Heh, ok. This is my favorite grumpy foal picture. I call it the: "You just faked me out for a picture by pretending you had a cookie in your hand when you didn't... and I DO NOT approve of such farces." face.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...8&l=be53aa817a

Grumpy foal is actually as sweet as they come... I swear! LOL!

Ah found a turnout one. This is from a month ago... pre-body clipping, and pre-growth spurt.

http://i47.tinypic.com/2czwu1f.jpg

[Judysmom]

Heh, ok. This is my favorite grumpy foal picture. I call it the: "You just faked me out for a picture by pretending you had a cookie in your hand when you didn't... and I DO NOT approve of such farces." face.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...8&l=be53aa817a

Grumpy foal is actually as sweet as they come... I swear! LOL!

Ah found a turnout one. This is from a month ago... pre-body clipping, and pre-growth spurt.

http://i47.tinypic.com/2czwu1f.jpg

She IS grumpy foal!!!!LOL Very cute!

[propspony]

Proof from today that grumpy foal can be quite sweet. First trip off the farm, and she made some new friends her own age. ;-)

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...8&l=f8d221f0c0

[Laurierace]

I know this is meant to be funny but that sounds like ulcers to me. I would want to rule that out before writing off her behavior as being her personality. Sorry for ruining your thread.

[skydy]

Heh, ok. This is my favorite grumpy foal picture. I call it the: "You just faked me out for a picture by pretending you had a cookie in your hand when you didn't... and I DO NOT approve of such farces." face.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...8&l=be53aa817a

Grumpy foal is actually as sweet as they come... I swear! LOL!

Ah found a turnout one. This is from a month ago... pre-body clipping, and pre-growth spurt.

http://i47.tinypic.com/2czwu1f.jpg

Oh!! She looks as if she is attempting a Llama face!
I had a gelding who had emotions that he made quite clear by his facial expressions. I really wouldn't jump to thinking about ulcers.

I guess sometimes it depends upon how well you know your horse.

If my mare had started making the facial expressions that were the norm for my gelding, I would have been concerned.
He was expressive and quirky from weanling until he died. He always had an attitude that came out in his facial expressions. He was also much more interested in being ridden, learned more quickly, and was much more curious about life in general and people in particular than was mare.. ( He could also be a complete idiot about birds, but nobody's perfect). No ulcers about it.

[AliCat518]

I have a very grumpy gelding. Scoped....nothing. We couldn't find anything physical. Sometimes that's just their personality!

[propspony]

He was expressive and quirky from weanling until he died. He always had an attitude that came out in his facial expressions. He was also much more interested in being ridden, learned more quickly, and was much more curious about life in general and people in particular

Yep. This is it. She wears her feelings on her face, no doubt about it! LOL!

Grumpyfoal is really only grumpy about turnout, and in particular turnout with horses that she thinks are acting "silly." At all other times she is sweet, fun, inquisitive, cheerfulfoal.

Her mother is the exact same way. Only horse I've ever met who would rather live in a large well bedded corral in the desert rather than in a 50 acre hay field in Colorado with her friends...

I wouldn't rule out ulcers, however she's been on probiotics and anti-ulcer stuff since weaning just for my own piece of mind...

[propspony]

Oh!! She looks as if she is attempting a Llama face!

Seriously, I still laugh every time I see that picture! The disapproval is just astonishing!

Do you have any good pics of your gelding's llama face? :-D

[TheJenners]

Bwahaha funny. Soooo much disapproval on that face .