What Is Up With "Cute"? (Horses)

[verity]

My horse, 'Shandy," is 16 hds. but is very 'cute' -- big kind eyes, sweet temperament, and very playful -- (of course he's 'pretty' as well -- chestnut with flaxen mane and tail) -- he really seems to have a sense of humor that our other horses have not had --

even our equine vet calls him cute --

maybe 'cute is in the eye of the beholder' but I think it also has to do with 'personality' --

and I guess 'real' horse people will argue with 'personality' as applied to horses --

 

[StevenW.]

Quote:

I normally dont like horses but minis are neat

 

[michickenwrangler]

Quote:
Feel the same.

 

[hollyclyff]

I refer to my gelding as both handsome and cute (not in a derogatory way). He's cute because of his personality and also his pretty eyes and adorable little ears. But it's mostly his personality, because it's hard to get the "cute" to show up in a picture. Also he's only 13.3, so not exactly a big, majestic guy.

 

[dianneS]

I can't say as I've ever really heard too many people call horses 'cute'? Except for those bogus scam-artist produced Fresian horse ads all over the internet that describe the horses as "cute and sweet, playful and good with kids". Seriously, its a horse, not a puppy. Anyone who would fall for those ads must be as clueless about horses as the scammers posting them.

I've certainly heard of many a horse described as a "cute mover", but that is entirely different than describing a horses looks as cute.

However, I could see those whom I fondly describe as "city slickers" calling a horse 'cute'. I had one visitor to my farm comment when he saw the horses tails swishing at flies that "oh look, they're happy, they are wagging their tails."

 

[patandchickens]

Compared to "14.5 hands", I'll take "cute" any day LOL

My take of it is basically same as welsummerchicks', it means either "eye-catching in some respect" or "I am saying this because I cannot in good conscience find anything ELSE nice to say about the horse, except maybe 'nice tail'".

With the exception that at least back in, gee, I dunno, maybe the 80s and/or 90s?, it was respectable to use the term "cute jumper" of a hunter pony or lower-divisions hunter, by which you would mean that he tucked his knees fairly tightly and evenly; I am calling this an exception because my impression anyhow was that there was not *necessarily* any implication that there was nothing else good to be said of the horse, although that *might* be the case for a particular individual.

Pat

 

[welsummerchicks]

My horses do a lot of things that make me say, 'THAT was cute', but I am usually saying it with immense sarcasm, like to the one that 'retrieves' a chair and stands there shaking it up and down.

'It's my chair, and I want it now'.

I also suggest to the horse rather snidely that it was 'cute' to try so hard to throw the trainer, because if he gets killed or maimed, he charges double, and we don't want to pay double, now, do we.

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
I heard that and I don't get it either...a newborn baby foal, yes, but other than that "cute" usualy is not the adjective that leaps into my head. I think sometimes people say "cute" because cuteness helps to make a sale.

 

[welsummerchicks]

The thing is though, words are constantly changing, and being used in different ways by different groups of people.

For example. Years ago, when explorers first came to Australia, they pointed to an animal, and asked the Aboriginal people, 'What do you call that animal?'

The Aboriginal people answered, 'I can't understand what you are talking about'.

Somehow, to the explorers, 'I can't understand what you're talking about', sounded like 'Kangaroo'.

Things started to get out of hand about the time of the Tower of Babel.

 

[RiverOtter]

Quote:
Ummm .... Why?

Anyhoo, like Pat and Welsummer, any 'real' (lol) horse people I know use cute as a kind of insult. Because you don't want to answer "What do you think of my new horse?!?" With
" He's kind of weedy. I've only ever seen a head like that on a donkey. Do you think his chest could get any narrower and still have 2 front legs?"
Or
"Wow, finally found some sucker to buy him. Just don't let his downers wear off. It's not pretty."
I mean, not unless you're being paid to appraise.

So you say it's "cute" or something about it is "cute".
Like right now, mostly as a favor, I'm training someone's horse. They can't pay in cash but they'd love to trade me this long yearling filly.

The filly is .... uh ... cute. She has a very pretty color and a lot of personality. I bet she'd make a good livestock guard.
See, now translate the horse-speak and decide if I want the filly