Old cowboy saying "horses with bulging foreheads are stubborn beasts". Can anyone comment on this?

Question

We are looking at a 17-2 hh Thoroughbred that has a very prominent forehead. My daughters riding coach (she has not seen him yet) made the comment about the cowboy saying.

IT IS NOT A ROMAN NOSE. IF IT WAS I WOULD HAVE SAID SO. THE HORSE HAS A PROMINENT FOREHEAD. LOOKS LIKE A BUMP BETWEEN HIS EYES. THE REST OF HIS FACE IS NORMAL TB LOOK. THANKS FOR NOTHING

Answer 1

I've seen a few like that and not noticed any difference in them. I have found that "pig" eyed horses (eyes close together on the front of the face) can be a little more spooky or skittish. They don't get as full a range of vision behind them. I wouldn't worry about it unless she'll be showing in very picky conformation based classes.

Answer 2

I had an old granny paint mare that had a very bulging forehead. She was a very sweet natured horse that would do whatever you wanted of her, but with the other horses she was pretty stubborn. So I'll give it and yes and no or maybe..
Most sayings are said for a reason. Especially cowboy ones, since they are such minimal talkers.
Whenever you buy a horse ride it plenty and listen to the current owner only little. I've purchased several horses and most all of the owners, no make that all of the former owners lied about the horse. Either that or the horse behaved differently from what I was told and did it just to confound me for the fun of it. Take your pick.

Answer 3

Bulging foreheads??? I have never heard of anything like that. Do you mean like a roman nose? I am trying to picture your horse and I am just coming up with grotesque pictures.
Anyways, down to the question- That saying is a generalization, just like saying all people with a size 7 feet are unintelligent. There is no base behind it. I have heard other cowboy saying such as- "if you see the whites of the horses eye, they are going to be wild and hard to break." Well, my mare was pretty much bombproof at 2 yrs and her 2 foals, with the same look in their eye, are pretty much just as calm.

Look at how he responds to you- if he listens willingly, he probably isn't all that stubborn.

Answer 4

I'm sure that is just a saying, a horse with a prominent forehead is just a normal horse! I have never heard this saying so i think that u should just ignore that saying!

Answer 5

I don't know much about horses, or even about cowboys for that matter, but I would venture to guess that the saying is probably similar to "don't get a big head," or something like that. A big head or inflated head is usually used to refer to someone who is excessively proud. I'm guessing that the saying means that horses who are proud and aloof are probably fairly stubborn becuase they put too much confidence in their own abilities and not enough in the abilities of the rider.

Answer 6

I think the "Bulging forehead" refers to a roman nose.

Horses with Roman Noses have a more limited line of vision. (If you think about it, it makes sense due to their conical viewing range. When the nose gets in the middle....)

This can make them more reluctant to move in a situation where they can't see well.

This is what the saying refers to.

Answer 7

The old cowboy saying probably isn't true

i am not insulting cowboys i luv em

17-2hh is a big horse make you kid ride her before buying
make sure she can handle her

Answer 8

horses get bulging foreheads when they aren't getting regular sexual release. what you need to do to keep its forehead from bulging is either mate it with a filly, or if you don't have filly, masturbate it yourself until it ejaculates. this will correct the problem and make it much less stubborn.