Do old horses get grouchy?

You know, like some old humans seem to.

I've definitely seen some horses develop grumpiness as they age or have bad days. On the other hand, I've seen grouchiness in younger animals too. One issue old horses may have is finding it harder to lie down to get REM sleep, resulting in sleep deprivation - and sleep deprivation makes all of us grumpy.

And, of course, a lot of older horses have arthritis, which isn't exactly going to improve their mood.

So, yeah, some older horses are very much inclined to do the equine equivalent of shaking a stick and telling you to go away.