‘Drama queen’ horse has a knack for playing dead, NC owner says. Now she has fans

A retired show horse in Hickory, North Carolina, has emerged as a star on social media for her quirky — and apparently effective — way of getting what she wants.

Violet’s rise to fame happened after her owner shared a series of tweets highlighting the mare’s eccentric behavior.

That included a photo of the “drama queen” appearing to play dead when she didn’t get her way.

“If you think having animals isn’t like having children, Violet just played dead because I made her wear a coat,” owner Carly Anne York tweeted on Dec. 15.

Only when York agreed to remove the coat did Violet get up.

“Pretty sure this is the face of no regrets,” York wrote, sharing another photo of Violet — now without a coat and sticking her tongue out.

York’s tweets received more than 700,000 reactions, 55,500 retweets and 5,000 comments, prompting her to joke “this is the fame that Violet always knew she deserved.” Many of those sharing the tweet have said their dogs, cats and even pet chickens often try pulling the same stunt ... or worse.

“I had a horse named Peanut who used to put on an over-the-top limp if she ever saw you come near her with a saddle,” Sarah Bell tweeted.

“Have to respect the dedication to drama,” Mary Utermohlen wrote.

However, playing dead is just one example of Violet’s antics, according to York, an assistant professor of biology at Lenoir-Rhyne University. The strong-willed horse lives on a farm about 50 miles northwest of Charlotte.

“I have had Violet for 13 years and she has always been a drama queen,” York told McClatchy News.

“She has always much preferred being covered in mud than treated like a prissy competition horse and would immediately drop to her knees and roll after a bath,” York said. “She also loves to go ‘swimming’ in water troughs and will put both front feet into the trough and splash herself until all the water is gone.”

Violet has also been known to ignore fences and jump over chutes, she says.

York bought Violet as a 5-year-old and the two competed in regional dressage shows through 2014. That came to a stop when Violet, who is “completely pigeon-toed,” was diagnosed with cancerous tumors in her throat.

Violet then suffered a broken bone in her leg, after being kicked by another horse, York says.

“She is retired on my farm with her two mini donkeys to keep her company,” York said.

And now, Violet does only what she wants to do — or nothing at all.

This story was originally published December 18, 2020 at 2:43 PM with the headline "‘Drama queen’ horse has a knack for playing dead, NC owner says. Now she has fans."