[ training tips with Chris COX ]
In The Saddle
“PePto” brings unique Personality traits and a willing disPositon to his job as a clinician’s “demo” horse. But I have found that each horse is born with a distinctive trait that might be from his sire or his dam, or even reach back a generation. Even with young foals, I can see the personality differences when they’re with their dams or playing with other foals, and whether they’re brave and courageous or timid and cautious. You can tell a lot about a horse by watching his eye; the strength of his personality shows in his eyes. Intelligence, kindness, willingness, fear or panic—all are revealed through the horse’s eye. You can tell when a horse feels settled by studying his eye.
Avoid Personality Conflicts
Getting Personal: Part 1 By Chris Cox with Cynthia MacFarland
YOu Can’t begin tO understand a hOrse, let alOne build a relatiOnship with One, until YOu admit that everY hOrse is a unique individual.
B
ecause of that, you can’t approach each horse in the same way. Your techniques with different horses might be similar, but the application varies, depending on the horse, and this is something a good horseman learns through experience. For instance, I might have a horse that fights the bit and doesn’t want to become soft through his poll. Instead of working on that horse’s head, I focus on gaining control and softness with my legs, by getting the horse to bend his body. When I again ask him to break at the poll, he’s much more likely to do so after he’s soft and yielding through his body.
Unique Individuals
Every horse has a unique personality even though there can be similarities among horses, as well as among certain breeds and 28
horse me n’ s Y a nkee Ped l ar
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bloodlines. Some horses are softer personalities, while others are strong characters. The better you know your horse, the more you understand how to work successfully with him. As you work with more horses, you discover that some have more consistent personalities, in that they’re the same whether you’re on the ground or in the saddle. Other horses are very easygoing until you actually ask them to perform. Personally, I don’t pay much attention to the differences between mares and geldings; I think horsemanship is more about recognizing individual personalities than about males or females. I love to ride good mares; they have a lot of heart. On the other hand, not all stallions make good performance or using horses, and some offspring are much better than the stallions ever were.
I’ve found that a surprising number of horse owners, especially first-time owners, don’t really consider personality when choosing a horse. A person often is drawn to a horse for the wrong reasons. Color and beauty are important, but they should never be the deciding factors when buying a horse. Just as with seeking a human partner, personality and suitability should be primary concerns when looking for a horse. That gorgeous buckskin colt you have your heart set on, or that fiery black mare with the spark in her eye, might not be the right horse for you if your personalities don’t mesh. In addition, your ability and knowledge must match the horse’s personality and experience in order to have a good partnership. A sensitive horse with a high energy level won’t require as much assertiveness when you correct and work with him. Likewise, a lazier horse with less forward motion requires more energy and assertiveness on your part. The bottom line: You must be brutally honest about your abilities when shopping for a horse. The more experience and knowledge you gain, the more effective you can be in dealing with a wide range of horses. But if you’re starting out or are an intermediate rider, it’s important to have a horse whose personality can enhance, not deter, your learning. Once you’ve built your confidence, feel and timing with that horse, you can apply