A few important points to consider, to ensure a good match may be;
personality – do you like each other?
experience – does the horse suit your level of experience?
size – is the horse’s size realistic for you?
temperament – is he quiet / feisty enough?
soundness – is the horse sound and well / does it pass a vet check?
what type of sport / riding is the horse suited for?
So many times people buy a horse because it looks nice, only to set themselves up for much heartache and the possibility of getting hurt when they get the horse home and find it really isn’t suitable for them. It’s one thing to like the look of a horse and another altogether to match your level of experience with the horses temperament and standard.
Understand that not all horses will match all humans. What may be a great horse for someone else may not be right for you. This is a relationship you are entering and like any relationship, care should be taken to find the right partner. If, for whatever reason, you realize that you have made a mistake, feel free to try again. We have seen so many horses and humans making each other miserable because they are mismatched. Whether it is the human ego or the unwillingness to admit making a mistake, many people keep on persevering when perhaps alternate action should be taken.
Sometimes it’s just a matter of perseverance through the Foundation Programme (learning some horsemanship skills) for the human; sometimes just a bit of Basic Training from a Professional is called for; or possibly a more thorough programme of Foundation Training is needed. In some cases, it’s a matter of recognizing that maybe a different partner would be a blessing for both parties.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these points and see what we can discover.
Personality: do you like each other? Just like human relationships, you can tell a lot just by watching a horse with others and by hanging out with them. Is the horse dominant in the herd, a wimp, timid, scared or bold? Is he quiet and minds his own business? There is no right or wrong with a horse’s basic character, but does it suit you? The innate characteristics of the horse in the paddock, is the horse you buy. The horse you ride is the one you create!
Experience: does your experience, or lack of it, match the horse? I cringe when I hear mothers tell me they are buying a young horse for their 12 year old daughter. Doing the right thing by the young horse and giving it the best possible start in life by leaving it’s first critical experiences to a skilled and qualified horseman (who will create and instil the patterns in the horse’s formative moments that will last his lifetime) will also avoid what can be a very dangerous and shattering experience for the child. Confidence is hard to get and so easy to lose around horses. It is a very sad thing indeed to see someone who dearly loves horses and wants to ride, too terrified to go near them because of a bad experience.
If you want a horse that you can catch, float, ride at all gaits with confidence, one that stops, turns, does whatever you want, whenever you want, any day of the week, then you want a horse with solid foundations. There are three ways to get this;
1. buy a horse who has already gone through the programme and achieved Level 3. Someone has put a lot of time and effort in with this horse. Its foundations are set.
2. pay someone else to take the horse through the Foundation Programme. Quantum Savvy has Professional Foundation Trainers, endorsed and supported by us to take horses through the Levels.
3. be prepared to take the horse through the Programme yourself. Ultimately you are going to need horsemanship skills to stay safe and having fun. We can guide and support you on your journey.
Size: again, whether it’s ego or for show, some people and horses are mismatched for size. While some sports dictate a certain frame and build of horse, horse and rider should still be matched. Is your horse big enough? Is it too big? A general guide may be how easily you can get on and off your horse. If you find it hard to mount and dismount, or to do the mounting procedures suggested in Lesson 3 of the QS programme, chances are you may be short cutting this step and putting yourself in great danger every time you get on and off your horse. A university study recently found that more people get seriously hurt getting on or off of their horse than at any other time in horse related accidents. If you are small but springy and can safely get on your horse from both sides, by all means have a big horse. If you are unfit, or your horse is too big and you become unsteady whilst getting on, you may well be an accident waiting to happen. Whether mounting from the ground, a mounting block, a fence or whatever, ensure you are stable, secure and can get out of there quickly if you need to.
Temperament: as with personality and experience, temperament is paramount to a successful relationship. Some people want or need a laid back easy-going kind of horse that takes things in their stride. This is the perfect horse for learning with, as they will cut you some slack and allow you to get on with learning without taking offence if you mess up. Some people love and suit, a feisty more spirited horse, which of course comes with it’s own personality differences. If you are emotionally fit and experienced enough, these horses can be a lot of fun, although they are not ideal for learning with as they tend to have quite an opinion of their own. When you are learning, you have enough to cope with in dealing with yourself, let alone a horse having other ideas.
Soundness: often over-looked but all too important, is to have a vet check the horse for any possible problems. It’s also a good idea to have an accredited dentist check their teeth as problems in the mouth can and will lead to problems elsewhere. Plus ensure your farrier can balance and align the hooves for long-term soundness.
What type of horse: if you are working through your Foundation Programme and just enjoying the journey, just about any horse will happily do Levels 1, 2 & 3. For many, many people the pursuit of Natural Horsemanship is rewarding enough in itself so this is their main pursuit. However, if you have sporting goals in mind, spend some time thinking about what kind of horse you will need.
Again, watching horses in their paddock when they have the chance to express themselves naturally, will give you a valuable insight into their natural talents. Most horse sports fall into one of the following categories.
1. running
2. jumping
3. herding
4. pulling
5. bucking
6. transport
A horse at play will display one or more of these traits.
A horse that shows the desire to run quickly and cover ground, who enjoys his own speed, will have a natural aptitude for sports involving running, like racing, polo etc. Any horse that enjoys what he does, just like us, will do it better.
If you have a horse that chooses to jump the logs and poles in his paddock when he plays, chances are you’ve got a good jumper on your hands. We once had a 4-day old foal that jumped a water trough in his paddock, just because it was there as he ran around. Sure enough, he went on to be a confident and capable jumper.
Have you ever seen a horse that can’t resist chasing the chickens, dogs or anything else that comes into his yard? One that stops, turns and herds them until they get fed up and leave. Put some horses in with cows and they can’t resist herding and cutting them. A cow horse in the making!
Some horses, by size and strength make natural pullers, ideal for carriage or farm work. Especially if they have a strong desire to push against pressure and seem to enjoy their own strength.
What about the horse that as soon as there is a bit of activity or two spots of rain, just can’t help kicking his heels in the air. A horse that bucks well in the paddock, will probably make a good bucking horse too. Some like to buck, however it seems they couldn’t buck the water off their backs if they tried!
Horses that love to kick up their heels in play often show all of the desired traits for a good dressage horse. How many times have you seen a playing horse in full flexion executing perfect piaffe, passage and collected flying changes?
Then there are those horses who just move on out calmly and quietly, regardless of what everyone else is doing. They quickly settle into a steady, sedate pace that looks like it’d be easy to ride all day … and probably is. You probably wouldn’t want to take you springy dressage horse on a 50km endurance ride, unless you wanted to give your back and stomach muscles a good work-out.
If you have a horse in mind, but you’re not quite sure, a good option may be to let a Quantum Savvy Professional take a look at it. They will be able to evaluate the horse and let you know where it’s at mentally, emotionally and physically and give you some valuable advise on the right programme for the two of you.
Choosing the right horse for you and the right horse for the task at hand is an important step toward success with horses. Take the time and care to look around and be choosey. After all, any worthwhile relationship should never be entered into lightly.
Read More Road To Horsemanship articles.
- By Meredith Ransley, Quantum Savvy.