In my blog, buying a horse with the right temperament, I talked about the importance of temperament when shopping for a horse.
So after doing your homework looking at numerous horses and collecting all kinds of information how do you figure out what it all means?
Find your match
To put this information to use you must realize that you are not trying to find the perfect horse as much as the perfect match. The horse is only one half of the equation; you are the other half. There are just as many differences in human temperament and personality as there are in horses. When you set out to find your perfect horse, first ask the questions perfect for what? And perfect for whom?
Owning a horse is much like a marriage. Going into it we all have a list of things we look for in a partner, we want things in common, we have appearance or size requirements but we all have at least a few things that we consider non-negotiable. To know what these things are you first must know yourself, what works for you and what you want.
Then there is the attraction or spark factor, this is what gets us through the hard times and reminds us why we want to make it work. The important thing to remember is a horse that could be perfect for you could be someone else biggest nightmare.
Define your goals
When going through all of the information you have for the horses you are considering make sure you have clearly defined your goals. Don’t expect a horse to be too many things. I have had people come to me looking for a horse to trail ride but they also would like to possibly train it for cutting and their daughter wants to learn to ride so it would be good if the horse was good with kids.
Define your goals; each horse has its strengths and weakness just like us. Focus on finding the horse right for what you are planning to do now. If you are learning to ride, buy a horse that can teach you and build your confidence. Down the road if you decide you want to show, you will want to get a horse that will help you succeed at your selected discipline. It will very likely be a different horse than the one that is right for what you want to do now when you are learning to ride.
When advertises tell you they have the perfect horse this means nothing until you understand why the horse was perfect for them. Don’t let anyone tell you they have the perfect horse for you until they know who you are and what you want. Then be sure they have your best interests in mind. As buyers we too often ask a lot of questions about the horse and too few about the seller and what they have really done with the horse.
Your safety
If all of this sounds complicated there is one thing that’s not and that’s your safety. The most important criteria are to find a horse that won’t hurt you and damage your confidence. If you don’t have this, you won’t get what you want out of the relationship. When it comes to safety opposites attract for success.
It works like this:
- If you are inexperience you need a horse that is experienced
- If you are very experienced you will likely have more fun with an inexperienced horse
- If you are the steady relaxed type you will do well with a horse that needs you to lead the way. (This is still true if you are inexperienced and the horse is experienced, just because the horse is experienced doesn’t mean he is confident).
- If you are a nervous jitterbug you need a horse with nerves of steel.
These are the things that you and the horse need from each other. Don’t underestimate how much you will love this, being needed and having your needs met can be the most rewarding part of owning a horse.
Having fun together
After looking at the things you and your horse need from each other, you can look at the things that you want. These are the areas where you let loose and have fun together; the qualities you and the horse have in common. It includes things like energy level and social needs.
Are you a loner? Do you have a little bit of show off in you? Do you have aspirations of competing in an event or do you hope to never do anything but walk? These are the places you want common ground with a horse. These are things that impact how much you like and understand each other.
Finding your match can take time so the best way is to just enjoy the process and take the time to learn as you go. This important step is essential to success and enjoyment for you and your horse.