Howdy Friends! Horses and personalities, or people and their horse’s personalities. How about people misunderstanding their horse’s personalities. Perhaps, sometimes people are reluctant to believe horses have personalities. Or they believe they can change them. Could you change yours?
Sure we can change our habits, approach to situations, even our talents and concerns. We can improve our skills, and our horse’s skills, change their habits and concerns too. But what about personality?
Merriam Webster defines Personality
As, “the complex of characteristics that distinguishes an individual, especially in relationships with others. And the totality of an individual’s behavioral and emotional tendencies.
Interesting, “totality of an individual’s behavioral and emotional tendencies.” What does that mean?
And are horses, like people, destined to have their own unique individuality. How does their “behavioral and emotional tendencies” affect our relationship?
I submit understanding that horses, and all animals, do indeed possess distinctly their own personalities, and endeavoring to understand them would make partnering easier, for both human and horse.
Much has been written about the different personalities in human’s, and horses, And how to understand them.
It has even often been scribed how to navigate the waters of unblended personalities.
I believe it is most important to understand, personalities are rooted in the horse’s genes, and neither you nor any trainer will change that fact. The job then is to understand it. Build on it. Not to confront, challenge or struggle with it. Embrace it, welcome it and polish it.
I’d like to end with another thought for consideration.
Spooking, fidgeting and behaviors of those kinds are not truly personality traits in my mind. They are indeed behavior traits, learned and held onto. Because their human has not yet discovered the horse’s underlying personality. And therefore is not quite able to communicate with the horse in a way the horse can clearly understand.
The spooky, fidgety displays are merely demonstrations of lack of confidence born of constant corrections. Because requests, or commands, are not understood. It’s like speaking French to me. I would not understand so I’d offer wrong responses. That’s what happens to the horse.
But once the personality of the horse is understood by the person, both can speak the same language. And things like spooky and fidget will go away. The horse, and human, will gain buckets of confidence, born of an understanding of personality, and the language it speaks. ~ Gitty Up, Dutch.
