Is Your Horse an Idiot or Simply a Misunderstood Temperament

[moderator]

"This horse is an idiot!"

I can't tell you how many times I have heard this statement about a
horse only to find that when I handled the horse he gave me no
trouble. To this unexpected good behavior, the owner usually says, "He
must really like you!"

Well, I don't think horses particularly like me better than any other
person, but because I understand horse temperament typing, I have
learned how to appreciate all horses, no matter what temperament. I
treat them according to their temperament, and they return the favor
with good behavior.

When I work on a horse, I try not to have unrealistic expectations.
For instance, I don't expect the competitive Wood horse to act like
milk-toast, or look for the sensitive Fire horse to tolerate high
levels of pain. Owners or trainers with unrealistic expectations cause
many horses to be inappropriately handled and labeled.

Horse Behavior With and Without Temperament Tying
If you don't know a horse's Five-Element temperament type, you won't
know how to approach him to get the best performance or behavior from
him. But once you know his type, you can treat him in a way that
causes him to respond positively. It can make a world of difference!

Here are some examples of descriptions of the same horse without and
with an appreciation of horse temperament typing:

"This horse is a lazy dink!" versus "This is a nice, gentle Earth
horse temperament who would be perfect for a beginner."

"This horse is crazy ..." versus "This is an expressive Water horse
temperament with lots of brilliance and animation in the show ring."

"This horse is a witch!" versus "This is a sensitive Fire horse
temperament mare who loves to perform but can't handle being in pain."

"This horse is stupid ..." versus "I love this Metal horse
temperament. He always performs perfectly once he learns a task."

"This horse has a terrible attitude!" versus "This Wood horse
temperament hates to be bored but loves to learn new things and take
on challenging obstacles."

Do you see how one horse could easily be misunderstood by one person
and yet be perfect for another? It all depends on whether you know his
temperament type.

Five-Element Temperament Type Resources
Want to know more about the Five-Element temperament typing system?
Want to type you or your horse at no cost? Check out these resources
below:

Horse Harmony Test website - http://www.horseharmonytest.com/

Horse Temperament Type Information - http://www.horseharmony.com/

Horse Temperament Type Book - http://www.holistichorsekeeping.com/ashop/catalogue.php?exp=32|&cat=19&shop=1

Horse Temperament Type Ebooks - http://www.holistichorsekeeping.com/ashop/catalogue.php?exp=32|&cat=23

Horse Temperament Type Educational Audios - http://www.holistichorsekeeping.com/ashop/catalogue.php?exp=&cat=42&shop=1

Horse Temperament Case Studies - http://www.holistichorsekeeping.com/bb/viewforum.php?f=13

Do You and Your Horse Want a Divorce? Check Out
the Horse Harmony Swap Page
Are you and your horse a poor fit in terms of temperament? Maybe you
want a horse who asks, "How high?" when you say "Jump!" ... but you
have a horse who instead says, "Why bother?"

If you and your horse are looking for an amicable separation, consider
listing him or her on our Horse Harmony Swap Page. This is a page that
only lists horses who have been Five-Element Temperament typed, and
are available for swap, sale, placement, or adoption. By offering only
temperament-typed horses, this page allows people to find their
perfect matches ... before they bring the horse home! It also allows
for "up front disclosure" about the horse based on temperament.

Of course, you'll need to type your horse before you can list him or
her, but that should be a breeze on the Horse Harmony Test - http://www.horseharmonytest.com/website.
There's not cost for the test (you can test yourself and your horse), and
the fee for a 6 month listing on the Horse Harmony Swap page is
inexpensive.

Check out the Horse Harmony Swap Page here - http://www.horseharmony.com/swap/

[lmeyer]

I was looking at the horse-swap page and it is interesting that all of the horses are Woods that need a different home. I am just opening this up to comments as far as why Woods are so commonly mis-matched and need a new home. Are they just too hard to contain, too hard to train, or too competitive?

Any ideas? The person who needs a wood-would they necessarilly need to be a competitive rider? Is there another way to keep Woods happy in their work?

Lizzy

[mward]

Lizzy,
I was not surprised to see mainly Woods initially on our http://www.horseharmony.com/swap page . I had to place my own Wood mule because he needed a bigger job than I could offer. I don't think a Wood horse has to go to competitor but he does need someone with a big job for him.

Back when horses were used to work on a ranch or in the fields the Wood horse was perfect because he could go all day and enjoyed hard work. These days many people want horses for pleasure and plan to ride only a few hours a week. This type home will not work for a Wood and that is why we see so many looking for new homes. My hope is that trainers and people who are looking for a hard working horse will check the swap page regularly and pick up some of these Wood horses and bring out their best traits. Madalyn

[pporter]

I had to rehome a Wood horse because he was too dangerous for me. He is now in a home where he is worked daily for several hours and he is doing just great!

Patti

[lmeyer]

This is a good explanation, thank you. I had to sell a wood horse as he was completely unhappy and dangerous, but just now, I am realizing he was a wood and that explains so much. We need some ranchers to go to the horse swap page!
Lizzy