“I believe that a horse (or any animal) is only as good as it’s rider or handler.” A quote I read recently that I’ve used more than once myself.
Lately I have been horse shopping and I have looked at a lot of different horses online, in ads, and last weekend I even attended a local ranch horse sale. Now every horse is so full of potential and they all proudly display their own unique characteristics, and so many times I just want to take them home!
Some are so highly trained and impress me with their talents, some are so young and I can see the talents that they hold, and some are just in mid bloom and I dream to mold that any which way I want!
But as I scan the ads and horses for sale, you can tell the good trainers from the “still learning” ones. And I just wonder if the people buying the horses expect the horse to work the same for them? Or if the buyer of a ranch horse who takes it home and expects it to be a kids horse won’t be disappointed.
It is the human who has taken the horse out of its natural habitat and is adapting it into our human surroundings, so we can only expect its the human’s responsibility to help the horse adjust and to learn, and to communicate with it through proper horsemanship.
So my suggestion is to do your homework. Find a horse that you can properly communicate with, one who suits your riding ability, who is trained and experienced for what you are looking for. And most of all learn proper horsemanship. Just because the horse worked for the “other guy” doesn’t mean its the right horse for you.
Please don’t blame the animal for your misjudgements, or the seller for selling you a bad horse, because the horse is only as good as the handler and it is giving you 100% honest feedback on your horsemanship and equine communication skills.