Horse Type and Temperament Test
- Have you ever wondered what the perfect horse would be like?
- Have you ever wished you could really understand the horse you have at a deeper level?
- Can you tell if your horse likes the discipline you are asking him to do?
- Would you love to find a horse that is better suited for your needs and personality?
So many times, we have unrealistic expectations of our horses, and this causes frustration for all concerned. Relationships can always be a challenge, but when you want to relate to a 1200lb horse the incentive to get along is multiplied. It appears that the more we can learn about ourselves and the animals we interact with, the better our relationships can be.
The Five Element approach of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is unique in that it includes the idea that each of us, animal and human, is a certain 'constitutional type' exhibiting certain physical and emotional traits that are specific to that type. This same typology can also be applied to horses, giving us a better understanding of any given horse's nature and needs.
Body type, physical characteristics, health challenges, and personality are taken into consideration when determining a horses underlying Five Element type. Knowing your horse's constitutional type can help you make dietary and lifestyle choices for him that will best support his overall needs on an ongoing basis. Or, if you are looking for a new horse, Five Element typing will help you select a horse that is well suited for your lifestyle, your personality, the specific discipline you wish to undertake with him, and your particular training style.
While personality plays a large part in determining your horse's Five Element makeup, care must be taken in typing based on this trait alone. The environment a horse was raised in or lives in now, as well as many other factors, can have a strong influence on his personality. For example, a Water horse may be calm and confident when living in a safe place where he trusts his handlers, but panicky and impulsive when handled poorly or when he is feeling insecure. Similarly, a normally friendly Fire horse may become anxious and fearful if treated roughly and without compassion. Such influences are especially important to keep in mind when typing older horses.
"Through my own experiences as well as my client's struggles with horses who don't match them or their discipline they are competing in, I have come to appreciate the many benefits of learning horses' personality types. While it is certainly advantageous to develop skills in working with all types of horses, it is unfair to the horse to expect him to be only what you want him to be instead of who he really is. Similarly, many horse-loving people have given up on horse's altogether because they have never been matched with a horse that was a good 'fit' for them. I hope that by producing the book Horse Harmony © and the Type & Temperament testing ©, I can help more people and horses that are a good match find one another and enjoy the harmony that is possible in a great human-equine relationship."
Madalyn Ward DVM.
To take the free Type & Temperament test, please send an e-mail to info@cheshireequineiridology.co.uk
This Type and Temperament test has been reproduced with the kind permission of: Madalyn Ward DVM, © Horse Harmony, 2011. All Rights Reserved. www.horseharmony.com |
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