I was asked, “What makes a horse and rider a good match?”
People want different things from a horse. Some want a paddock companion. Some want an Olympic champion. Others want a quality breeding horse. Some want a safe trail horse.
I guess it can be argued that a good match is any horse that meets a person’s criteria. However, it is definitely true that some people’s fantasy of the perfect horse is not what they need and it would not be a good match.
But as a teacher of horsemanship for many years I have seen hundreds of horses and their owners. I believe this gives me good insight into what makes a good match. My idea of the perfect horse for most people is one that comes with projects that need addressing, but which are safe and won’t get them into serious trouble.
This means a horse that is a good match is different for different people with different skills and interests. When I am asked to assess a horse for somebody I first consider how safe is the horse for the person’s skill level. Then I consider what holes are in the horse’s education that could make the person a better horse person.
I realize not everybody is looking for a horse that comes with issues and needs more training. But I believe everybody NEEDS a horse that needs more training for them to become better horse people. There is a reason for this.
I am reminded of the Chinese story of a fellow running into an old friend from his school days in a market. The friend asked how things were and did his friend ever get married. The fellow told how he almost got married. He had met a beautiful woman who seemed perfect until he found out she didn’t want to have children. So he didn’t marry her. Then he met the perfect woman who was beautiful and wanted children. But he didn’t marry her because she could not cook or clean. However, he later met the most perfect woman who was beautiful, wanted a big family, and loved to cook and look after the house. When his friend asked him did he marry the woman, the fellow said no. Why not? It turned out she was looking for the perfect husband.
So while people are looking for the perfect horse, remember the horse is looking for the perfect owner. This means they want an owner that is interested in growing their skills and doing a better job of looking after them, riding them, and training them
This is why I say that a good match is two-sided. First is a horse that comes with projects, but is safe. And second, is an owner that wants to be a better horse person and deserving of the title “perfect owner.”
