My family has been spending quite a lot of time filming dressage tests on various horses in various locations. The acceptable rides will be submitted to our online dressage show that we are hosting through the organization Dressage Show Online. This activity has sparked some fun conversations about the horses we've had over the years, and their different personalities. When a person is training a horse or just riding a horse, it's not uncommon to have certain prescriptions that we use for certain behaviors. To some extent, those prescriptions can be valid.
In some instances however, the personality of individual horses prevails over a prescriptive "fix" for a problem or behavior. For example, my litte horse Downie (now elevated to St. Downie) likes to walk up to a scary item, touch it, sniff it, and make her peace with it. Cody Coyote, the OTTB, also prefers this approach. Chachi, on the other hand, does NNOT like to approach scary items. He likes to ease his way closer with his rider or handler exuding quiet confidence, until he can circle close by and feel like he's safe. Do you have horses whose personalities really stand out, and affect how you approach certain issues?
They are all such individuals! Rad cannot contemplate living without routines...she likes everything to be done the exact same, every day, at the exact same time. Willy could care less! He is perfectly fine being on his own, whether in the pasture or out riding. Rad likes to duck her head with her muzzle at about knee height as you approach her, whereas Bull puts his head up and charges right into your space if you let him! So fun to get to know them!