A rare few have had more than one. Some of us have never had any. But if you’re a horse lover and a lucky duck, you have, hopefully, at some point found that once-in-a-lifetime horse you dreamed of as a child.
I did, after having several horses over a 25- or 30-year period. I adored each and every one of them, but when Bella came into my life six years ago I finally, for the first time, felt that deep bond and understanding one can have with an equine soul mate. Bella is my be-all/end-all equine companion, and sometimes I think she understands me better than I understand myself.
Unfortunately, lots of folks pick out a horse based on breed, or color, or age, or any number of other things that have nothing to do with the horse’s personality or how it will mesh with theirs. This often leads to frustration and fear on the part of the person and a depressed and lonely horse who will never realize his or her potential. I’ve been there and done that, I’ll admit. I’ve chosen horses or taken rescues who were very poor matches for my personality, skill level, and needs. I loved them all and kept them ’til their dying day, but they were often more pasture potatoes than good mounts or working equines.
A friend of mine, Jane, just became the proud ‘person’ (some would say ‘owner,’ but many of us don’t like that term) of her first horse — a dream she has held for decades that has finally come true. It is thrilling that Jane found her once-in-a-lifetime horse the first time out of the chute! Jane is on cloud nine, and I know she and her new mare have a long, long future together that will include everything horsey that Jane has ever envisioned and will satisfy the mare’s needs and skill set as well.
So how did Jane do it? How does one find that once-in-a-lifetime horse?
VERY CAREFULLY.
Jane searched for months and months and looked at many different horses. If you count the ones she looked at only online I’m sure the numbers would be in the hundreds. Being a new horse ‘owner’ she listened and learned about different breeds and horse personality types, largely from friends and experienced instructors, but also from reading Dr. Madalyn Ward‘s book on the subject: Horse Harmony: Understanding Horse Types & Temperaments — Are You and Your Horse a Good Match.
Jane had an intuitive hunch about this mare, Snickers, from the very get-go which in the long run proved to be accurate. But, while she listened to her intuition, she also did the smart thing and did not move impulsively but rather did her homework and considered many other equine candidates as well. Fortunately, Snickers was still available when Jane made her decision, and they are indeed a match made in Heaven.
So all’s well that ends well. When a horse and person are a good match, they are truly a joyful thing to behold and are an inspiration to all around them. You can tell when they are a team, when they are bonded, when they share understanding and love. Horses are telepathic and sense your mood before you do, so when you’re connected with that once-in-a-lifetime equine, the two of you truly move as one.
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If you’re looking for a horse, take your time, do your homework, and trust your inner instincts and judgment. And read Dr. Ward’s Horse Harmony book too — it will give you an amazing insight into eleven different equine personality types based on the ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine system.
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