Most of us are familiar with the idea of a how would you rate this horse on a 1-10 scale and there my friends is the problem.
One of the things that I routinely see is that describing horse temperament is more like the old story of the three blind men trying to describe an elephant.
The problem is that when subjective information is exchanged between people, we all put our own filters and experiences into play.
The end result is that our IDEAL and REALITY and the Horse’s IDEAL and REALITY, and the other person’s Description are often in conflict because there are no STANDARDS in place.
When was the last time that you heard someone say “That horse was nothing like the seller described!!” At Impulsion Unlimited Dressage Horse Sales and Consignments. We ask lots of questions to get on the same page with a potential buyer so that we can accurately describe a horse in the buyer’s context.
But what if you are talking to someone else? How can you quickly get on the same page?
This scale was created by a well known horseman, David Hopper.
Here’s his handy 1-10 scale:
1,2,3,4—–Very quiet, steady, forgiving. These horses basically ABSORB the riders` mistakes.
5,6——-Ideal competition horses, still calm enough, but with enough spark to really excel.
These horses, within reason, TOLERATE their riders` mistakes.
7,8——Hotter, more intolerant of pilot error, needing of calm, subtle aids, talented, but only very good riders can “get at” that talent. These horses MAGNIFY their riders` mistakes.
9,10——-Too hot, they bring only pain and misery
USE THIS SCALE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jeff
