“Horsenalities”

" The Goddess "

Recently I came across a site that had a quiz about defining your horse’s personality. I thought it was a fun way to spend a snowy afternoon and just might give me more insight into our horses’ personalities. The author of the book ‘Is Your Horse A Rock Star’ is Dessa Hockley and the book looks like it would be an interesting and fun read. Here’s the link to the horse quiz: http://www.horsepersonality.com/quiz.html

I had fun reading the assessments for all the horses.  Dusty was first on my list and it was no surprise to me that her persona came up as “The Goddess”.  I mean, really, what else could it have been.  Below is a synopsis about the characteristics of  “The Goddess” personality. See if you agree with me that it describes Dusty pretty well.

The Goddess

If a Goddess horse has found his way into your barn, you are lucky. If you are wise as well, you will not let him leave. Most do not change hands often as they work their way into your heart and stay. You should feel honored to be one of their subjects. They will give back as much as they receive. They are loved and appreciated everywhere, including in the pasture. The Bosses will protect them, and the other Submissives will try to get as close as possible.

They have feminine looks as well as characteristics. They are emotional and sensitive and yet still confident. They are wonderfully sensible and safe. They aren’t inclined to get into trouble with you or with their environment like some of the other’s. Everything about their demeanor denotes expression—they are talkative, have expressive eyes and ears, active movement, love to touch you, love to show off, act sassy but never in a dominant way, just enough to endear them to you more. If you want a horse to love on, then this is your baby. They like to be clean, pretty, pampered, blanketed, groomed, and fussed over in any fashion.

Beware though. If they are uncomfortable, unhappy or sore, they can be very expressive with a cranky pinning of the ears and a swish of the tail! It pays to listen. They are trying to tell you something.

For the Goddess the relationship is paramount. It is what they love, and they would love to engage in long conversations about it if they could. They trust you, and you can trust them. They want to be your partner, and they need you to be listening. If they feel unappreciated, they can spiral downhill into a puddle of worry and insecurity. They can get bored easily, so you do need an interactive, engaging relationship. They will want a lot of variety in the things that you do together. Your relationship will be strengthened when the Goddess’s need to be doing things, especially with you, is met.

Like any of the Energy/Curious horses they can have scattered energy at times that is hard to get focused on the task at hand. In their initial training, you may feel that they have “fluff for brains” and you might describe them as the “blonde” of the barn. Their energy can be bouncing off the walls. They can be oversensitive, and if you get them upset, it takes them a long time to settle back down again. Some days it is best to walk away and begin again tomorrow. The next day they will be back on your page and trying to please. The Friendly says they love to please and will keep trying and trying in their job. This can make them worriers if they do not understand and are not feeling honored. If they are not being listened to and appreciated, they will usually internalize their stress and can develop physical problems, especially back problems. As their rider, your job will be to help them learn to focus and keep their energies more in balance.

It is difficult for the Goddess to change owners. Not only do we get very attached to these horses, but they to us as well. They show obvious signs of depression when they are sold. They love new situations but like to keep their people the same. At any time, the Goddess dislikes being alone. They need to know you are there for them. This horse will suffer if left on his or her own without attention. They love being in a herd situation with all the social intricacies.

Training

Training the Goddess is a pleasure and does not require you to have numerous horse training degrees. Unlike the Dominants, they are quite happy to accept your suggestions on how something should be done. The greatest challenge will be keeping the foundation lessons interesting enough. They will be anxious to get on to the higher learning. Give them a lot of variety and take them to a lot of new places. They will love to travel and experience new things. They like a communicative rider who is as enthusiastic as them. If they have a high E, it may make it hard for them to slow down and learn in the beginning. They will be anticipating and offering things that you are not asking for.  Positive reinforcement is the key, as they will thrive in that type of training program. As they are very engaged and emotional in everything they do they can have their days or times where you will have to quietly sit in the middle and just allow some of the energy to dissipate. They are not trying to take over, so a rider does not have to come on strong in response. They may just need a little help learning how to release so much emotion. If training is starting to get heated up, just relax and go for a ride out; tomorrow they will be back on track and eager to please.

The Submissive trait of the Goddess tells us that there will be times that we will need to be there for them every step of the way. If they are learning something new or in a fearful situation, they will want to turn over the command to you. They will need you to tell them where to put every foot. The ‘leg to hand’ type of ride will be comforting to them in this situation, but they do not need it every day. This horse comes into our life to help us learn about relationships and bonding—they are in it FOR the relationship.

Careers

You will find The Goddess performing in all horse sports. They may not be on the top of the podium as often as the ‘Rock Stars’, but every step of the way has been a pleasure. Whatever your sport, this horse is happy to do it. They are the “keeners.” They are not attached to the job. They are working to please you. In competitive fields they are your high point, super horse, all round contenders. Your challenge will be to not get stuck exclusively in one sport. This horse will encourage you to broaden your horizons and go play in new fields.

Until next time

Quote for Today

Closeness, friendship, affection; keeping your own horse means all these things.     - Bertrand Leclair