Horsanilty...??

[StephA]

I am trying to work out my horses 'Horsanality' but he all the characteristics or left AND right extrovert lol.

Im new to this and I really want to give it a go as I think Spirit will respond well. He is totally off his head at the moment but is starting to clam down and trust me (see my other thread 'Bucking and rearing in canter' for his history) but want to work with him in the correct way.

Will most likely be asking a fair few questions for a while so you will have to bear with me!

He is the 1st horse I have ever had that i have seen this as the only way to really get the best out of him and for him to be happy. He is a very intelligent horse but has never been taught how to use it and so uses it in agressive and negative ways.

Thanks in advance

S x x

[Sexy Sietske]

If you look on the chart go with what ever there is the most of and which behaviours are more serious. It could be that he has a bit of a split personality, so you gota get him to favour his left side without being dominant :) If you are brand spanking new to the system and dont have anyone near by who has been studying the program I would get an instructor out to help you get started :)

[Maddison's girl]

sorry but whats horsanality?

[Bay Mare]

It's the Parellis new marketing gimmick and is based on theories which have been discredited in humans. Like horoscopes, horsenality is a bit of fun but doesn't mean squat in the grand scheme of things. If you look at their bridles they're also basing their bitting advice on horsenality http://enlightenedequitation.com/ee/boards/Smileys/christmas/wallbash.gif

To be frank you're much better getting to know your horse and all their quirks and working with those instead of following some flawed chart.

[StephA]

Hi,

Not following it...was just interested to see if any of the techniques worked thats all :o

Spending alot of time with him and learning all his little 'things' and anyways I can bond with him and understand him are welcome. Just little things like nipping/barging/leading ect are some of the things that I am working on at the moment as well as the riding aspect of things and some of the groundwork stuff I have read on the website has actually been really effective. I guess it works better on some than others. I know my other horse would look at me like im barking if I tried anything on him :D

I have always used conventional techniques but some of these Spirit isnt responding to and so wanted to see if this would help him

Thanks

S x

[jinglejoys]

Its a way of explaining charecteristics in horses that humans can understand.
Malaga's mainly LBI like Rimmer:D

[Lili & Morgan]

It's the Parellis new marketing gimmick and is based on theories which have been discredited in humans. .

It is the second time, you make this statement, what are your reference to back it up?

Do you mean that the Myers-Briggs test is rubbish then?

On another thread you say I have to disagree that PNH is the only system to follow. We don't do PNH, I don't like PNH,
Fair enough, but maybe you ought to let others to make their mind up, if you critic would you please back it up with proper reference!

*I*am interested to hear constructive intelligent critics.

StephA
your horse may be a different personnality according to the situation. So lots of observation.
My mare is a left brain extrovert going into right brain extrovert when stressed .. lots of movements ;)

I started a thread on Horsenality here :
http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124900

Have fun

[Kate F.]

Hi,
Just little things like nipping/barging/leading ect are some of the things that I am working on at the moment as well as the riding aspect of things and some of the groundwork stuff I have read on the website has actually been really effective.
S x

The nipping, barging and leading issues are all ways of him expressing that he thinks he should be the leader - and the games will help with this as they help you get control over the feet, and by controlling the feet you also control the mind. The one who controls the feet is the leader, in the simplest terms. Parelli and his games are just one way of achieving this, and many of us here think there are better ways - but if it's working for you - that's great.

Horsinality is controversial and you may or may not find it helpful. YOu don't need to get your head round it to get the benefit of the games. As Lili and Morgan said on her Horsinality thead, it's about helping the people to recognise what's happening, and not about explaining how the horse's mind works.

As Bay Mare says, it's not based on anything scientific, and in fact we know very little about how the horse's brain is specialised on the left and right - and what we thought we knew is being disproved all the time! (In fact a study just published by Lesley Rogers in Australia has just called into question what I've believed and been teaching for the last 5 years - so back to the drawing board on that one!!! :o:D) )

So - the left brain/right brain descriptions should not be treated as anything more than arbitrary labels - any more than introvert/extrovert. Personally, I agree with Bay Mare that Horsinality is about as useful as a horoscope - but Lili and Morgan persuaded me that she found it useful, and if she finds it useful maybe others do too. However, I think it is fair to say that if you're not finding it helpful or meaningful - just leave it out. If it doesn't work for you it doesn't matter - it certainly doesn't mean anything to the horse!:D
Personally, I find it easier to read the horse in front of me than try to remember what goes in what box - but everyone is different and different things work for different people!:p

Lili - if you look here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator#Criticism you'll see that there is a lot of criticism and questioning of the Myers-Briggs test in humans. Not to say it's necessarily a load of rubbish - but neither should it be taken as absolute or definitive. My main issue is the validity of applying a test designed for humans to horses. However, as I said, I fully accept that you find horsinality helpful - and even if I don't agree with it, if it helps some people to have better relationship with their horses, it has some value - even if the scientific foundation is shaky, to say the least!

[wonkeywoody]

Whilst there may or may not be scientific studies to prove or disprove horsenality - whether P's chart is a gimmick or not, I think it helps open peoples minds as to the fact that horses do have personalities and do think/react/learn in differents ways.
I was having a particular problem with my horse and after studying the chart and observing the different ways to approach a problem (depending on the, for want of a better word, horsinality) I found that laterally changing the way I approached the problem worked.
I dont think they are definately only either LBI, RBE etc as I think they all have some of each quadrant, but the chart is a useful tool if you read all four quadrants and then if something is not working you can refer to it and try a different approach.

[Kate F.]

Whilst there may or may not be scientific studies to prove or disprove horsenality - whether P's chart is a gimmick or not, I think it helps open peoples minds as to the fact that horses do have personalities and do think/react/learn in differents ways.

I think that's a very good point - though one could also argue that if you are going to open people's minds in this way you might as well open them to the way the equine mind really does seem to work, not some anthropomorphic approximation that doesn't stand up to any sort of scientific scrutiny.

It's just as easy to learn the facts as the fiction. ;)

[StephA]

I was having a particular problem with my horse and after studying the chart and observing the different ways to approach a problem (depending on the, for want of a better word, horsinality) I found that laterally changing the way I approached the problem worked.

This is what I am thinking. From what I have read it seems to give different approaches to different problems and as I learn more and more about Spirit it would just be nice to know alternative ways of dealing with things if a certain thing doesnt work very well and some of the reasoning behind what he does.

I know not to follow other peoples advice word for word as every horse is different. It is just interesting to learn all the different ways there are to deal with a problem and then work it out myself using what I have learnt.

Im quite open minded to different techniques. I have never looked into any of this before and its interesting as to how much people differ on their opinions on it. Ive seen some of the stuff on horse and country and her does seem to get alot out of a horse using the techniques he preaches...but then if I tried that on Spirit I recon ide die :rolleyes:

Some of the stuff I find intriguing...some of it seems a bit far fetched but I dont know enough about it to really understand it and wouldnt be able to make judgement

S x

[wonkeywoody]

Ive seen some of the stuff on horse and country and her does seem to get alot out of a horse using the techniques he preaches...but then if I tried that on Spirit I recon ide die

StephA, when I started PNH with my boy I was just lookin for a cure to the rearing prob. I watched lots of stuff including other NH versions and, yes, I thought "I'll never do that" (too dangerous with my horse!!) to alot of what I saw, but I'm eating my words. He has come on leaps and bounds and now I find myself trying, succeeding, and having alot of fun doing some stuff I had poo pooed!
Never, say never!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Spoof]

I just do it to have fun.

I did to a chart on my horse, and have done one every month since. It is interesting to see the changes. (Sometimes helps when you don't think you are getting anywhere).

What it does is help you recognize when your horse changes moods, and gives you a list of techniques that tend to work for that type.

I'm amazed at how many people can't tell when their horse goes from being comfortable, to uncomfortable, then they push a little and "ohmygod my horse just EXPLODED!"

Not really, but if you can't read the horse, it would seem like it. :)

[Alyth Long]

Exactly. It is not a definitive definition of your horses character, it is a guide to his behaviour at a particular moment in time. And how to deal with it for that type of emotion. In the next minute he might change to a different "horsonality". If you understand the basics and the different techniques that are applicable you have a better chance of success.