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Judging horse behavior by facial characteristics
Franklin,
I have been reading your articles for the last month and have enjoyed them all. I have been riding horses as long as I can remember and my memory is not that short. In fact, my folks used to say they would give us a ride on the horses and we would fall asleep in their arms and later in the saddle. I am now 51. Over the years, I have heard a lot of BS about training horses. One of the old-timers used to say "you don't want a horse with a bulging head or a roman nose". I was wondering if you have heard this and if you think it is true. I have notice or maybe it is my imagination that they seem to take longer to train. I could relate stories about some of these horses but I'm sure you are busy. So, I will thank you for your time.
Thanks again: Richard
Hello Richard,
I have heard similar statements including long dissertations about hair swirls on a horse's face as indicative of tendencies in equine behavior. There seems to be some varified truths to the hair swirl(s) interpretations. As with all generalizations, caution should be taken when relying too much on unsubstantiated generalized statements. 'Old wives tales', etc. may have some truth imbedded within them. 'If there is thunder there may be rain,' is a reasonable thought. However, I tend to not like these types of generalizations, as decisions based on generalizations are not well founded. Take each situation (horse) as an individual and make decisions based upon observable and varifible facts and information. You may miss out on a great opportunity if you decide against a horse because of the size of its nose. I would not want someone to judge me by the size of my nose. I probably wouldn't have many friends if they did.
Sincerely, Franklin