foal personality indicative of future temperament?

[FairWeather]

[QUOTE=Laurierace;7089491]
Why does he have to get used to someone touching his testicles? The only time I have ever touched one was as I was throwing it on the roof.[/QUOTE]

Because, at the time, anytime the vet reached up between his legs (with numbing meds) he would try to kill him and everybody around him via flying hind legs, even tranq’d to the point of nearly falling down and three people holding on. He assumed it was an issue with a foal being worried about a hand being somewhere it doesn’t usually go.

[Kyzteke]

[QUOTE=Bent Hickory;7087052]
In my experience, temperament on the ground was many (most?) times much different than temperament under saddle – some for better, some for worse.[/QUOTE]

My vote as well. Foals have a certain tempermant, just like people, but then they are “shaped” by their experiences and “teachers” (that would be we humans).

I’ve known pro bucking horses (good ones too!) who were fine on the ground and actually would let folks lead them, have their feet trimmed, take treats, etc. But you get on them and its a WHOLE different story.

[IrishWillow]

[QUOTE=rodawn;7087173]
Hmmm. My experience is a little different from yours then. I have found that a horse’s personality traits on the ground most often mirror how they are under saddle. If they’re handled correctly and know their respectfulness, then they will be respectful under saddle. But, if they are a bit short in attention span on the ground, it’s the same under saddle. If they tend towards irritation, it is the same under saddle. If they’re easygoing on the ground, they tend to be easygoing under saddle. If they’re a bit prickly on the ground, they’re the same amount of sensitive/prickly under saddle. I don’t find their temperament or personality changes because the type of activity is different. Some of the more difficult ones to handle on the ground due to a few aspects of their basic personality, start out similarly under saddle, but as each work session progresses they perform better as they respond to the endorphins released by exercise. A more difficult temperament horse tends to fare less well when they’re sitting around, bored.

Note, “difficult temperament” does not mean I’m referring to behavior relating to discipline issues - biting, kicking, pushiness, etc. Those are strictly discipline issues and usually a result of incorrect human interactions.

When I discuss “Temperament” it means I’m referring to the horse’s basic unfiddled-around-with personality - their degree of sensitivity, hotness, natural laziness, easygoingness, spookiness, likeableness, ability to learn and/or concentrate, and their tendency towards liking people and/or other horses, even their aptitude for a certain sport. Some of the more challenging personality traits (i.e. spookiness) require different handling methods when you’re on the ground as opposed to when you’re in the saddle, but the trait is still there all the same, and your goal is still to achieve the same result - that is, getting the horse to concentrate on you, his lesson, and achieve learning and progression.

This all being said, if you push any horse beyond his psychological ability to cope (each horse having that different stop point), then they will have a meltdown. But if you’re a sensitive and empathetic trainer, you will perceive the horse’s end point and stop the lesson well before you get there.[/QUOTE]

Very much agree with this