Whorl-ology?

[Xanthoria]

That’s a pretty small sample size, but interesting read.

I will say I just came back from a big horse selling fair in India and the Marwari horses are chosen based on:

1. How curled their ears are
2. Location of whorls (between eyes or higher - desirable. Below eyes - undesirable. Under neck: desirable)
3. Coat color
4. Conformation…

[WildLittleWren]

@Xanthoria

That’s a pretty small sample size, but interesting read.

I will say I just came back from a big horse selling fair in India and the Marwari horses are chosen based on:

1. How curled their ears are
2. Location of whorls (between eyes or higher - desirable. Below eyes - undesirable. Under neck: desirable)
3. Coat color
4. Conformation…

That is really interesting!!

[Belowthesalt]

@shiloh

@Guilherme - that’s pretty funny. Mean, but funny.

OP, Linda Tellington-Jones wrote a whole book on this particular subject (and got liberally raked over the coals for it). It’s interesting and you can take what you want from it, but yes, whorl-ology ranks right up there with astrology for me. (In the case of mules and donkeys would that be ass-trology? lol sorry)

I have the book - it was a gift - and found it amusing. When Linda T-J appeared at a horse expo, I showed her a couple of good, clear pictures of the horse I had at the time. She TOTALLY mis-diagnosed his character and personality based on his “whorls” and eyes and head shape, per her book. Hilarious! Number one error was that he was “spooky.” He was actually one of those born-broke horses that found heavy earth moving equipment (when moving!!) fascinating and would at most, stop and stare at something unusual, but the only time he ever spooked with me was when he was 4 years old and I’d owned him for two weeks, he’d been transported the length of California to a new area, etc. - Lots of excuses and it was a minor spook. Never happened again.

[Belowthesalt]

@Arelle

List is about halfway down: https://www.horsemanship-journal.com/theory/theory/whorlology

HAHAHAHA. So “one whorl, between the eyes” is normal, may indicate a very calm or a very spooky personality, but predictably so. My horse can be very spooky- very UNPREDICTABLY so - and can go weeks or months without being the least bit spooky, dead calm. So much for that.

[shiloh]

Yes, I read her book (and I like her very much) but when all the whorls, etc said my horse was friendly and people-oriented and willing, I LMAO because she was SO. NOT. Only the double whorl between her eyes gave any indication of her true character which was a highly intelligent animal that thought people and their activities were far beneath her and thus was a flaming bitch. Like I said, take it for what it is worth to you. Like a horoscope. Or a reading from a gypsy fortune-teller.

[Foxtrot_s]

This is all too cerebral to me - a good horse is a good horse, regardless of his quirks.

Actually, mine has very matching whorls - one on exactly the same spot on each side of her mane, one in the centre of her underneck, two matching ones beside her tail. Both sides match - and she is a specially willing and balanced horse both intemperate and physically, so there.