The Horsenality Theory
Horsenality is a combination of the words "horse" and "personality". Just like humans, horses also have different personalities and needs, and in order to have long-term success with your horse it is essential that you first learn how to "read" him, i.e., to understand what he is trying to communicate to you.
Left brain and right brain
To assess your horse's Horsenality, first determine whether he is "left-brained" or "right-brained":
- Left brain horses are confident, courageous, dominant, trusting, composed, and tolerant.
- Right brain horses in contrast are reticent, anxious, compliant, mistrustful, and prone to overreactions.
Introverted and extroverted
Now let's assess whether your horse is more dominant or more reticent:
- Introverted horses are not naturally prone to having a lot of "go" (except when they're panicking); they move slowly and have a tendency to stop.
- Extroverted horses in contrast have lots of energy and are always moving about; they are quick and like to run.
These traits combine to make four equine personalities, or Horsenalities:
Left Brain EXTROVERT
This horse has a very playful character and needs lots of variety. He learns quickly, which means he also gets bored easily and so starts to develop his own ideas about things.
Left Brain INTROVERT
Welcome to the world of "Why should I do that for you? What's in it for me?" These horses can read their humans like an open book. A Left Brain Introvert knows exactly what he wants and is not willing to do something for you unless you reward him accordingly for his efforts. Although such a horse may seem lazy at first glance, his brain is definitely not. He may move slowly, but that allows him to think faster!
Right Brain EXTROVERT
This horse needs your constant assurance that he won't die. He tends to become confused and fearful quickly, so it's important that things be made as simple as possible. This helps him to relax and not feel constantly overwhelmed.
Right Brain INTROVERT
This horse is shy, quiet and very cautious. He avoids any kind of pressure by withdrawing back into his shell. It's therefore important that you do things very slowly, repeat then often, and give him time to think it over. As soon as he feels confident, he will begin to give more on his own.
Source: https://www.parelli-instruktoren.com/en/horsenality-reading-horses
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