A compatible personality is the most desirable quality in a horse, yet it is much harder to assess than gait or conformation. All horses have distinct personality traits that make them more or less suitable for various riding styles and disciplines. Riders and trainers who understand how to work with, not against, a horse's temperament will be rewarded with a happier, more successful human/equine relationship.

Dressage trainer Yvonne Barteau describes the four basic equine personality types — social, fearful, aloof, and challenging — and the different clues to identify a horse's primary personality. Often the dominant personality type is complemented by a secondary trait, creating, for example, the aloof-challenging or fearful-social horse. Using clear signals and readily identi-fied behavior patterns, riders can determine any horse's type and then use this book's tips and techniques to improve training sessions.

Fun and enlightening as it is to analyze equine characteristics, it's just as important to understand how the personalities of both the rider and the trainer affect each horse. Barteau includes a self–evaluation quiz to help the reader determine what her own riding and handling preferences are and how she can use that knowledge to work more effectively with her current horse or to shop smarter when selecting a new equine partner.

Fascinating case studies, stories, and profiles of famous horses and their riders offer readers real-life examples of how compatible personalities work together to achieve great things!

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