As you should know, we love getting listener questions and feedback on the show. This episode is centered around one of those questions, and it has to do with the “It” factor—meaning greatness. Can greatness in our horses be taught, or do they have to be born with it? I find this to be a fascinating question that clearly straddles the overlap between horsemanship and humanship.

Key Takeaways

First, let’s get my definition of a great horse that has the “It” factor. There are many aspects to what makes a great horse, I don’t think it’s just one thing.

Athleticism is important, because the things we tend to ask of our horses require them to be strong and swift. Eye appeal is important too, a horse that easily displays that strength and athleticism and stirs that thing inside you called beauty.

The biggest part of greatness in my opinion is trainability. If you can’t train your horse, they won’t do a single thing with that greatness. You can’t teach this quality to your horse—all you can do is take what is already there and maximize their potential for success.

So, how do we identify greatness? In short, it’s up to you to see it in a horse. I was once told that a horse across the way was an outlaw, had hurt multiple people, and was just overall nasty. In spending time with that horse, and eventually working with him, I found that the horse just didn’t have any confidence. He’d been reprimanded so much for the tiniest mistakes that I could feel it while working him. In building up his confidence, that greatness he already had begun to show.

Do more than trust your first instinct when looking for greatness. A beautiful, strong horse may not have all the brains there it needs to use that strength. A horse that doesn’t catch your eye as much may be the most adaptable, trainable horse on the planet. Take time to get to know these animals and see how you can polish their natural abilities to make them great in their own way.