What do we mean by a 'good temperament'?

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htobago

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Just curious. Prompted by magic's thread about 'temperament or handling', where by 'good temperament' people seem to mean a horse that is calm/relaxed/laid back.

Just wondering if that's mainly what we mean, or if a horse that is more highly-strung/excitable could still be said to have a 'good temperament' providing it is also sweet-natured, cheerful and friendly?
 
To me a 'good temperament' means a horse that is willing, that listens and tries to comply with instructions given, in line with its age and level of training. How spirited that horse may be will vary with breeding and management.

it doesn't necessarily mean a plod, as far as I am concerned (although some might use the expression to mean that)
 
To me it means a well-mannered horse with a pleasant disposition. It will try to comply with your wishes and happily goes about it's business. Whether it is lively or ploddish, I would say is irrelevant providing it behaves when being handled or ridden.
 
A good temperament to me depends on the breed age and training of a horse. I have a rece horse with a good temperament, ut he will have a buck and a bronc ont he way to a field.

I also think peoples oppinion on temperament changes with their own level of competence. A person not used to handling TB's but only cobs will consider a tb to be too highly strung and to have an undesirable temperament where as someone used to more spirited horses may see plods as have no character.

Over all.. temperament is something you can ignore. Manners areusually the biggest problem with most horses and these are usually due to incorrect handling and being mollicoddled.

Lou x
 
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Over all.. temperament is something you can ignore

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Really? You see a good temperament in a horse is absolutely paramount to me - I wouldn't consider buying a horse with a bad temperament and I certainly wouldn't breed from one.
 
Interesting question firstly do we not need to identify what we mean by:

Personality
Character
Temperament

?
 
Good point Opie.

Leaving aside personality and character for the moment (these are rather more difficult to define) I think what most people mean by 'temperament' could be summed up as the horse's general attitude to life, typical reactions and normal behaviour patterns.

Or something like that.
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I was just curious about whether people might mean different things when they say that a horse has a 'good temperament'.

I'm also curious about whether those of you who breed lots of foals think that they are born with good or bad temperaments? And to what extent you find this is inherited?
 
Good temperment to me is when you can tie your stallion two stalls down from an in heat mare...saddle him etc without ending up dead or with a horse out of his mind.

That by the way is my boy.
 
Well for me it is a horse that is happy round people, will allow people to prod & poke without putting its ears back, or trying to bite the person. A horse can be forgiven for displaying these attributes when in pain, but it shows a good tempered horse that takes it with only a mild irratation. A good tempered horse is tolerant & forgiving. Look at the way some horses are ridden, yet they tolerate the bad riding, to me this is a sign of a good tempered animal. The colt has his moments, he is intitled to, but his nature is kind. I think it helps because he trusts people & no matter what we have done to him he still trusts us. He wont associate the gelding with humans as he was knocked out, but he did have numerous injections & he has had to endure the cleaning of his wounds. No matter what though he has taken it all in his stride, I just wondered is this breeding or handling, I suspect both play a part.
 
I struggle with differentiating betwen personality and character I've a loopy chestnut mare whom I'd describe as neurotic (Though I think SHB(GB) described it as "Prescence - plenty!" lol)..... but she has a fantastic temperament, but can be a little bargy so prob not great on the manners side. However a reltively novice girl jumped her round a 1.10m track (before I bought her) and the mare is so straight, sweet and honest she just took the jumps on - on any stride..... I love her 2 bits and she's produced some stunning babies.

Dont u be piching ideas for my bestseller HT!
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I think a mare who disciplines her foal produces a foal with a better temprement, my 'neurotic' mare has very mild mannered, laid-back babies, my grey mare whom anyone could ride/handle has produced an ignorant bolshy baby. There are 2 sec A mares (full sisters) on the yard and one is sweet and her foal is a absolute cowbag, the other is evil (you couldn't put a child on her and she's almost impossible to handle) yet has a mega-friendly foal. Strange but true IMHO.
 
Aah that does not follow with my colt, his dam had the nicest nature going & manners to burn. She was not a dominate mare either, which I believe can affect the confidence of a foal & how it interacts in a group. If mum's status is good so is foals. I think last years colt is just a decent person.
 
lol magic, mum was a bit of a loner, foal was on boxrest with a big op from early on so never learned to interact with other horses and think he's a bit too humanised. he's quite laid back though.
 
Temperment to me is how he/she deals with new things and general attitude? I have one boy here with a distinct lack of enthusiasm for anything really )ex-RS) and most who go out of their way to please.
 
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