What does 'presence' mean to you - and how important is it in your breeding?

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htobago

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Following on from a discussion on the Tobago-update thread, I thought this issue deserved a thread of its own.

It seems that there may be different ideas about - and requirements for - 'presence' in different breeds. For example - the degree of sparkle and animation and 'show attitude' required to win in the Arab in-hand show ring is extreme. The same may possibly be true of Welsh Cobs?

But for Highland Ponies, watcher says that 'presence' means something different...

This just got me wondering about other breeds and what other breeders think about 'presence'? What does it mean to you? And is 'presence' an important quality for you in your breeding programme?
 
htobago,

you are right, the subject does deserve a dedicate thread.

"Presence", in a horse, just as the dreaded "Charm" in humans, can blind us to the subcutaneous faults!!

I am very well aware that Charm & Presence are more often found in the male of any species, and should be viewed with a degree of suspicion, in my view, and that comes from a man!!

Alec.
 
Presence to me means the wow factor, and I like to think I put a litle wow into what we breed just like the next person.:)
 
Presence to me is the outward manifestation of a horse that is feeling fit and well and confident in the rider/handler. That usually results in a perky headset, a nicely active stride, a bright eye and interest in surroundings. It is always better, in my opinion, to have as much of that as possible in a show horse in particular, it is what gives them the 'look at me' factor.

I don't require any greater expression of presence than the examples I have described, but then I am conditioned to see horses dancing about as being a bit rude and indisciplined - I do accept though that for certain breeds it might be a showing positive.

Clearly presence is important to me - I set out to breed a good helping of it in!
 
Presence to me means everything being in the right place with that bit of extra sparkle of knowing how good they are themselves and a 'don't you dare look away from me, don't you know how handsome I am?' attitude.
 
Just like charismatic people, horses with prescence draw you in and you cannot help but admire them because they won't let you do otherwise.

That special something is what I look for in a stallion because if he does not have it, it is unlikely his progeny will either . There are plenty that do not have that X-factor.

It is the confidence and intelligence of their look, the purposefulness of their stride, the arch of the neck and they just know they are special.

Hard to describe, easy to see
 
A horse that loves to show off or pose, especially when it knows people are watching it! It doesn't just catch your eye, it makes you stop and stare.
 
Thanks everyone - some great replies and definitions!

Just wondering - in your breed (whatever breed you specialise in, I mean), are certain bloodlines known for having/passing on more presence/wow-factor/sparkle than others?
 
I like my ponies to have 'look at me' factor, but without that boiling over into sillyness - I would hate my ponies to behave like a Welsh D or Arab in the ring, but that is because mine are expected to be calm and steady - after all I'm breeding them for children to potentially ride & compete on, whereas an Arab or a Welsh D can be marketed towards the adults.

I don't think I've phrased that well, but my 2 yr old has it - Last year at the Futuity she was as good as gold the whole time, but noticably grew when she noticed the audience. Her whole body was screaming 'LOOK AT ME' but her feet never moved. She was fixated by the people watching her, and kept looking over at them.
 
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