>Can you guys talk a little about "heart' ...what is it you see? It
seems there are lots of horses who just want to run...but is heart more than
this? How can you tell if a horse has heart... what do you look for?
Sure, we can try... :-) "Heart" to me is a mixture of the
desire to do the job and the unseen metabolic capabilities that give the horse
the capability to do it. The horse has to clearly ENJOY the job--and on
one hand, he cannot enjoy it if it is a real struggle for him to do it. So
the metabolic capability that makes it reasonably easy for him is a part of
it. But the other large part of it is mental. And that's the part
that makes it more than just "wanting to run." The horses with "heart" for
endurance are able to focus on the game--the WHOLE game. They run when it
is time to run, but they don't fight their riders when the riders make it clear
that there is a team strategy involved here. They "save" themselves by
taking opportunities to rest and to eat when appropriate. They actually
"learn the ropes." They save their energy for the trail, where it really
counts. They learn to sleep at vet checks, but the minute the saddle goes
back on, their ears go up and they are looking over the next hill already.
The horses with heart truly like their jobs, and put themselves into it
entirely, not just the "running" part. The horses with heart learn the vet
check routine, they have "trail memory" for rides they've run before, and I
swear they learn to follow ribbons. Hope that helps.
Heidi
