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Foal Hair Waves

By looking at whorls we can have a clue about temperament from the time of birth.

There are limitations. One of those is the distortion of the whorl caused by the foal hair coat.

Foal coats do all sorts of interesting things. From colors no where near what the adult color will actually be, to primitive markings. Foal coats will also have curls that wont be present as the horse ages.

Very often the forehead will be wildly curly with concentric circles extending from center. These make the whorls look far more complicated than what they are.

As beautiful and convoluted as the circles are they are still only a byproduct of the baby hair coat and will disappear when the coat sheds and a more adult hair coat grows in.

When looking at foals, don’t let all the pretty extras confuse you. Look closely for the actual whorl. Or wait a year or two for a more easily exact analysis.

 

The Baby Bump

Horses are born with the whorls that they will have for life. That can give us a good clue about temperament from birth.
Head shape can get a little more complicated.
Foals are born with a bump over the forehead. This is the horse equivalent of the soft spot in a human babies skull. As the foal grows and matures the baby bump will go away allowing us to more clearly see what the head shape will truly be. If we pay too much attention to the bump we will get misleading ideas about what temperament will be like.
It’s important not to confuse this baby bump with a ‘jibah’, or bump in the forehead that adult horses have showing an emotional reactive horse. The dish to the profile caused by the baby bump is also not permanent or a true indication of character.
It is best to wait to look at head shape in a foal until they have matured to the point that the baby bump has grown out and the head is showing its true shape.

The Shredded Collar

According to superstition large wheat whorls, sometimes called a shredded collar, down the base of the neck are bad luck. Especially when combined with double whorls. The ultimate bad luck whorls.
There is seldom any more description of the whorls than that. A whorl like a wheat sheaf down the base of the neck. Although I think I’ve heard it mentioned that it’s worse when the whorl goes the whole length of the neck.
There are lots of different types of common neck whorls. So how do we know which of these are the dreaded shredded collar? And is it really bad luck?
When horses have big open whorls that go the whole length of the neck or part way it will result in a hose who carries their head in their air and their neck ‘upside down’. This results in a horse who is heavy on the forehand, if not ridden properly and carefully to help them balance better.
It is easy to see how this could result in tripping or bucking because of poor carriage and the accompanying discomfort. Hence the ‘bad luck’.
When you combine poor training, poor body carriage, and the extra sensitivity of a double whorl then it becomes even easier to see how a horse could be considered bad luck.
Does that mean they are actually bad luck?
Absolutely not.
We have better training methods available to a greater range of people now. There are trainers out there to help. Body workers to alleviate pain. Saddle fitters to help the horse be comfortable. All of these things make it easier for a horse who is set up for difficulty in the human horse world to more easily find a way to work with us.
When the whorls are small or the hair grows to the center instead of outwards the meanings are completely different. Opposite even.

Horse Pain Face

Horse’s faces are far more expressive than we often give them credit for.
Capable of 17 separate facial expressions they fall a little short of the 27 expressions humans can manage. 17 is still a good amount and perfectly adequate to show us how they feel.
A happy relaxed horse will have a soft muzzle, without wrinkles or tension. Their eyes will be the same. When a horse is worried or in pain their muzzle will tighten creating layers in the chin and wrinkles around the nostrils and mouth. The eyes will pull to a triangle, with wrinkles over the brow.
This horse is a perfect example of a peaceful relaxed head compared to a later picture where he is clearly showing pain or unhappiness.
He was having behavioral issues. There wasn’t any sign of pain, only a faint memory of a wreck he had gotten himself into in the pasture a month before. Without any limp or obvious injuries the wreck was easily forgotten.
His owner, watching carefully to try to find an answer to recently developed behavior issues, noticed a change in posture and expression as soon as she placed a saddle on his back. He froze, head high, and eyes big. No outright refusal or acting out, no biting or back dropping. Just that freeze. She pulled the saddle and he relaxed again.
That got her thinking about possible causes and she went back through old pictures and found one from before his pasture wreck. Comparing the two was like looking at two different horses. Even without the saddle he was now showing all the signs of discomfort in his expression.
Realizing there is something going on and that he isn’t just being ‘naughty’ as behavior issues are so often thought to be, she started taking steps to fix his pain issues and get him back to the nice horse he once was.
So often these things creep up on us. A horse’s behavior will change so gradually we don’t notice an immediate start of the issue, we just wake up one day, months later, and have a different horse in front of us than what we remember from so long ago.
By taking note of facial expressions we can find root causes and notice when there is an issues. Horses speak loudly to us, if we take the time to notice.

Thick vs Thin

Some people like ’em thic. Others prefer long and lean..

Maybe our preference for body type is subconsciously based more in a preference for temperament type than build. More than we realize at least.

Studies in cattle have long since shown that the size of bone directly correlates to temperament. The smaller the bone the higher strung the cattle. Thicker bone shows quieter cattle.

That same thing can be see when we look at horses. An easy comparison is draft horse to Arabian. Big slow easy going draft horses, small energetic, high strung Arabs.

But! We all say, we’ve known quiet trustworthy Arabs and crazy high strung draft horses!

Whorls, dished faces, and all sorts of other clues come into play and can influence the effects of thick or thin bone. The best place to judge horses by their thickness is between two that are otherwise equal. If two horses have a high whorl but we want to tell the difference between them. That is where looking at thickness is best used.

The measurement of the leg bone is one easy place to judge. We can also look at the head. A long narrow head is the equivalent of thin leg bones. It will show a sensitive refined horse with delicate sensibilities. Narrow ears show far more sensitivity than wide ears. Even narrow set ears show more energy than wide set ears.

The clarity that thick vs thin can provide us reaches as far as the horse’s hair.

A full thick mane, with lush forelock growth that covers the eyes and most of the head shows a quieter, steadier horse than thin hair. Thin, fine hair growth accompanies a more energetic, sensitive temperament.

All of this is relative and in comparison to a horse who has the same basic features and whorl. With that kept in mind, thick vs thin can be an eyeopening comparison to make!

A Science And An Art

Science is beginning to prove that whorls really are connected deeply to temperament.
Which we have known all along.
Between finding the genes behind the whorls and temperament, and clinical studies showing strong similarities between reactions of animals with matching whorl types they have covered correlation and causation.
We can be sure that whorls are related to temperament.
The question is how?
Knowing whorls and temperament are related is science.
Figuring out exactly what the whorls mean is art. There are the old stories that have been passed down. These are filled with superstition and the results of bad training combined with a lack of veterinary care. They give us plenty of whorls that are bad luck. Ones that show a rider will die in the saddle or a horse who will bring ruin. The descriptions of the whorls that cause these things are loose and open to interpretation. If people hold to them many good horses will be bypassed.
Because everyone rides and trains horses differently, and has their own preferences for temperament types, some whorls get labeled good or bad without a closer look at what it is we’re calling bad.
Then there is the effect that whorls across the body have on movement, which in turn affects behavior.
Whorls an a horse’s body show how the horse will move and what their conformation is like. When whorls aren’t balanced, not matched from side to side, the horse wont bend equally. When the major whorls are not matched it can lead to imbalance all the way through the body. When a horse doesn’t feel secure in their movement it can lead to behavior that feels resistant, spooky, or even bucking and bolting.
The complication and interaction of whorls all across a horse’s body, affecting movement and how the horse feels, can lead us to think that the whorls on the head mislead us.
The other thing that needs taken into account is the shape of the horse’s features. Head shape, ears, chin, all of it combines with the whorls to give us an in depth and very nuanced picture of what the horse will be like.
Figuring out the similarities between temperament and whorls takes looking at many different horses and finding the thing that connects them. With all of the extras to sort through that can be difficult!

Equestrian Author Podcast

I have some rather exciting news and something a bit unusual to announce.
I had the pleasure of interviewing with Carly Kade a while back for her wonderful podacst, Equestrian Author Spotlight. It’s such a fun podcast to listen, all sorts of great authors to hear about and a fun place to find new book recommendations. It was an honor to get to be among those authors as a guest.

You can find more info on Carly, her podcast, AND her books here: https://www.carlykadecreative.com/

My podcast aired on Wednesday July 27th. You can find it on her website, Spotify, or wherever you like to get your podcasts.
As an extra bit of fun for the interview I took a look at Carly’s two horses. Here is the analysis of them:
Tanner is a very pretty buckskin mare.
She has a slightly high whorl, it’s set centered between both eyes, side to side but just above eye level. That will show very slight extrovert traits. Extroverts are very invested in the external world, everything going on around them. They want to go, to be moving all the time. Intelligent, emotional, and sensitive they will be as brave as they can be and eager to please with a sensitive supportive rider or a nervous wreck with a harsh rider who doesn’t give the support they need. So she will be a little bit of all or some of those things. This is a list of things we can expect to see some of. Not necessarily every single one of the things.
There is a line of feathering coming up from the whorl. Feathering is where the hair grows out from a center line. Like a feather. Feathering shows a horse that will have left brain traits, friendly, curious, confident, calm. Left brain horses can be friendly and confident to the point that they will walk through people, be pushy.
The feathering goes off at a bit of an angle. When feathering is in an S shape it often shows a horse that will be accident prone. Not sure if this is enough of an S or not for that.
Her profile is straight, that shows a steady dependable horse. Her chin is softly rounded without any ridges or points. That shows a horse who will be relaxed and easy going. She doesn’t carry tension in her chin. Her eye is soft and kind.
Sissy is a nice little paint.
Her forehead whorl is pretty much centered. That is usually said to show a quiet willing horse, easy going and uncomplicated. That can be true. It often is true, but not always. A single center whorl actually shows us no extremes of temperament. In order to see what the horse is going to be like we need to look at the shape of the head.
Her profile is mostly straight, which shows a steady horse, with a hint of a dish for some sensitivity.
The most noticeable thing about her is her chin. We can only see a bit of it here but that’s enough to see the flat lower lip that comes to a point at the chin. These chins are very distinct. The usually come with a straight, slightly dished profile and nostrils that are pulled back a little like we can see hers are around the edges.
When she gets upset, whether something scares her or she is asked to do too much in training, that chin will get rock hard. The lower lip will get flat and stick out like a pouting child.
The chin type is almost always accompanied by very thin sensitive skin, bothered quite a bit by bugs. Also very wrinkly. They can pull the nostrils back and the eye lids down until the area around them is wrinkled clear up.
Check out my interview here:

https://www.carlykadecreative.com/blog/episode-108-on-understanding-horse-whorls-benefits-of-trick-training-with-noche-miller-equestrian-author-spotlight-podcast

Side Whorls

Horses can have whorls on the sides of their heads as well as the front. These whorls have plenty of information to share. Whether they are on one side or both, the meanings stay the same.

A whorl on the temple shows a horse who is intelligent to the point of it being a problem for some people. Crazy smart, they are capable of coming up with all sorts of ways to keep themselves entertained. They need something to keep their very busy minds occupied.

Whorls on the jaw show a horse who is a left brain extrovert. A left-brain extrovert is a brave and curious horse. They are thinkers who can think up all sorts of trouble with their very active minds. They are curious and clever, usually very friendly, and can be pushy.

Whorls on the cheek also show left brain but also add in a tendency to hold onto tension. These whorls affect the temporomandibular joint (tmj) the jaw joint in simpler terms. This joint can tighten the poll which has an effect over the entire body. Cheek whorls, through their effect on the tmj ,can also be a sign that the teeth will wear unevenly. When behavioral issues come up in a horse with cheek whorls it is very important to check the teeth for problems and the tmj for tension.

Sometimes horses will have different combinations of these whorls. The individual meanings stay the same, just combined. Except for when they have all three which changes the effects slightly. Horses with all three are rare but it seems to produce a quiet, dependable horse who thinks things through instead of getting upset, who is willing and happy to try whatever is asked of him.

Introverts

Have you ever found yourself hiding from children? Wishing they would be still and leave you just a moments peace and quiet? Not that you don’t love them. Do you feel drained and exhausted after time spent at parties or with groups of people? Not that you don’t like them. Is time alone necessary to your survival and peace of mind?
Is so, you might be an introvert.
Because who doesn’t love Jeff Foxworthy.
Introverted horses have a lot in common with introverted people. Both are often misunderstood.
Being an introvert doesn’t mean a horse doesn’t like people. They can be very friendly and love attention. Being an introvert doesn’t mean a horse wont run around and play or have bursts of energy and want to run around.
An introvert needs time alone, not all the time, but some time to rest from the exhaustion that comes with people. Or maybe I should at least pretend I’m writing this about horses and say groups of horses. Although people must be just as taxing to their peace of mind.
An introvert holds their thoughts and opinions within. That doesn’t mean they don’t have them just that they don’t feel the need to let the world know about the the way an extrovert does. They need time to think things through and process the information they gather.
Although an introvert is capable of and happy to spend time running about, often they prefer to conserve their energy. More whoa than go is a common staple. When going is necessary we need to make sure not to ask for it just for the sake of going. Endless circles will drive an introvert crazy. Where they may help to calm an extrovert with soothing repetition.
Ask for a behavior once. If the horse gives you the right answer, let them stop. Give plenty of rest time to cement the correct answer given. Keep repetitions to a minimum.
With an introvert is there is a certain stoicism that goes beyond internalizing. It’s so much more than needing time to think or be alone. It’s an overwhelming need to avoid showing weakness or vulnerability. Introverts will hide pain and discomfort. Often seeming just fine before blowing up “out of no where”. In reality, the signs were there, subtle and nearly hidden. An introvert needs to be watched for the smallest signals something might be wrong. Things as small as a tightening of the eyes even when the body language says everything is fine.
As one introvert lover said, their horse is constantly fighting “an internal battle between wanting to be included and engaged but needing to have time to think.”
Hesitation to give love freely and instantly doesn’t mean an introvert wont be a loving horse. Give them time to get to know you. Time to think it through and develop trust. Once that has been given and you have earned their regard an introvert will be a devoted partner.
Don’t dismiss the introvert.

Horse Heads, It’s In The Breed

Are there certain whorls that are more common in certain breeds?
Perhaps. In one study just over 50 percent of Thoroughbreds were found to have high whorls. It’s a majority but leaves plenty of room in there for other whorls.
The thing that is more common in breeds is head shape.
We can tell just as much about a horse’s temperament by looking at head shape as we can by looking at whorls. So it isn’t surprising that the breed standard in head shape tells us a lot about what we can expect from the general temperament of horses in that breed.
Of course not all horses are going to have a head that perfectly fits the breed standard. The standard only gives a base line, all horses are individuals and there will be great variation in personalities and head shapes. There will also be a ‘normal’ expected type that we see most often in a breed.
Quarter horses typically have a straight profile, rectangular muzzle, the head is wide between the eyes with large jowls. The over all head shape is almost triangular as the wide forehead narrows down to a small muzzle. That shows a steady, dependable horse. Intelligent and able to work and learn easily because the large jowls allow them to take in plenty of air.
Morgans tend to be very rectangular in their head shape, the profile very straight. Morgan ears are shapely, alert, and prick towards the center. The combinations gives them extreme steadiness combined with lots of energy and sensitivity. It seems like an unlikely combination. Until you think about how they were bred back when horse needed to work all day long, and be cared for and handled by even the smallest family members. The combination of energy to go all day and the dependability to allow them to keep the family safe made for a treasured animal that was used to build farms, carried men to war, safely drove the family to town, and took care of the children.
Arabians have been bred in recent times to have anything from a slight to extreme dish in their profile. The dish shows sensitivity, how much depends on how much of a dish they have. The huge eyes show intelligence, and sometimes reactiveness or worry. The shapely pricked ears show sensitivity and energy.
Norwegian Fjords have extremely steady dependable head shapes, and often very interesting, unusual whorls to add interest to those steady heads. Saddlebreds have tough determined heads, with energetic, sensitive ears. Standardbreds have a reputation for not having pretty heads. What they do have is a head that shows a hard working horse, one who can stand up to hard work and is very business like. They have a job to do and will get to it without drama and theatrics. A very tough, dependable head, there is great beauty in that. There are as many different head types as there are breeds of horse.
All breeds that are bred for a temperament type ended up with a head shape that accompanied it. Other times it worked the other way around. A breed was carefully selected for a certain head shape. They then ended up with a temperament type, whether they meant to or not. Those head shapes, and therefore temperament ended up set as a breed standard. Whether or not those breeds have a certain whorl that is more likely to occur I don’t know. Yet. Head shape we do know for sure though.