16 SIDELINES JULY 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
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Finding Your Perfect Partner
By Brianne Goutal
Owning horses is one of the most rewarding experiences I know,
but selecting a horse that complements you can be a challenge for
professionals and amateurs alike. What to look for in a new horse
differs depending on what you plan to do together. For instance,
a Low Junior jumper doesn’t have to posses the same amount of
scope a Grand Prix horse must. When I’m selecting a horse to
become my newest partner, there are four main aspects I always
consider.
Soundness and Conformation
The first aspect I take into account when looking at a new
horse is his or her model or conformation, which can determine
his or her soundness and ability to compete. I always pay close
attention to legs and feet to make sure they’re straight, well set
and symmetrical. When I tried Zernike, one of the first things I
noticed was his conformation. He’s short coupled, symmetrical and
compact. He has a broad chest and well-set neck and haunches
and matching shoulder and pastern angles. These qualities make
him a physically strong jumping horse.
Jumping Technique
Next I look at the horse’s style of jumping or technique.
Depending on how the horse jumps, his or her style can sometimes
make certain types of courses more or less complicated. For
example, a low or dangly front end can often make combinations
difficult. When I tried Onira, Frank Madden set a 1.50m vertical
and told me, “Gallop down to it and drop him!” His stylistic reaction
was extraordinary; the last stride before takeoff, he set himself
and backed off the jump so that he had enough room to tuck his
front end evenly beneath him, thereby missing hitting the rail. He
exhibited a strong technique from day one.
Scope
Judging a horse’s scope is extremely important when looking for
a horse for show jumping. When I’m buying a horse, I’m expecting
it to jump a certain level, so I must judge if the horse has the
scope to jump the jumps I need it to. If not, no matter how great
the horse is, we’ll never be a successful team. The day I tried Nice
de Prissey, I remember being overwhelmed by how much scope
he had. He bounded through lines and over the jumps. I’ve never
felt another horse like him who gives you the feeling that you can
jump a house if you want to.
The Will to Perform
Finally, all of my horses have one thing in common: the will
to compete and perform. In my opinion, this is the most crucial
aspect to worry about — a horse’s attitude — because I’m a firm
believer that it directly relates to performance. Winners have a
certain fight in them.
I always pay attention to a horse’s eye because I believe you
can judge kindness and willingness through the eyes. When I look
at videos, I look closely at how a horse responds with its ears
because this shows how happy it is to complete the task at hand.
I never buy a horse who seems against me or uninterested in its
job. Some people disagree that attitude is everything but in my
opinion, there’s a major correlation. I can say with pride that all my
horses are kind and even if they make a mistake, they always try
to please and perform well.
Each horse has his or her own strengths and weaknesses and
they must all be assessed individually in order to determine their
suitability for their future job. It’s important to settle with the fact
that it’s impossible to find a perfect horse. I try to meet all my
demands for quality, talent and attitude, but normally you have
to settle somewhere. I feel you can improve style and scope to
some extent, and problems of conformation are aspects your vet
can decide if you can live with. The one area I refuse to settle
is attitude because, at the end of the day, I need a partner who
wants to win as much as I do.
About the writer: Brianne Goutal is a 2012 graduate of Brown University and
professional show jumper. She made history by becoming the only person to win all
four junior equitation finals.
Brianne and
Nice de Prissey
– a horse with
tremendous scope.
Photo by Isabel Kurek
