The Bravery Test

Description

A good Event horse must be brave. To be really safe in this sport, the horse has to really want to go tackle the unknown wherever we may be pointing them. Many hearts have been broken over beautiful, athletic, and talented horses that just didn't have this quality. While bravery can be developed to some degree through training, most horses have an innate limit. And it is a shame to waste time, money, and effort... not to mention mental anguish, and sometimes even injury... to try to take a horse past that limit. 

So how can you tell if the horse you are working with is innately brave or not? I have a quick easy little test that I have found to quite accurately predict how brave and willing a horse will be. And no, it is not jumping through a ring of fire! Read on to find out about this little test that can be done with a horse of any age or level of experience: