Kerry Thomas and Calvin L. Carter have co-authored a new book published on May 15, 2012, “Horse Profiling: The Secret to Motivating Equine Athletes.”
The authors explain that by using "Emotional Conformation, Behavioral Genetics and Herd Dynamics to Choose Training ... and Hone Competitive Strategy, horse owners can better understand the psyche of their horses and determine how to best enhanced the horse athlete's performance.
Understanding the horse psyche
Many great horses fail to reach their true potential, while others, perhaps thought to be less great in form and function, reach the pinnacle of their sport or discipline.
It is no secret that speed, stamina, jumping ability, and athletic prowess depend on the horse’s physical ability to perform—to run, stop, turn, balance, and to be powerful or graceful. However, the world has seen many “great” athletic bodies, human and horse, fail to reach their true potential, while others, perhaps thought to be less great in form and function, reach the pinnacle of their sport or discipline.
In the world of human athletes, we might claim hard work, “grit,” or “heart” as the force greater than muscle that propels them to the top. But the horse doesn’t have performance goals in the way we do, so what is it that motivates one racehorse to leave the rest of the field behind to cross the finish line first?
Early on in his research of wild horse herds in Wyoming and Montana, Kerry Thomas determined that what he calls “Emotional Conformation”—not physical conformation—governs equine herd dynamics. At that moment he understood that, regardless of breed or career, an Emotional Conformation Profile could dictate in large part the success or failure of the horse in the human environment—including performance sports and competition.
Focusing on this research, Kerry began to cultivate ways in which a horse’s “mental capacity” could be identified and then “conditioned” toward a given goal. In these pages, Kerry explains how it is possible to determine if a horse has what it takes inside him to make what he has on the outside great.
Can your racing prospect handle distance? Does your event horse have the “finish” to clear that last enormous cross-country obstacle when his legs are tired? Is your reining horse capable of maintaining focus in the face of large crowds and multiple distractions? These are the questions Horse Profiling helps answer.
The information for this news article is taken from promotional materials for this newly published book which is available through Amazon.com and most book stores.