How to Select an Equine Athlete
by Al Dunning
Many people wonder how to predict the next champion, whether considering a homebred youngster or while searching for an unproven horse to buy. We asked Al these three questions about selecting a quality equine athlete.
Question: When selecting horses what is more important to you—conformation and breeding, or mind, heart and trainability?
Answer: When selecting a horse I first want them to be bred to excel in the event I’m choosing them for. Second, they must have correct conformation to help insure their soundness and have the athleticism to perform to a high standard. After that, if they are old enough I ride them to evaluate their trainability and mind. It is hard to know if they have the heart until we get into the training and showing. A horse’s past history should give you a key to many of their attributes.
Question: At what point in a horse’s training can you make an accurate prediction of how talented they will be?
Answer: There are times that I can tell in one ride that a horse is extremely talented, willing and understands what I’m asking him to do. That horse, 90% of the time, is close to a “sure thing.” On the other hand, there are some horses that I ride for the first time and find they are clumsy, don’t think well, are discontent with the process, have no understanding, etc. This horse I know is a lost cause for major competition. The most difficult horse to predict for talent is the average horse. The horse might play you along for 6 months, promising excellence, and then not advance past mediocre. That same average horse can one day, out of the blue, have the light go on! He suddenly and unexpectedly becomes brilliant and finally comes to the party, doing his job well and wanting to please you.
Question: What do you think separates a good horse from a really good horse?
Answer: I have trained hundreds of horses in the past 50+ years. The good ones let you train them to do certain things and have a good expression. They have attentive ears, bright eyes and show little resistance. The better horses are trainable and have special talents. The great ones—and there are only a few in a lifetime, at best— seem to love showing and truly are a partner in the endeavor to excel. They think like you are thinking, and have the heart of a champion. This is hard to understand unless you have experienced the unbelievable relationship where horse and man become one.
Published in January 2016 Issue
Al Dunning of Scottsdale, Arizona, is one of the most respected horsemen in the industry. Al and his students have garnered 48 world and reserve world championships. He has held numerous national leadership positions and earned multiple honors including induction into the AzQHA Hall of Fame. His 50+ years of experience as a professional trainer has led him to produce books, DVDs, clinics, Team AD online mentoring, and AD Tack, selling all the tack he uses as well as his books and videos. Al’s ability to reach people comes from his love of horses and out of respect to the mentors in his own life. For more information, visit https://www.aldunning.com or www.aldunningsadtack.com.
