Long swirls, especially those that extend below the eyes indicate a friendly and agreeable nature.Swirls higher on the forehead indicate greater intelligence and a more reactive nature.One swirl between the eyes indicates an easy going, uncomplicated horse.Ideal swirl pattern – one swirl on the forehead between the eyes, and 2 identical swirls on either side of the bridlepath, not extending past the length of the ear folded back. Here are the most common swirl patterns and their supposed meanings: The theory states that as energy flows through the body it is redirected or disrupted by unusual swirls, causing the reactive or explosive nature of horses with the undesirable swirl pattern. Also, the nervous system and the skin come from the same embryonic layer, further pointing towards a connection between swirls and the brain. The forehead swirls are considered to be the most indicative of temperament because the forehead hair is the first to grow on the embryonic fetus, and it is thought that the development of swirls is linked directly to development of the brain. This is why swirls were also used as a way to identify horses on old registry papers and other places where identifications was needed. Linda Tellington Jones popularized the swirl method with her research in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.Ī horse’s swirls are formed before birth and never change. European gypsies also relied on the study of swirls as did many old time horseman. The method of swirls to make assumptions about a horse date back to the Bedouins of Arabia. I decided to find out what the theory was behind swirls and then examine some of the horses I am currently working with to do my own little subjective study.įirst off, a swirl is a patch of hair growing in a different direction, also called whorls, cowlicks, and trichoglyphs, and are found on the horses forehead, on the flanks, and numerous other places over the body. In recent months, I have had several people bring up the subject of swirls and their meaning, and this time my interest was piqued enough to persuade me to do some research. Probably because the few times I heard about swirls were from a particular horse dealer who was persuading me to buy a specific horse and pointed out he had the “swirls of a champion.” I never bothered to learn more, assuming swirls were just an old wives tail used by dealers to sell horses. I was aware that some people paid attention to swirls and their meanings, but I had honestly never gave them a second thought. Did you ever consider that the swirl on a horse’s body could give you instant clues to his personality? Or they could help predict where a horse many be stiff, resistant, or have trouble bending?
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