Body Swirls And White Socks

I would not make any important decisions based on popular folklore regarding the outward appearance of a horse but I do find a lot of them interesting and entertaining. The no longer purported idea that white hooves are not as structurally strong as striped or solid dark colors probably established this pre-purchase advice: Four white socks pass him by, three white socks send him far away, two white socks try him, one white sock buy him. 

Jillie has a triple swirl on her face, which is rare and generally indicates a complex individual but not an unpredictable one. According to Linda Tellington-Jones’ book Getting In Touch With Your Horse, horses with multiple swirls may initially be difficult to train but are likely to become dedicated to a single person.  Traditionally, the Bedouins associated a long wheat shaft swirl on the center of the chest with an individual who is inclined to be unlucky.

​Oh dear! What have I done? I’ve chosen an unlucky, complicated Arabian with three white socks, and a mare to boot. Anyone who knows me is laughing his or her ass off right now.