your opinion

I agree with kevinshorses.

And to add to that, I think the ability to earn a horse's trust and respect and get the horse to work with you willingly is extremely important. Also, a good horseman is knowledgeable and skillful in every aspect of horses, not just riding. There are plenty of good riders out there that wouldn't know how to groom a horse if their life depended on it.

Patients,
Respect,
Trust

I think a good horseman/person is someone who has an unfaltering empathy for the horse's thoughts, emotions, and instincts and is commited to working with those factors rather than against them. In addition to this, a good horseperson should also have a LOT of common sense, patience, and persistence, and a willingness to learn from the horse, and, rather than remaining rigid in their philosophy about horse training, allowing each horse to teach them how it needs to be trained. That may sound philosophical and hokey, but it's worked for me throughout the years.

I totally agree all the way! Although I would add trust in their horse and courage

-A horseman is both perfect and flawed.
-He has the confidence to get things done and the humility to accept defeat and accept help from others.
-A horseman has quiet hands and legs and a good seat.
-He is willing to try new things, but has himself rooted to what he knows.
-A horseman knows how to listen to his elders, but also respects the knowledge of those younger than himself.
-A horseman can be just as good if he is fifty or he is fifteen, he is ageless.
-He can be self taught or have learned from other horsemen.
-He is wise, courageous, calm, patient, clever, intuitive, and intelligent.
-He knows how to listen to logic, but at the same time listen to his heart.
-He has an ingrained feel for horses in his blood and bones.
-A horseman knows there is no such thing as a bad horse, no such thing as " I have done all I can do".
-He has common sense and a kind heart.
-He realizes that a Horse is an animal without human emotions, but that they do feel, and he respects and empathizes with that.
-To a horseman there are no lost causes, just longer days and sore hands and backs.
-A horseman is not judged by the number of horses in his stable, but by the sweat he has poured into his passion, and his passion is horses.
-He sees horses more than profit, more than a tool or hobby.
-He does not react with anger, but acts with logic and common sense before the need to react arises.
-He knows that horses don't fit into a timeframe.
-You cannot make a good horseman, it is something that is in a persons soul.
-He has a drive to be the best he can be, to learn and evolve.

Add to that what Kevin said, and that is my opinion of a good horseman. And I agree with the "horsepeople" thing. I think that is a great way to put it Kevin.

So true.

I've read other good posts as well. One thing I would like to add, is think like a horse... don't expect them to think like a human

i would say they have patience, can ride or work with whatever you ask them to, kind to the animal, knows how to ride well. When i say kind to the animal i dont mean just ride it lightly. My friends will ride the horse until it gets what they want and everybody hates them because you can go out to their ranch and pick out any horse and you WILL find spurs scares on the horse, not because the guys are mean because when the horse doesn't listen their idea is to MAKE it listen even if it is through blood and pain. But i would say other then that their are great horsepeople

empathy looking at them laughin at you whilst your workin out just how your going to get them around to your way of thinkin

buddy09, i dont think thats good horsemanship your friends have there. a good horseman can get a horse to understand without blood and pain, thats the sort of horsemanship that tells me they are not good horsemen at all, in fact i think its the sort of thinking that makes me know why i dont like a lot of horsepeople. i wouldnt claim them as friends, period.

I agree with lille.