Where is the line between training a horse to perform tricks and good horsemanship. Should all training teach a horse to be just as comfortable to ground tie or cross a puddle or open gates as it is to teach high level movement?
SOME THOUGHTS ON TOUCHING A HORSE
I keep coming across articles and videos that promote the idea that touching a horse (patting, rubbing, stroking, or whatever you want to call it is an important part of the training process. I’ve seen it several times lately. The premise seems to be that horses like to be touched by people and find it comforting. Therefore, touching a horse is said to be a powerful way of rewarding a horse for doing well or comforting a worried horse.