Obedience is only the beginning and not the end. Many people conflate obedience with willingness. Both are part of training, but they produce very different outcomes for the horse.
It seems a willingness, if lacking when a horse is first handled and trained, can be taught, encouraged, and nurtured by the human. Is work ethic similar…
I don't know what people mean by a horse having a good work ethic. If we consult the dictionary, work ethic is defined as the principle that working hard is intrinsically virtuous or rewarding in itself. Horses definitely don't fit that definition.
