I hope we all appreciate that solving training problems works best when we change the way a horse thinks and feels about the root cause of a problem.
I have a question and would like to know your thoughts and reasoning behind them.
What leads to the worst outcomes - leaving holes in the basic training or having a bad experience after adequate basic training?
Is a problem with trailer loading harder to overcome if it is caused by holes in training on the lead rope, or if a horse leads brilliantly but now refuses to load because it had a trailer loading accident?
What is harder to address: a horse that bolts on the trail because it was never taught to stay mentally and emotionally connected to the rider, or a horse that has a good connection to its rider but was attacked by a swarm of bees on a trail ride?
When considering how to address a problem, it’s worth considering whether the cause was a lack of good basics or one or more traumatic events. What is easier to work through? A horse that has good basics but had a traumatic experience, or a horse that has big, dark holes left in their basic foundational training?
something touched my foot. Photo by Tim Hartson