But behavioural problems in training often stem from our misreading of a horse’s nature and our ability to compensate and adjust our training. It begins by appreciating the true nature of our horses and understanding how that should influence the way we work with them.
Contractual Trust
Cross Ties
Their purpose is to restrict the movement of a horse when tied up. They hinder the horse’s ability to swing around or turn its head. Every attempt by a horse to swing its neck is met with pressure. They act by flooding a horse with pressure until it gives up fidgeting in futility. Cross-ties are anti-training because they do not address the cause of the problem, only the symptom.
Keeping The Horse In The Horse
Discomfort Avoider or Comfort Seeker
People argue whether or not a horse can be happy in their work. I have serious doubts about their ability to be happy regarding work as if it were something they would choose to do. However, I do believe horses can feel contented and untroubled by working with us. But it can only come by helping them understand that their idea to avoid discomfort comes about by following our idea to work together.
Learning to Wait
Waiting has always been a challenge for me. I think those early years of learning to be effective also taught me that horses were meant to be on my schedule, not me on theirs. But my friend showed me that to get something done when a horse was not ready was an abuse of power and privilege – it’s what bullies do, not horsemen. My job was to either wait for them to be ready or find a way to help them become ready.