They asked if a horse must always experience emotional stress when learning a new task. They said that one of the first things that attracted them to clicker training was the idea of low or no-stress training. At first, this seemed to be the case.
Shut down horses appear quiet and safe. They are not. Shut-down horses appear calm and relaxed. They are not. Shut down horses appear happy. They are not. And we do that to them
Horse people have only one job. And horses have only one job. It’s the most important job and it's the job that supersedes all other jobs. Nothing is more important when it comes to training. The job is to be focused and connected. That’s it. That’s the job.
A horse’s brain works best when the emotions are calm. A horse is better able to engage its problem-solving skills when it does not feel the need to save its life. The emotions that accompany “survival mode” definitely hinder a horse’s ability to think
