I recall an interview with a racehorse trainer in Hong Kong. He was asked what made the horses run so fast. He replied they ran fast because of their fear.
The next time you get frustrated because your horse keeps falling in on a circle or insists on moving with its head up or hops into the trot, ask yourself what will it take to make the new way of moving feel more comfortable than the old way?
In the process of learning and memory, the strength of the emotions we associate with the experience is a large determinant of how well we learn. An early bad experience is often associated with stronger emotions than an early good experience.
Instead of thinking about a horse’s primary thought determining the bend, consider the idea that the primary thought should direct the movement. Where a horse is thinking is where it should be moving.
