Fear is not something to be ashamed of. It can be used to help our horses by turning it from a negative that interferes with our enjoyment and learning to a positive that keeps us safe and builds our confidence. But it takes a lot of work.
Lately, horse abuse by some high-profile horse trainers has been in the news. Public outrage has been loud. It’s hard to imagine the perpetrators are unaware that what they do is animal abuse.
As I said at the start, the distinction between using pressure to get a horse to do something and getting it to let go of doing something is subtle. I don’t know some people who understand this and fewer people who teach it.
I want to introduce you to a few of my long-time learners who have graduated from student to teacher. I was thinking about how many years had I been a professional horse person and the people I have worked with.
