Is Your Horse Training Old Fashioned?

"Because that's the way it's always been done." Have you ever heard that phrase (or something similar) used as an explanation for horse training?

That expression is often used by people who were "born in the saddle", so to speak, who use the same techniques that have been used by generations of people before them.

No questions asked.

Honestly, that's not a good reason for continuing to use training that involves force, punishment and a mindset that says we must dominate our horses.

Old Ways Are Not Always Better

Maybe you've had a similar experience to me - being taught traditional, old fashioned methods of handling and training horses when you first learned to ride.  

You've likely heard these phrases that go along with that old way of thinking about horses, too ...

• Don't show him you're afraid.
• Show him who's boss.
• Be the leader.
• Make him do it.

The mindset was that we must have absolute control of our horses. And that meant we had to dominate them or they would dominate us.

So, we used what ever was necessary to control our horse's behaviour. Even if that meant using chains, whips and training gadgets on the horses that we professed to love.

Just like you, I love horses. I loved, every horse that I was punishing.

Imagine if we did to other humans - to our children, spouses or employees - what is done to horses in the name of "training"? 

Imagine how you would feel if someone did it to you?

Personally, I'm done with that.

Time For A Change Of Mind

You want to have a real partnership with your horse. That requires earning his trust and helping him to feel safe. And we can't do that with the old fashioned, traditional training methods.

Over the past 30+ years, I've worked with a lot of horses. Some of them were horses who:

• had to be tranquilized every time the farrier did their feet
• injured their owners while being walked to the paddock
• were so shut down that they had no connection with their owners.

And it was working with those most difficult cases, that caused me to change.

Because whenever I meet a horse that offers a new challenge - where the methods I know don't work - I don't increase the pressure, the force or look for gadgets to "fix" the horse.

Now, I look for methods that require more of me ...

Modern Horse Training Builds True Partnership

Because you can't create a true, willing partnership with your horse on force or domination. At best you create an obedient, compliant servant.

Training to build a positive, true partnership requires deeper understanding of how:

• horses learn, think and communicate
• they see and interact with the world 
• to apply that perspective in handling and training them.

It's an old fashioned, out of date belief that horses try to manipulate or control us. Their brains simply don't work that way.

Most of all, what they do look for is safety and security.

And, if they don't find that with us, they will never trust us.

They will never become willing partners.

They will always prefer to be with other horses.

Please don't confuse obedience with trust and respect. When forceful old fashioned horse training methods are used, your horse may be compliant, but he also may become, shut down, stressed, anxious and difficult (or even dangerous) to handle.

When we work with our horses in a way that makes sense to them, then handling and training them becomes safer and less stressful for the horse and for us.

In addition, using positive reinforcement to train horses rather than force or punishment, makes learning fun, less stressful and more interesting for the horses... and for us.

• The horse enjoys being with you..
• The horse learns how to learn.
• The horse develops more confidence .

So, why don't more people do horse training using positive reinforcement?

Because it requires that we change. And that's not always easy.

But, I can tell you from personal experience - from over 30 years of working with horses - that there is a better way to train horses than the old fashioned, traditional, "because we've always done it that way", methods.

And, it's definitely worth the effort to learn how to train horses differently in the long run.

You'll both be happier and on your way to being more ...

Calm, Confident and Connected with your horse.