A bit about training, and why fear and force is not the way.

Given recent events on social media I feel compelled to address training methods and why fear and force is for some reason still a prevalent method of training. I want to open this by saying if you have yet to see the disturbing and disgusting video that surfaced of a top level eventing rider hitting a horse with a tree branch to get it to jump down a bank into water then you should count yourself lucky. Now I will not claim to be perfect, and I am sure that there have been moments in my riding career that I may have let my anger and frustration get the best of me but I can assure you that I would never, ever, in a million years think to grab a tree branch and start hitting a horse with it simply because it didn’t do as I asked. I have trained under people with the mindset of training through force and fear and I can tell you with 100% certainty this does not get you the results you’re looking for.

In my experience, it is better to move forward with a training method using positive reinforcement. It is always important to remember in training horses that every single horse is different and every single horse may require a different training style or method. We understand that people have different learning styles, so why is it so hard for some of us to understand that horses and animals are the same? Every single horse we train has something to teach us if we are willing to listen. I think the problem we’ve run into is that these trainers who use more forceful methods are of the mindset that it’s “my way or the highway” and don’t take the time to learn whatever it is that this horse may have to teach.

A lot of this may simply come down to a person’s upbringing and environment as they were learning to train horses. If you learned under a forceful type trainer you’re very likely to continue to use that methodology. Training through force and fear is so detrimental to the horses. It doesn’t instill confidence, and could cause other issues down the road if the horse ends up in the hands of a more timid rider. If you’re a trainer that finds forceful and fearful methods acceptable, it may be time to seek out attending clinics or taking lessons with someone who understands how to train without those methods. After all, riding is about a connection and partnership with the horse. It is not about dominating an animal. There should be a mutual respect between horse and rider. If there isn’t, you’ve put this animal in a situation where they feel whoever is the strongest has power. This will result in an animal becoming violent or dangerous in the hands of someone who does not exude the same dominating presence as you might. As an aside here, I do also want to add that we should not condemn a person because of one bad act. It is possible to learn and grow from it, and we should acknowledge when people do just that. I’m sure that every single horse trainer has a moment they’ve reacted in such a way that they’re now a bit ashamed of. We’re all learning and growing all the time.

This style of training through fear and force stems from one very frustrating and important factor worth discussing in this sport: the need for improvement and results. We should never, ever attempt to rush a horse’s training to meet our own deadlines. Setting a harsh deadline for your horse and demanding that they reach it is setting yourself up for failure. We shouldn’t be out here comparing ourselves and our journey with our horses to other people. Can you get a horse going under saddle in 30 days? Sure. Will that be possible for all horses? Absolutely not. If a client tells you they want their horse to be walk, trot, canter, and jumping 2’6″ by May 1st you can certainly try your best to accomplish that, but the last thing you want to do is resort to force and fear to do it. You could very well ruin the horse if you do. Instead, you have to be able to say that you will keep them updated on the training progress, and if there are any set backs you will let them know. How would you feel if your trainer said you had to be able to lift 500lbs by May 1st and all you’re doing now is carrying in your groceries from the car? Depending on your skill and strength that could be an incredibly unrealistic expectation. Why on earth would we do that to our horses?

Is it okay to set a goal with a deadline? Absolutely! Some horses could very well go from minimal handling to cantering around and jumping courses over the span of 2-4 months. You are not wrong to ask that the horse try to accomplish that goal. However, you absolutely cannot make that a hard deadline and forcefully demand results. Here’s an example: My horse Bill was jumping well at the beginning of 2021. Mid June 2021 he developed some confidence issues with jumping and we had to start from the ground up again, and were not jumping similar heights to May 2021 until late October 2021. This is OKAY. Did it disappoint me that we missed every single show and horse trial I had set out to attend? OF COURSE! Did I try to force him to do it just because I wanted to compete? No. Ribbons are NOT everything. The happier and more confident your horse is, the better you’ll place at competitions when you are both ready for them. There is no rush.

This is one thing I love about the US Event Horse Futurity process. I entered my young horse Cali (Tiny Dancer) into the futurity this year with the hope that we might qualify and make it to the championships. She’s moving along beautifully in her training but I can already tell she has some anxiety about the canter and it will absolutely need some work before we begin jumping under saddle. If she’s not ready for the qualifiers or championships, there is no penalty. The organizers of these events and processes understand that every horse matures differently and some may not mature enough to be able to qualify and compete, but they still promote the horses and their trainers anyway. Why? Because it is important to understand that the training process is not straight forward and simple for every horse. They are trying to bring light to the fact that there are always set backs in training and you absolutely have to take those in stride and just keep moving forward as best you can. If Cali and I don’t get to the championships I will not be angry or frustrated. I might be a bit disappointed as it is something I’m hoping for, but I will absolutely not try to force her to be ready.

The moral of this story? We as an equestrian community need to stop pushing hard deadlines and performance requirements on our horses. We need to take the time to train them at a pace that is suitable for the individual animal and not resort to force or fear just to see the results we want. There may be some cases where you buy a jumping prospect and later find out that the horse either has absolutely no talent or absolutely no drive to jump and that is OKAY. If you don’t want to do the same discipline the horse seems to prefer and/or excel at you should find someone who does and send the horse to a home where it will be happy. Is that hard to do if you’ve fallen in love with the horse already? OF COURSE! But we need to start putting our horse’s needs before our own and make the right choice for their mental health and quality of life. Your horse doesn’t care about the ribbons it’s won or the level it is competing at. Your horse just loves you and loves being a horse. The very least you could do is respect that and do what’s best for them.

Horses are animals that we connect with and build a bond and relationship with beyond just riding. They are our best friends. Why aren’t we acting like it?