Horse Learning Tips

Horse Learning

Irrelevant of where in the world one is, there is always learning opportunities... Even if "just" from the horse's communication and behavior.

What I see as a consistent hindrance in one's learning- whether in the horse world or outside of it- is the preconceived notion/idea/framing/assumptions of what "it" will be like to learn (how long, effective, worthwhile, etc.)...

Without a Commitment to maintaining Curiosity, there is no long lasting motivation (or openness) to learn, experiment, evolve, and grow.

Blindly mimicking or imitating teachers, or creating desensitizing and mind numbing patterns, leads to complacency without growth.

"I just want to..."

"I know I should, but..."

"Why can't I just..."

The unfuzzy reality is that it doesn't matter what "you want" when working with a 1,000lb prey animal.

You have a choice to learn to acknowledge and address them in a manner that builds their trust and try. Or, you can use the human centric tactics based on fear, redundancy, equipment, critique, and imposition, while hoping that you don't have one of "those" horses who is "difficult."

Either way, your horse is at the mercy of every one of your choices.

Please consider if your decisions, learning approach, and skill set is helping the horse, or providing instant gratification convenience for you...