As a young rider my horse rushed his jumps. I reasoned it was a good thing – he was “keen” to jump and so was I!He never refused. In fact, on approach to every fence, his ears would perk up, his head would lift up and his legs would speed up. While I may have … Read more
“I believe that responsible horse owners essentially ‘owe’ it to their horses to either reduce or manage stress wherever and whenever possible,” Dr. Camie Heleski, equitation science researcher and senior lecturer for U of Kentucky. Obviously, there’s no way to eliminate stress in working with horses. The nature of horse training is that we’re pushing … Read more
Once a horse discovers how to escape a rider’s noisy or inconsistent hands, he may auto-hide behind the bit, even with a rider of educated hands. … He’s found an escape route that works and behind-the-bit becomes his default whether or not the threat is still present.
“Hurt me once, shame on you. Hurt me twice shame on me”. So the saying goes. Like horses, people protect themselves from further hurt by avoiding confrontation, love or risk.