Discipline to horses is a system of rules and a basic framework in which they derive an ordered way of being. A well-disciplined horse is a happy, responsible and dependable. Movement is a horse's prime motivator which enables discipline to occur. Restriction and pain actually punish a horse and may kill certain behaviors producing a dysfunctional horse, but discipline teaches a horse how to function. It is used in training in various ways to develop a means to certain ends. A properly disciplined horse is a responsible horse, whether the horse is with the handler or within the Herd structure, it knows where to be for all the right reasons. A horse is content in its environment and is not searching for a place to be nor does it avoid the pressure another causes for fear of the consequences. A horse accepts where it is and why it is there and will search for that place always to regain its freedom.

However, most horses are not in this perfect and balanced state especially alongside a rider. The more natural a horse is the more content it should be. A natural horse possesses a strong value system such as trust and respect for other horses and people. Discipline or disciplining this type of horse would be at a very minimal level because the willingness to respond is so high. Most disciplinary actions are a bluff. For example, one horse gestures to a subordinate to yield without having to actually physically drive it around to teach it a lesson. The more un-natural or humanized a respective horse is the weaker it's self reliance. It may be beyond respecting other horses and people or it will not even respect itself. It's will is weak because it is waited on Hand and foot by the human. The need for discipline and some sort of meaning dramatically increases and often the human has to step aside and the horse has to be integrated to a structured-balanced herd to re-align its value system.

One common way a horse is disciplined by its own kind is to be cast away from the herd. Essentially the horse is denied a content place to be within the herd structure. A horse moves away and eventually the horse is allowed in if enough respect and willingness becomes evident to the herd leader.

Another way a horse is disciplined is by mistake or experience. The naive young horse or new horse has taken the wrong place for the line up to the water trough and is reprimanded by the superior horse. The uneducated horse tries to get ahead of another horse in turn that respective horse defensively maintains its place in the herd structure. The lead Mare which is disciplining warns first and may then have to act by nipping the horse in the Flank or Neck to move to a different place or the horse is cast away for awhile. If the horse disobeys the mare, it may not be allowed into favorable positions until the lead mare allows it.

A horse will only defensively kick in fear. If a horse has produced too much discipline for the subordinate’s error then the means are too strong for the desired ends; the disciplined horse will kick Back in reaction to the mean horse. Horses seem to always accept human reprimand if it is simultaneous and at the instant the defiance has happened, and in the right measure. Horses disrespect riders when there is error in timing and judgment. Even more error occurs if the signal that disciplines the horse is out of sync with the spot where the infraction occurred i.e. jerking a horse's mouth for doing something wrong in its movement doesn't make sense to it. Horses seem to marvel in doing things for the rider once they find out what to do rather than being told only what not to do all of the time!

A horse accepts discipline if it realizes the mistake. Too much discipline bogs down a horse's willingness with overbearing structure. An intermittent tap on a horse's hip to drive it forward at the precise feeling of the horse's defiance is earth shattering to the horse because the rider predicted the resistance and acted so correctly. This is much more effective than 100 miss-timed and incorrect kicks to the horse's side! It's like if you know someone's behavioral pattern and you suddenly break or change the limiting pattern of the behavior before it starts. Then, the person or horse has to be told what to do in order to replace an old pattern of thinking with a new one. This empowers them.

What you can expect from an undisciplined horse is disrespectful behavior. To expect respectfulness takes a reversal of roles whereby the horse's behavior must center on the rider. The rider causes and/or applies pressure and applies the release-effect. Can you as a human be a strong as the lead mare and stand steadfast by the rules? Can you positively instill or maintain the proper values in the horse?

Examples of undisciplined horse habits:

• When leading the horse, it leads you!
• Pressure only controls the horse at all times, instead of the release factor
• Shies at something and goes through you to avoid it
• Deliberately kicks, bites, rears, or runs away or threatens to do these things
• Extremely mean to other horses
• He becomes nervous with any type of change i.e. leaving home, trailer loading, changing things etc.

Without discipline a person would end up cheating the system or other people of the respect for human values, law and order and so on. Freedom without earning it or having value of it means nothing. Freedom that is earned and learned through respect and responsibility is earnestly valued. Discipline develops order and freedom for horses, and humans. The horse like the person learns to be responsible for its actions. When it encounters the human environment a well adjusted horse manages the cause and effects of pressure correctly. The horse likely will not over react to the riders pressure points and the horse will respond willingly by not quitting or finding and way out of situations. I have found that a horse will usually let go of resistance to pressure or a situation more easily the more naturally adjusted it is. If the respectful horse responds accordingly, the lead mare releases the signal for the right place to be i.e. spatial distances; movement and place are the meaningful positions for horses. The movement of the Hoof and the reason for that specific movement (or the hoof not moving) is any horse's reason to be.

An undisciplined horse is an accident waiting to happen. This type of horse usually develops nasty human qualities. This type of horse will become uneasy, scared of its own shadow and will often be over sensitive and thus over react to various pressure scenarios. Life becomes uncomfortable and discontent. Using movement as a motivator and de-motivator along with rider skill will re-establish a responsible natural way of being in the horse. The horse learns to move into a (constant) pressure area for a reward instead of running away or avoiding these areas which develops trust. And, the horse learns to move in certain responsive ways to intermittent signals the rider causes. Movement guarantees the understanding of horse and rider which translates to keeping the nature of the horse strong and vital. To restrict and punish a horse for certain movements only limits any chance of learning to occur. A horse does not move freely, willingly and contently without some timely discipline along the way!