The difference between having control and losing control of a horse rests partly in the concept of yielding to pressure. Most riders understand that to have a reliable horse yielding must be properly established. However, yielding has some fundamental parts that have to be conditioned in a horse before a yield is clearly understood. To expect a horse to yield as a conditioned response before it gives and goes on pressure signals creates major problems with horses.

To act with a horse involves activating responses. Conditioned responses, desirable behaviors, are not formed by letting a horse act any old way it wants to or making it behave using restriction. A horse learns that he must be good for something. In fact, true communication and control of any horse is not just about the pressure caused; the control must come from the release of pressure. Otherwise, improper tactics, even pain takes over controlling the horse. This approach would only curb the distrusting horse from wanting to move away from the rider.

The goal of horsemanship is to cause learning to occur without forcing a horse's will. Often reactionary behavior is a necessary derivative for responsive behavior. In other words, uncontrollable movements, such as moving away from pressure, enable controllable movements to emerge. A horse needs to learn the difference and to not fear any form of pressure. However, the necessary evil is that a horse likely will flee before it decides to draw to a person in trust, and a horse may do the opposite-innate movement before it does a responsive-desirable one. Horsemanship is not achieved by letting a horse act anyway it wants to; a cause and effect or pressure and release correlation has to occur for a horse to understand. Therefore, motivating a horse to respond willingly is a delicate task.

I thought I might paraphrase some concepts I have written as well as other equine authors. This way a variety of ideas and truths about horses may help you get better started with your horse into the new millennium.

Day after day people are confident and happy that the horse is happy because they believe this is the case. However, some misconceptions can be proven to be incorrect. Fact can motivate the horse owner to question traditional truisms.

One fact of life is that everything changes. In fact, this is the only constant we can rely on in the human experience and in nature. However, change itself becomes something that humans fear and often seek to avoid. A horse is closer to nature and often handles change very well. The more natural a horse is the closer it is to the elements; therefore, the better it adapts to change.

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.

The first thing that has to be realized by the rider/owner is that to lead a horse implies leadership. To lead is part of being a leader in the first place. If the rider/owner does not represent leadership in a horse, then it has no choice but to naturally take on that role for them. In other words, trust and/or respect must be utilized in a horse by the rider/owner in order to develop a leadership role.

Tidbits to know about horses.

By negotiating control in a horse through release and reward versus arbitrarily making a horse do things, it then preserves itself by constantly achieving place of contentment and knowing where to be with the rider. This is a place were outside pressure or physical changes cease to drive the horse to act. Negotiating with a horse by the release of pressure sets a foundation for the horse to trust and relate to when confused or scared. The idea is that giving and/or yielding to pressure, while not fleeing or resisting it, is the way to go and it has benefits.