06/22/2024
In terms of bad horsemanship, there are few things worse than doing things that make a horse nervous and anxious, and then punishing the horse for the “bad” behavior that the rider caused.
And every day, any place that humans deal with horses, this is exactly what we see so much of.
It is easier and more satisfying to blame the horse than to blame our inability to train and ride well.
Learning how to ride and train well enough to create calm, willing partners is hard. Not too many riders can do it, but most think they can.
And that’s why the vicious circle keeps playing out, the rider does something to make the horse worry. The worried horse reacts. The rider punishes the reaction. The horse gets more worried and ramps up the reaction, which makes the already annoyed or angry rider react with MORE pressure, and yet another World War Three is under way. We watch this all the time.
Go for a walk instead, Learn to ride, maybe?
