06/02/2026
🥹 Too Good Not to share🥹
We have to re-train our eyes to see correct movement and reread the old school dressage manuals that emphasized slow progression through the training scales for a reason.
Unfortunately the way the human brain works is seeing “incorrect” repetitively rewrires what you think should appear normal.
For example, mirror neurons are very strong within families. If your mom or dad walks with a certain characteristic shuffle or posture you will subconsciously adopt this same movement pattern simply from seeing it all the time.
Similarly associations between things also can subconsciously drive movement patterns- remember that study where they measured student posture and speed walking down the hall, the students read words then walked back down the hall. Students who read words like “orange” and “Florida” walked slower and a more hunched posture returning down the hall simply after reading a few words! Why? Because we unconsciously associate “elderly” with the words and therefore adopted an elderly postural pattern.
So to swing this back to horses- if we ride incorrectly, see professionals ride incorrectly, we are programming our postural and behaviors to pattern off this, echoing the incorrect elements. This is how incorrect movement and progressions get normalized.
I love this side by side video because I am lucky enough to have enough training to be able to see the good part and bad parts in both but also recognize the net lack of tension overall is greater for our enthusiastic bridleless gray. He also has a happy and engaged thinking expression the entire time- this is very special. He looks dang proud of what he’s doing!
The facial expressions on horses are undervalued and underutilized. I personally am obsessed with how the Horse feels about whatever we are doing- they need to be radiating back as much joy or interest as me or it’s not worth it and I need to pivot my approach.
It doesn’t have to be bitless, but if we are using tack, the horse should still have a happy, engaged face I think.
