08/24/2026
I saw a comment recently that said horses should have the right to say no—to loading, tying, being led, being rugged, having their feet done, etc.
And I think there’s an important conversation here.
At what point does giving a horse the right to say “no”become failing to give that horse an education?
Because we aren’t just our horses’ friends. We are their guardians.
What happens when there’s a wildfire and that horse HAS to get on a trailer?
What happens when he’s injured and needs to load to go to the vet?
What happens when the farrier needs to work on his feet because his health depends on it?
What happens if, God forbid, you die tomorrow and somebody else has to care for him?
A horse that has spent his entire life learning, “If I don’t want to, I don’t have to,” may eventually find himself in a situation where “no” isn’t an option. And now the horse pays the price for an education we chose not to give him.
That is where I think we have to ask ourselves some uncomfortable questions.
At what point does it become irresponsible? At what point are we actually doing the horse a disservice in the name of kindness?
Fairness does not mean a horse never has to do something he doesn’t want to do.
My horses are absolutely allowed to have opinions. They’re allowed to be unsure. They’re allowed to tell me something is difficult. They’re allowed to need more time, more explanation, or a different approach.
I will listen.
But listening to an opinion and giving a horse the final decision are two very different things.
If I ask my horse to load, he needs to load. If I ask him to stand tied, he needs to stand tied. If I need to handle his feet, lead him somewhere, doctor him, or move him out of danger, I need to be able to do that.
And in return, I owe him fairness.
I owe him good timing. I owe him patience. I owe him clear communication. I owe him the responsibility of never asking more than necessary and never using force simply because I can.
That’s leadership to me.
And I genuinely believe that’s part of why my horses trust me. They know I’m fair. They know I’ll listen. They know I’ll take care of them.
So when I say, “I need you to do this,” I want them to have enough trust in me to say:
She’s never steered me wrong before.”
Giving a horse an education isn’t taking away his voice.
Sometimes it’s one of the greatest protections we can give him.
