10/21/2025
So well put and my training methodology as well. Thank you, Sympatico Equine, for putting this into words!
I really struggle with all the labels — “force free,” “fear free,” “natural horsemanship,” “clicker trainer,” “radical,” “cognitive,” and so on.
I understand what they have come to mean in the horse world, and why they exist, but I honestly hate how they’ve turned into rigid boxes we either get put into or feel pressured to stay inside.
Who defines what is or isn’t force-free?
Why does being a “clicker trainer” have to imply you only use positive reinforcement?
It’s gotten so polarized that nuance and the ability to have conversations seems to have left the room entirely.
Here’s where I stand, today ✨️
I use positive reinforcement. I use negative reinforcement. Sometimes negative punishment and even positive punishment comes into play. But that doesn’t mean I’m hitting horses, shaking ropes in their faces, spurring their sides, or forcing them through all kinds of fear, discomfort, or confusion.
Do I ever have to get loud or more assertive than I’d like for safety reasons? Yes — horses are large, sensitive animals, and things happen. But that’s *never* the precedent I want to set.
When it does happen, I take a step back, look at what went wrong, and figure out how to better prepare and train for that context.
Do I sometimes ask a horse to do something hard or uncomfortable? Of course — growth requires challenge.
But I always weigh the “why.” Is this for their benefit — physically, mentally, emotionally? If so, great. Then my next step is figuring out how to make the task as achievable and (dis)stress-free as possible, often by breaking it down into smaller pieces or changing how I ask.
I limit escalation at all costs because 1) I want light, responsive horses and lightness achieves lightness, and 2) I simply want to train thoughtfully, with compassion. That's just my ethos.
At the end of the day, most of us are all here for the same reason: to make life better for horses and raise the standard of horsemanship. That should unite us, not divide us.
And here’s the thing — I have clients who don’t want to use food rewards or other types of positive reinforcement in their work. That’s fine. I also have clients who do want to use it. That’s fine.
My core purpose is to help people become better at reading their horses, listening to them, regulating their own emotions, thinking through training scenarios, and applying that knowledge in an ethical, tactful way that limits behavioral fallout.
It doesn’t matter if I'm working with a horse who has trailer trauma, poor ground manners, won’t stand for the farrier — or one learning lateral movements, starting under saddle, or building trail confidence. I’ll meet the person-- and horse-- where they’re at.
I don’t care if they use food (R+), “pressure” (R-) or both (and I say that loosely, because behavior is always more complex than a single contingency).
If I can help that person become a better teacher for their horse, that’s a win. For me, it’s not about the method.
It’s about making the horse world a better place for horses 🐎
(and the humans, too)
*Also, let's acknowledge that the 4 quadrants of operant conditioning are just a piece of the puzzle in training and behavior. Thats a separate post-- maybe 10 😅
