113. 25 Things About Horses I Wish I'd Known Sooner

Hello friends, this episode is exactly what it seems to be! 25 things I've learned in my time working with horses that I wish I'd known sooner and believe are worth sharing. Enjoy!

1. "they wouldn't do it if they didn't want to" is a myth
2. respect is often conflated / confused with obedience
3. punishment only teaches horses to conceal their worries, fears, pain, discomfort
4. it's not cool or a badge of honor to ride a "hot" horse
5. it's not a disservice to or waste of the horse to not exploit their talent + athleticism
6. regulating bodies do not always safeguard the horse's best interest + welfare
7. tradition is not law + often fails to update with current research
8. there is a difference in giving the horse a treat + training with positive reinforcement
9. release does not equal reward
10. management should be based on ethology + species-appropriate care
11. when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change
12. if you have 5 minutes, it will take all day, but if you have all day, it will take 5 minutes
13. yield to win
14. Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.
15. many issues in the horse world are reflective of systemic issues
16. mares are not moody
17. softness is not weakness
18. our mental health is reflected in our riding + training
19. think in "what do i want the horse TO DO" instead of what i want the horse to stop doing
20. good riding + training is very boring + looks too easy
21. all behavior has a purpose, look at what need is this behavior meeting rather than why is my horse "xyz" character trait
22. my relationship with my horse is my responsibility
23. if you slow down, you get there faster (successive approximation)
24. treasure my passion + honor it, don't exploit it
25. when you don't respect the "no" you cannot get a real "yes"

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