During a session I taught recently, I was describing to the person the different between leading a horse from a headcollar using feel and having a horse lead beside you on a loose rein. Let me say at this point that a horse should understand feel and develop lightness, but this is not everything.
The horse that waits for you to stop them off the headcollar is not making a decision - it is just waiting for the next piece of information to be given to it. This is not a learning state of mind for the horse.
The horse that leads beside you, stops when you stop and goes when you goes, is making a decision. It might not always make the right decision and we can correct this if necessary but the horse is learning through trial and error. It is developing fitness of the mind. It is making choices.
I want my horse to always be trying to do the best with the information I have given it. That’s how they will be my partner.
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