Here’s a project for you.

From the ground, ask your horse to back up. Ask it in a way it knows the best and can give the softest, straightest backup - say a jiggle on the lead rope.

Now ask it to back up again, but this time signal the back up with a tapping on the chest. Then, do it again by tapping a front leg. And again by tapping a back leg. Ask it to back by squeezing gently above the nose. Try backing by holding a hunk of mane and offering a gentle pull. What about backing your horse by lifting its tail? What about a gentle hold of an ear and folding it back? Can a wiggle of your finger evoke a quality backup?

How many ways can you use feel/pressure to get your horse to think about backing up? Does each method stimulate your horse to back up with the same quality?

There may be only 2 or 3 or 4 ways we ever need to signal our horse to back. But there is a big question we need to think about that affects everything we do in our training.

Are we teaching our horse to back up OR are we teaching our horse to follow a feel no matter how we present it?

Now ask the same questions with the forward button. Try it when riding, trailer loading, or picking up feet. Try it when riding corners or lateral movements.

Are we teaching tricks. Are we simply teaching that pressure A equals response B. Or are we teaching “partnership” and “with-you-ness”?

Ask yourself, “Am I teaching my horse a movement or am I teaching it to be with me and follow my feel”?

What you want is up to you - no judgement from me. But it’s a question we should all ask ourselves.