I believe that training should involve working through as many challenges as practical to help a horse cope with life as a horse. For this reason, I will even invent challenges that have no practical purpose just as an excuse to grow my friendship with a horse.
Challenges Make For Better Relationships
If we truly want to develop the best relationship possible with a horse it does not come from protecting them from trouble. It doesn’t come from allowing the no-go areas of our relationship to linger. It comes from facing the things that create anxiety and stress in a horse and ensuring the horse comes out the other side with a good experience and feeling better. Then we look like the good guy and the best friend he could ever have. The best relationships are born from human and horse solving problems together.