We often talk about feel and pressure as if they are the same thing. I am as guilty as anybody of doing this from time to time. But they are not the same. They are quite different, even if related.
I’m going to give you my take on the difference. It make not align with your view, so feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.
Pressure is the physical force we apply with our reins, lead rope, legs, whip, spurs, arm, etc. in whatever unit you choose - mmHg, KPa, lbs/in2 .
Feel, on the other hand, is the way the physical force is presented or applied. All pressure is applied with some degree of feel. But not all pressure is applied with a high degree of feel that gives a horse clarity and comfort.
Feel is how abruptly or smoothly we apply the pressure. Feel is influenced by our position and which leg we are leaning on and how we hold the reins or lead rope, which side we hold a whip when riding, where we are looking, the strength of our focus, our posture, and the muscle tone we apply to our posture. Feel is not one thing. It’s the whole picture in our presentation of pressure.
Learning good feel is hard and takes a lot of experience. It’s almost impossible to teach feel, but very possible to learn. Nobody has perfect feel and very few people have no feel. If you know how to steer a shopping trolley down the aisle of a supermarket without mowing down other shoppers, you have feel. If you know how to throw a ball to a four-year child to make it easy for them to catch, you have feel. If you know how to be a good friend, you have feel.
The pressure we use is one important element we need to direct a horse’s thoughts. But the presentation or feel we use when applying the physical force has a huge impact on the clarity and meaning of the pressure. It gives nuance to our intent that makes it easier for a horse to understand the pressure.
When you watch a good horse person working a horse don’t just notice the amount of force they apply to move a horse. Notice their timing in applying the pressure and when it changes. Notice their posture. Notice the speed with which they apply the pressure. Notice how they move like a dancer. Notice their emotional calm even in the face of a horse experiencing a meltdown. Notice how their feel adjusts from moment to moment to guide their horse to a better answer to their question.
Feel is the difference between using pressure to make a horse do something and using pressure to make a horse feel something.
Using feel on the lead rope to encourage a horse to think to its left.