Over the years I have gotten to know many students of horsemanship. People become devotees of horsemanship in much the same way that they become fanatical fans of dressage or tennis or music. It’s a passion that they pursue with all the energy and time they have.

As part of their passion, they try to learn something about the work of many of the horsemen and women that put up a shingle with the title “Horse Trainer” or “Horsemanship Clinician.” I think this is a great idea and I encourage my students to observe as many horse people as they can. They need to know what is out there and available before deciding the path they wish to follow.

It’s very common that people who have seen a lot of professional horse people will tell you how much they get from each one. They even say this when the horse people they have been studying are on opposite ends of the spectrum of talent and principles. They boast things like, “I take a bit from each one,” as if just being able to say that ensures they are open-minded and on the right track.

Let’s examine that statement a little more closely.

To me, saying “I take a bit from each one…” can be valid and can be stupid. It depends on what “bit” they mean.

You can cherry-pick methods from different people. Any trainer can show you a new trick or way of doing something. And any trainer can explain something with a different twist that makes it easier to understand. Neither of those things will confuse your horse if you apply them with the intent and feel that is consistent with your principles of training. So taking a bit from here and a bit from there on how to adjust your reins or present a flag or how to walk a circle when lunging doesn’t usually create conflict in a horse. However, the way the method is applied can be a source of confusion. It is the intent and feel of any exercise that makes more of a difference than the exercise itself.

However, if by taking “a bit from everyone”, people mean the principles and philosophy of each trainer, then that is crazy and ridiculous and guaranteed to leave your horse in a fog of confusion. It’s those horses that feel like slicing their throat every time their owner has come home from watching another clinician. They can sense immediately by the glee in the smile and twinkle in the eye, that he/she has been to another bloody clinic and they will be the long-suffering guinea pig of yet another cathartic experience learned at the feet of latest guru clinician.

A horse won’t tolerate very well if you try to cherry-pick the principles from various trainers. This is not okay. Let’s examine an example.

Quote 1:

“The only reason we have reins is to get to the feet. It’s not about getting to the head, it’s about getting to the feet.”

Quote 2:

“Riding and handling a horse is all about directing a horse’s mind. It’s never about the feet. When we can direct a horse’s thought, the feet are taken care of.”

Quote 1 comes from a well-known and very popular horseman and quote 2 is from something I wrote sometime in the past. I see these two ideas as incompatible because quote 1 is giving priority to obedience and controlling the feet and quote 2 explicitly advocates that the rider’s primary concern should be with directing the thoughts of a horse and not the feet.

Curiously, many people who follow me, attend my clinics, and honour me with generous praise are also big fans and do likewise with the person responsible for quote 1.

From my perspective, I don’t understand how one person can be devoted to both sets of philosophies and not confuse their horse. Clearly, there is some confusion in the minds of people who follow both trainer 1 and me at the same time because the principles are not reconcilable. Yet some people would think it a positive thing that they see the good in both philosophies. They want to be so catholic and open-minded in their views that they don’t critically examine each new idea. This can’t be good for the horses.

Our attitude towards training is a reflection of the philosophical path we choose to follow. This needs to be rock solid and unwavering if we are to be effective trainers and riders.

It takes an awful lot of experience and critical thinking to be sure of one's principles of horse training. It means exposing oneself to many different ideas and trying them out. This inevitably has an unfortunate effect at the start of messing up many horses. They pay the price for our experimentation and ambition to be a better horse person. Although this may seem a high price, the alternative of flipping and flopping with our philosophical ideas every few months or years is certain to mentally and emotionally damage too many more animals. I know people who are like this. Every couple of years or so they have a new guru that they follow religiously. Often the new mentor is philosophically almost the total opposite of their last master, who has been left by the wayside as the student convinces him or herself they are pushing further along the path to better horsemanship. Needless to say, their horses become more and more detached from having any sort of good relationship with their owner.

The limitation of keeping to a single set of principles is the situation where a person has a rock-solid handle on the ideology of horse training they wish to follow, but it is a bad ideology. It is not sound in principle and leads to poor outcomes for the horse. What then?

The answer is quite simple. If you follow a path that does not suit a horse, the horse will tell you. Your relationship with your horse will not get better and in all probability, it will deteriorate. Horses rarely stop talking, even the quiet unflappable ones. You just have to listen to find out if your thoughts about training coincide with your horse’s thoughts. If not, then you have more critical thinking and study to do. Don’t look to trainers and clinicians for instant answers. That won’t get you very far. Instead, use the trainers and clinicians for ideas on how to help a horse have an intense and sustained focus, clear and unwavering understanding, and a high degree of softness.

While a person may pick up some handy practical tips from a range of trainers and clinicians, progress can only be achieved when we remain true and consistent to a rigorous set of principles when applying those techniques.