My friend, Pam wrote recently to ask a series of questions that I thought would make a good discussion.

“When people say a horse has a good work ethic, what are they typically referring to? Is work ethic equated with willingness? Willingness without a tendency to quit? It seems a willingness if lacking when a horse is first handled and trained, can be taught, encouraged, and nurtured by the human. Is work ethic similar, or is it essentially an innate quality, much like personality, that is not subject to significant change by the influence of the human? And if work ethic can be changed, and changed only by the threat of a negative consequence, is it changeable at the expense of a horse’s ‘self’ and will there be resentment and poor attitude? “

My answer.

I don't know what people mean by a horse having a good work ethic. If we consult the dictionary, work ethic is defined as the principle that working hard is intrinsically virtuous or rewarding in itself. Horses definitely don't fit that definition.

In my experience, overall horses are minimalists by nature. They tend to choose what appears to be the best outcome for the least amount of effort. Which is the opposite of a good work ethic. I don't think horses will go the extra mile just because they have a good work ethic - they have to perceive that something is in it for them. 

I do agree that some people do believe their horse fits the description of having a good work ethic. But I think that is more likely an attempt to explain a horse that will work until they can’t anymore. For example, some might say that Arabs and Arab crosses make such successful endurance horses because they will go until they drop and describe that as a good work ethic. But I think in many cases it is a matter of those horses going and going because they are a bundle of nerves and their adrenal glad won’t let them stop.

But let’s imagine horses do have a work ethic. How would that occur?

It is my guess that if work ethic does exist in horses there must be a large element of willingness in it. The dictionary describes work ethic as working purely because it is intrinsically virtuous or rewarding in itself. Therefore, work ethic must stem from a horse’s willingness to work hard and not from pure obedience.

Let me remind you that willingness is doing something because a horse thinks it is a good idea. Whereas, obedience is doing something because a horse believes NOT doing it is a bad idea.

So to answer Pam’s question, I think if work ethic exists in horses (and I have my doubts) then it could possibly be taught through training that priorities a willingness over obedience in the work. A good work ethic could only come from making the rider’s idea appear to a horse like the best idea anybody ever had and they be happy to do it whether the rider asked or not.

 Of course, a poor work ethic would be relatively easy to teach. It seems to me most of us could teach that without even trying :)

It appears to me, that if horses have a work ethic it is unlikely to be innate and not something they are born with. I suspect that work ethic in a horse could be nurtured and developed through proper training. But likewise, it could be damaged and perhaps even destroyed through ineptitude.

As I said, I have my doubt whether work ethic even exists in horses. But it would be nice to think it does.

Thank you, Pam, for the thoughtful question.