I believe emotional memory is very real for horses and very potent. If you accept this theory as plausible, it’s logical that we should always ask a horse to change its idea to one we would like it to have before being fastidious about what the feet are doing. It’s our best chance of keeping the ‘try’ in our horse and building a working partnership.
What's Changed?
There was a time when the average rider didn't ride in an arena. There was a time when people thought nothing of riding in the bush, chasing stock, going to town. Yes, the prevalence of the horseless carriage made horses more a luxury than a necessity. But surely that’s not the only reason. What else has changed?
Working A Horse Used As A Weapon
Straightness
Watching Horse Training Videos
If the horse has a soft-focus, a quiet mind, can follow the human's feel with no trouble, and is okay to have its thoughts interrupted with a new idea, then I want to know more about the trainer, the philosophy, and methods. If those things are working well for a horse, the method can’t be wrong for that horse at that time.