For many horse enthusiasts, “natural horsemanship” conjures images of gentle communication, mutual respect, and a harmonious partnership with horses. It’s often presented as a kinder, fairer alternative to traditional training methods, emphasizing understanding a horse’s natural instincts and communication. The allure of this approach has led to a proliferation of instructors, trainers, and educational programs dedicated to its principles. However, my personal journey through the world of natural horsemanship, spanning eight intensive years of practice and teaching, has led me to a more nuanced and critical understanding of its true impact.
My Deep Dive into Natural Horsemanship
Returning to horses in 1998 after a break, I acquired a young gelding named Raz. A friend’s invitation to a natural horsemanship clinic opened my eyes to a new philosophy. I was captivated by the seemingly effortless results achieved and the clinician’s insights into equine learning and communication. This sparked an intense period of study, acquiring books, DVDs, and specialized equipment like ropes and flexible sticks, all marketed to enhance communication without fear or force. My immersion deepened through clinics and week-long camps, culminating in a seven-month apprenticeship with a natural horsemanship trainer. During this time, I developed advanced skills, such as riding bareback and bridleless, loading horses at liberty, and maintaining their attention without a halter. I even began teaching these methods and assisting owners with “problem horses,” eventually aspiring to become an instructor. My intention was to share what I believed to be a more ethical and effective way to train horses.
The Undeniable Benefits: Lessons Learned
Natural horsemanship undoubtedly equipped me with valuable skills and perspectives that I still carry today. I learned the importance of “feel” and precise timing in training, and how to effectively use negative reinforcement, or pressure and release. Cultivating a calm demeanor, even amidst a horse’s unease, became second nature. Crucially, I recognized the significance of groundwork and understood that riding is only one facet of the human-equine relationship. The principle of shaping behavior—breaking down complex goals into manageable steps—was also a key takeaway. Perhaps most importantly, natural horsemanship set me on a path of considering the horse’s well-being and perspective, a significant departure from any previous instruction I had received. For this shift in thinking, I remain eternally grateful. Furthermore, my experience within the natural horsemanship community revealed it to be populated by genuinely good people with a profound love for horses. The friendships and mentorships formed during this period are cherished to this day, making the subsequent revelations even more difficult to confront.
The Unsettling Discoveries: Questioning the Foundation
A turning point arrived during my apprenticeship when my veterinarian husband, while ordering textbooks, suggested I select something relevant. “Equine Behavior,” a textbook by Dr. Paul McGreevy, caught my attention. At the time, I had lingering questions about certain training practices, as explanations within the horsemanship community often lacked a “why,” relying instead on “that’s just how it’s done.” I hoped the book would provide answers.
As I delved into Chapter Four, “Learning,” initial seeds of doubt about my understanding of equine cognition and training methods began to sprout. Chapter Five, “Social Behavior,” profoundly challenged my ingrained beliefs about equine hierarchies and dominance. By Chapter Fifteen, “Miscellaneous unwanted behaviours, their causes and resolution,” I was seriously re-evaluating how I had addressed behavioral issues.
It is imperative to clarify two crucial points: The aspects of natural horsemanship that conflicted with my reading were not disseminated with the intent to deceive. Instead, they stemmed from outdated or inaccurate information regarding horse behavior, social structures, training consequences, and the actual requirements for achieving results.
Natural horsemanship is not unique in this regard. This may be difficult for individuals with different training backgrounds to accept, but the fundamental principles of learning apply universally to all horses, irrespective of the training method employed. The issues I was uncovering were not confined to natural horsemanship; they are prevalent across all training methodologies. However, branded natural horsemanship excels at marketing and disseminating such misinformation to a vast audience.
The Core of the Problem: Language vs. Reality
During my eight years immersed in natural horsemanship, I was swayed by appealing language describing my actions with horses. However, I lacked a true understanding of the science of learning and behavior, and the genuine consequences of employing specific training approaches.
Positive terminology, euphemisms, and catchy phrases are frequently used to describe training methods, yet they often fail to objectively explain the learning process for the horse.
Consider the common phrase: “Make the wrong thing hard and the right thing easy.” This statement is open to diverse interpretations. For some, it might mean structuring training situations for success, reinforcing desired behaviors, and ignoring or redirecting unwanted ones. For others, it can translate to making the horse’s experience unpleasant or difficult when unwanted behavior occurs, ceasing only when the desired behavior is exhibited. The latter interpretation, however, often involves punishment. While both approaches might yield results—a fact of learning—the punitive method can lead to unintended negative consequences, often unbeknownst to the trainer. The phrase itself doesn’t provide sufficient information for an objectively informed decision.
Understanding Equine Learning: The Scientific Basis
At its most basic, all horses learn through a similar process:
- They form associations between events and stimuli.
- They learn that their actions or behaviors lead to either desired or undesired outcomes.
In the example above, punishment is applied to decrease the likelihood of an unwanted behavior (e.g., trailer loading refusal). While punishment can be effective, numerous studies highlight its potential for unintended consequences. These can manifest regardless of whether the trainer is aware of employing punishment:
- Punishment can induce fear, pain, or frustration in the animal.
- Animals experiencing pain or fear struggle to learn effectively; they may inadvertently offer the desired response simply to escape the aversive stimulus.
- Training involving fear, pain, or frustration can lead to negative associations with training and the trainer.
- Punishment actively suppresses learning.
- It can erode the trust between the animal and the trainer.
- Punishment may result in a psychological state known as “learned helplessness.”
- While it indicates what not to do, punishment offers no guidance on what should be done instead.
Reflecting on my early experiences, I realize that while I could elicit desired responses from horses, I was unaware of the negative repercussions of using punishment to achieve some of those goals. Punishment is regrettably common in horse training, and I employed it unknowingly due to a lack of understanding of fundamental animal learning principles. Without complete information, I couldn’t make informed decisions about the consequences of my actions. Beautifully crafted language, such as “Love, Language, and Leadership,” created the illusion that I wasn’t using punishment, when in reality, it was a cornerstone of much of my training.
This presents a significant issue within much of current horse training, including natural horsemanship. Trainers and instructors across all disciplines often lack foundational knowledge of learning and behavior, and it is the horse that ultimately bears the cost. A competent trainer must understand the benefits and drawbacks of any given approach. Without an objective, factual understanding of behavior and training, this comprehension is impossible.
The equestrian community readily embraces new research in areas like exercise physiology, nutrition, and preventative healthcare. Yet, traditions and outdated beliefs about horse behavior and training persist, especially when presented attractively or framed as time-honored practices. While many can discuss gastric ulcers or parasite resistance knowledgeably, discussions about advances in behavior and training understanding often elicit glazed-over eyes.
Equine learning and training methodologies are well-researched scientific disciplines. However, many trainers, instructors, clinicians, and owners continue to describe their methods using pleasant-sounding language that inaccurately defines the underlying processes. Under the guise of “love, language, and leadership,” adherence to the training scale, or honoring classical horsemanship traditions, individuals may be directed to use punishment, flooding, suppress underlying behavioral causes, or even induce learned helplessness—all practices with negative consequences, often without the practitioner’s awareness.
Moving Forward: A Call for Education and Change
Our comprehension of learning and behavior has advanced considerably over the past century. Other animal training industries have embraced this knowledge, adapting their approaches while still achieving desired outcomes. It is time for the equine world to catch up. As a certified horse behavior consultant, I am not alone in observing serious problems with training methods perceived as kind. Colleagues in my field advocate for speaking out about these issues.
In the dog training industry, behavior consultants and trainers are raising concerns about methods promoted by “dog whisperers.” These methods are often marketed as natural or kind, based on flawed pack theory, yet frequently employ punishment, flooding, and behavior suppression. Organizations like the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior have issued position statements on the use of punishment and the outdated concept of dominance hierarchies. The necessary information is accessible; there is no longer an excuse for a lack of education.
While I remain an optimist, I am also a realist. Changing the horse world’s perception of training will be a challenging and lengthy process. Outdated traditions and practices are deeply ingrained, forming core beliefs about horses and training. From personal experience, such a significant shift in thinking can be emotionally taxing, especially when training philosophies have been built on incorrect information. Realizing one may have inadvertently caused harm to a beloved animal is painful.
But if not us, then who? If not now, then when? As Maya Angelou wisely stated, “When you know better, you do better.” Let us, as a horse world, strive to do better.
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