Karin Gracey Equine Success

14/06/2024

Every sporting discipline or field of work creates a different set of challenges for the horses involved, as well as for breeders, trainers, grooms and riders.

A number of significant changes in the rules and structure of organised horse sports have emerged in response to concerns for horse welfare.

For example, in some countries, such as Norway, whips have been banned from horse racing, and arduous elements of eventing prior to the cross-country phase have been removed, chiefly because of concerns about horse exhaustion.

The horse is as behaviourally flexible as any of the domestic species. This means that it tolerates suboptimal conditions and so makes itself vulnerable to welfare insults.

For an animal that has evolved to spend up to 16 hours a day grazing in the open and to expend considerable effort to avoid becoming trapped, the consequences of confinement and restraint for our convenience can be profound.

The observation that horses do not vocalise when in pain further contributes to welfare insults as humans may simply overlook that a device is causing discomfort or pain.

It will be interesting to see how welfare concerns shape the future of some of these sports. Certainly, equitation science is poised to contribute substantially to the debates that surround any proposed changes.

What are your thoughts on this? Please share in the comments.

This text was taken from Equitation Science, Volume 2. Andrew McLean, Paul McGreevy, Janne Whinther Christensen & Uta König von Borstel.

10/06/2024

When cruelty is no longer rewarded and instead so deeply frowned upon on a large scale throughout the Equine Industry, and instead good equine welfare practices are embraced and the road to competitive success and more, then we will see change…

07/06/2024

And another one! Well done to Silhouette Farm for also speaking up, change only happens when people get brave, speak up when they see wrong being done and push for positive change.

Now it’s time for NSW Ottb Rehomers/ Trainers and Owners to speak up.

I am not sure if anyone has noticed, but I have taken the OTT Acknowledged Retrainer badge off my page. I am not continuing with retraining. Due to rising costs and it being very hard to rehome the horses, I cannot put any more into it. I am sad as TBs have been my whole life for many years.
There was no support from Racing Vic for running costs. At a time when I needed help I rang Equine Welfare only to be told I receive a subsidy already. $100 per month. Horse needed $000’s in vet work. Was a hard keeper and I was at my breaking point.
It is a struggle when they throw thousands at marquees at events and spend for prize money for events. It is a flawed system to say the least..owners are paying a % of stake money for welfare but where does that go? I can tell you it is not to people who are trying to help the horses.
Anyway, just thought I would explain.
Photo is one of my retrainers who went on to the RDAV from the RSPCA.

06/06/2024

Another post highlighting the near impossible situation for off the track rehomers/ retrainers and how near to no funding is directed our way.
Bravo to the RV trainer speaking up and highlighting the issues they are facing, as well as questioning where the 2% equine welfare money from races is going.

One of Victoria’s largest rehomers cites marked drop in demand for horses as her motivation

05/06/2024

How they let this competitor continue in the test,
highlights one of the many thousands of examples where the horses welfare is compromised in favour of competition and money…

03/06/2024

In horse training, the greatest amount of tension arises from the blocking effects of rein(s) and leg(s) at the same time. Animals simply can't accelerate and decelerate simultaneously so the horse learns that aids are only "aids" when they occur from pressures above the tight-pressured contact. Such a training regime means that sharp rowel spurs and double bridles with crank-up nosebands become mandatory items of training, yet commonsense would dictate that riders at the higher levels should demonstrate more finesse and less force.

When the horse is undergoing simultaneous rein and leg pressures, the horse may perceive one pressure as more salient than the other, which is known as overshadowing. Usually, it's the mouth that hurts, more especially with curb bits that work on a lever-action to squash the lower jaw of the horse and overshadow the "go" aids. Curb bits should be phased out and extra points given to those who can train horses right up to Grand Prix in a simple snaffle or even a bitless bridle. When the mouth response overshadows the "go" response from the rider's legs, the rider typically responds by driving the horse forward with strong spurs and thus emerges a modern training doctrine: ride your horse forward, forward, forward to fix all your problems – this practise should be abandoned for the sake of the horse's welfare.

01/06/2024

Unknowns to a lot of people, we do slaughter horses for human consumption here in Australia where the meat is packaged and sent overseas.
Sadly a lot of our Australian racehorses are sent to be slaughtered for human consumption😢💔

INSIDE THE MIND OF A HORSE RESCUER

When I lay me down to rest, and thoughts cross through my mind,
If I look deep inside myself, I wonder what I would find?

Would I find a valuable human, filled with empathy and love?
These answers don't come from my peers, nor am I judged from above.

For it is me who decides if I've done enough, and me who judges me,
I will not be moulded by others opinions on what they think I should be.

I am just one person in a sea of others, trying to do the best that I can,
Trying not to feel disappointment and anger towards my fellow man.

But increasingly now, I watch in horror, at what humans are capable of,
Where is their compassion for animals? Are their hearts empty of love?

Why is it horses who suffer so much, at the hands of the human race?
This giant animal has served humans well, and in our history they have a place.

They carried men to war as a brave strong steed, and carted weapons and supplies,
Their contribution towards our fight for freedom, is immeasurable in my eyes.

They continue to support us humans, whether it be in business or as pets,
Equine industries, show riding or horse racing, breeders or Equine Vets.

An industry that keeps many employed, and supports this country as a whole,
A horse is a living, beautiful, breathing being, with a gentle heart and soul.

So why, pray tell, does this beautiful creature suffer neglect more than any other?
Why are they so abused and starved to the point where they cannot recover?

Why do they stand in paddocks of dirt, without being given anything to eat?
No fresh water to drink and no shade to help them with our country's incredible heat.

No help in sight, people drive past, but nobody gets them out of that place,
While inside the house is their neglectful owner, feeding their goddamn face.

And the ones who do get out, find themselves, standing in the dogger kill pens,
After all they have suffered at the hands of humans, this is where their journey ends?

Slaughtered at the knackery, cut into pieces, their meat distributed to an outlet,
Cooked and shoved into little cans so people can feed them to their pet.

Lots of the horses who are bought at the sales are healthy, strong and tall,
These magnificent ones are bought for a price and suffer the worst fate of all.

For their meat is exported to overseas restaurants who put horse meat on their courses,
We don't do that here in Australia, so please don't eat OUR horses !!

Their suffering is great, without a thought for their feelings, and for those of us who care,
Watching this happen to a special and smart animal, is too much for our hearts to bear.

We rescue horses, and take them away, from such an incredibly cruel fate,
We are but a drop in the ocean, a very small part, the need for rescue is great.

There is not enough funds, and never enough land, but we make a difference of course,
Maybe not enough to change the word but enough to make a difference to that horse.

We see walking skeletons, or the badly injured, thrown away like a piece of trash,
Dumped at the sales, as a final insult, so their owners can grab some last cash.

I will never stop fighting for the beloved horse, but I am just a tiny voice,
For their fate is in your hands, do the right thing, it is you who has a choice.

Take care of your animals, especially your horses, do unto them as you would have done to you,
Maybe you would if you were forced to see their terrifying end, and see what they go through.

So I lie in bed, and I think of today, and what I did for the rescues horses in my care,
I fed and loved them, and marvelled at the wonderful life that these lucky ones now share.

I spare a thought for the less fortunate, and close my eyes, as a tear rolls down my face,
I would take in so many more if only I had the funding and the space.

So I judge myself, and remind myself, that my inner beauty shines,
For I am a warrior, and am admired by, the most important to me....EQUINES..

Written by Jennifer Malloch

31/05/2024

I am so over the continual non stop discarding of retired thoroughbred racehorses and the expectency of the racing organisations to expect people including equestrians outside of racing to take on provide homes and lifetime care to these horses without very little to any financial or other support.

Firstly the amount of horses that retire from racing each year far outweighs thd available suitable homes for them. Secondly as a racing industry participant in nsw for nearly 2 decades as well as an Ottb retrainer and having up to 19 Ottbs in my care for over 10 years of more I am utterly disgusted in the failure of the racing industry to provide any support or funding to anyone who retrains, cares for and provides a lifetime home for nsw thoroughbred racehorses. I personally know 6 dedicated people plus myself who go way and beyond to take in, care for, rehome and rehome retired thoroughbred racehorses in nsw. Not one of these people including myself have ever received any financial support from the industry to help care for and rehome these horses, not one cent!! All these people suffer financial stress, overwhelm and sacrifice their own needs to care for these horses. All the while racing takes in 1.5% of prize money from every single race towards the equine welfare fund. Where does this money go to? This needs to be answered!!

Owners and Trainers need to start standing up and asking for transparency on where there money is going to! I garantee you that not one cent goes to anyone in nsw outside of their own programme who supports retired nsw thoroughbreds.

Racing Nsw own at least 13 properties supposedly to provide support for thoroughbred racehorses on retirement. Any trainer knows how hard it is to get one of there horses into the rnsw Ottb programme. How many retired thoroughbreds have been assisted by their programme? Lots of questions need to be asked and brought to the light.

The thoroughbred breeding industry is out of control and totally shameful!!! Do they even consider what happens to these horses when they retire, NO!! They pocket their millions and let the people of racing who retrain ottbs, the equestrians who love the horses so much they go without themselves!!
Come on Trainers and Owners, start asking questions, because us Ottb trainers/ rescuers are utterly exhausted!!

UPDATE: Orienzel has now been sold for $495. If anyone has any information on whether he is safe, please contact us 🙏🏼

History repeating itself. A couple of months ago we posted about Superhard, a retired racehorse suffering from arthritis and bone spurs, who had been entered into the Andrew Wilson online sale without a reserve price. This time it’s 7-years-old Orienzel.

Entered unreserved in the sale by the same trainer as Superhard’s, even wearing what appears to be the same halter as Superhard did.

Orienzel too is suffering from arthritis and bone spurs. Orienzel has endured 69 races in his short life, and his career on the racetrack started already when he was just 2 years old. He has won over $225,000 for his owners.

On the website of this Victorian trainer, it states that he “not only make sure his horses in work have the best life possible he also makes sure once they have finished their career in racing they get to find the perfect homes.”

Currently there is a bid of $25 on Orienzel. In 7 hours the auction will close and Orienzel fate will be determined. How's that for ensuring that Orienzel will go to the perfect, safe retirement home he and every horse deserves?

https://andrewwilsonandco.hibid.com/lot/199717838/-vic--orienzel---thoroughbred-gelding?ref=catalog

Superhard’s story here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/i5CniSYmFDD7TLod/

30/05/2024

In re-training and prevention of undesirable fear responses, riders should use downward transitions to slow the horse’s legs during these episodes, rather than simply ignoring them or accelerating.

Current practices, such as round-pen techniques, lungeing, driving or chasing horses for any reason, are detrimental if they induce fear and elicit a flight response.

Such responses are not difficult to distinguish because they generally involve raised head-carriage, hollowed loins, short choppy steps and tendencies to quicken.

We recommend that systematically inducing fear in horses should not be used in horse-training.

- An excerpt from Equitation Science, volume 2 by Andrew McLean, Paul McGreevy, Janne Whinther Christensen & Uta König von Borstel

29/05/2024

UNDERSTANDING THE MENTAL ABILITIES OF HORSES | Horses are very similar to humans in many different aspects of their brain and behaviour. We are both social species, we like to play and we both have excellent memories.

But in order to truly understand the horse, you must get to know the difference between a human’s and horse’s mental abilities.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲

When compared to other animals, humans aren’t very fast or strong, so we evolved to use tools and think out ways to solve our problems. We needed significant reasoning abilities to feed ourselves and avoid being eaten by other animals. So we evolved an enlarged area of the prefrontal cortex, and this is where our imagination lies. We can imagine different scenarios, we can reflect. We can think ahead and plan to do things in the future.

Horses, however, did not evolve in the same way as humans so we cannot expect them to have the same mental abilities. We cannot blame them for things that they have done in the past or expect them to plan for the future.

𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀

Studies of the horse’s brain tell us that his immediate short-term memory regarding choices that he has made to solve particular problems is accurate for about three seconds, then diminishes. This is the reason why all animals (and humans) require many repetitions in order to learn. It is also why positive punishment is rarely if ever effective, as it is usually applied too long after the behaviour has occurred (remember, positive means ‘adding’ something).

𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗺, 𝗣𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗺, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀

Horses, like humans, can become optimistic or pessimistic as to the outcome of a certain event. When a horse is always successful (that is, the behaviour used to elicit behaviours goes away every time he performs the behaviour) because the training is clear and consistent, they become optimistic.

However, if the pressure doesn’t go away reliably or the training system relies heavily on punishment, they can become pessimistic. They learn not to try and solve problems any more and become apathetic or give up. If this apathy continues the horse can enter a state of learned helplessness. The horse stops trying to find ways to solve problems and can become dull and almost robotic. It is extremely important not to confuse this state of learned helplessness with being ‘quiet’ or ‘bombproof.’

⭐ This information comes from PCA’s B-Certificate Manual for members.

25/05/2024

A good study that shows how well horses can learn to associate voice commands in training. This is valuable when training horses as it gives us the opportunity to diminish our aids down to the lightest of cues including voice cues. Creating a training environment where the horse is free of any unnecessary pressure or stimuli is important for equine welfare.

Training our responses down to the subtlest of cues is called shaping. You shape the response you are training down to light cues through classical conditioning.

A study published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science investigated whether horses can learn to recognise a new word and if the familiarity of the human voice saying the word affects this learning process.

18 adult warmblood horses were habituated to human voices from loudspeakers and taught to associate a novel word with receiving a treat.

The teaching involved both live voices and recorded playbacks from familiar and unfamiliar people.

After the training period, the horses were tested to see if they had learned the word, with the word being spoken by both familiar and unfamiliar voices.

The results indicated that horses could indeed differentiate between words and associate specific words with rewards.

The horses did not show a significant difference in response to the word whether it was spoken by a familiar or an unfamiliar person.

This suggests that horses can generalise across different human voices when responding to a learned word.

The study concludes that teaching horses single words is effective and emphasises the importance of consistent use of chosen words when training horses.

The research contributes to the understanding of horse cognition and communication, particularly in the context of human-horse interactions and training.

It also touches on the broader implications of how animals can generalise learning with different stimuli, which is relevant for effective training and safety in handling horses.

Anna Stachurska, Anna Skowerska-Wiśniewska, Witold Kędzierski, Ewelina Tkaczyk, Wiktoria Janicka, Jarosław Łuszczyński, Iwona Janczarek,How important is the familiarity of a human’s voice in teaching horses a novel word? Applied Animal Behaviour Science,
Volume 273, 2024

24/05/2024

FOR ALL THE LOCALS…. Saddles, bridles, rugs and more, Grab a Bargain!!😃🐎🐎🐎

23/05/2024

Not horses, but we love dogs as well!!
So funny😂🐶

21/05/2024

An very eye opening post…

How many horses are suffering like this horse? Sadly many horses are. The horse in question here ‘Peggy’ would have gone through years of incorrect riding and training and most likely incorrect saddle fit. Her body changed to compensate and try and support the damages being done. She would have been in constant pain and yet forced to perform.

It is absolutely vital to listen to your horse, all conflict behaviour is the horse telling us something is wrong, whether it be physical pain or discomfort, confusion in training, emotional stress, fear etc.

It is also essential to ride and train horses where their health, fitness and physical conditioning is being nurtured and developed in a positive way promoting the wellbeing of the horse.

19/05/2024

OUR MORAL & PROFESSIONAL OBLIGATION TO NOT WORSEN THE BEHAVIOUR OF HORSES

In January I started a podcast, Not Another Dog and Pony Show, with my friend and colleague, Matthias Lenz. Recently, I had cooperative veterinary care champion Monique Feyrecilde of Teaching Animals on the pod. One of my favourite talking points from this episode was when we discussed our moral obligation as professionals to not cause animals to be dangerous for others to handle in the future.

I’m frequently the ‘last resort’ for horses with behaviour problems. When I see a new client, they’ve often been to several other equine professionals, including trainers, without success.

In most cases, the horse’s behaviour has also worsened after these interventions. The horse who pulled their leg away from the farrier now rears and can’t be touched. The horse anxious about loading now rips the lead out of the owner’s hands and runs away when led towards the trailer. The horse who bolted on the lunge line now comes off the circle and attacks the handler. The horse who wouldn’t stand still at the mounting block now explodes and bucks hard.

The reason these problems worsened is that techniques were used to try and suppress the behaviour: the horse who pulled their leg away from the farrier was aggressively backed up every time they did so; the horse anxious about loading was hit with a whip every time they balked; the horse who bolted on the lunge had a chain put over their nose, and they were je**ed when they bolted; the horse who wouldn’t stand still was worked hard when they fidgeted and allowed to ‘rest’ next to the mounting block while the person tried to mount again. The horses all learned that trying to escape the source of things that caused them fear or pain wasn’t effective, so they had to try harder. They reared. They ripped the leadrope out of hands. They attacked, or exploded.

In every instance, this worsened behaviour made it more dangerous for others who followed to handle the horse – whether that was the horse’s owner, or the next professional hired to try and address the problem. This is because suppressed behaviour isn’t changed behaviour. You can make an unwanted behaviour appear to ‘stop’ by making the consequences for performing the behaviour much worse for the horse. But, you won’t have addressed why the behaviour was happening. You won’t have eased pain, or removed fear. In the same way you can make a beach ball temporarily ‘disappear’ by pushing it forcefully underwater, if you don’t address the reason why the horse's behaviour is happening, it will once again pop up – but with more intensity.

Our industry (horse training) is unregulated, which I have mixed feelings about. But one of the clear downsides of a lack of regulation is that anyone can hang out their shingle, without knowing about things like the effect of behaviour suppression, making it more dangerous for the next professional. The actions we take as trainers don’t just impact the horse in front of us, they also impact people. If we know that we can make horses safer for others to handle in the future, by choosing appropriate training techniques, don’t we morally have this obligation?

It’s certainly food for thought as we work with our horses this weekend. Here’s a link to the episode with Monique: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/YRjPI0yiJJb

17/05/2024

Did you know that scratching at the base of the withers can be a stress-reliever for horses? Our patron, Dr. Andrew McLean, highlights this as a rewarding technique, making it a key method taught at Pony Club for reward-based training 💚💛💚

Equitation Science International - ESI

17/05/2024

“Equitation science is an extremely exciting new field, changing the traditional methods of horse training to a clear, ethical and systematic approach.”

- Dr Andrew McLean

Equitation Science International is a nationally accredited training centre dedicated to improving horse training using an evidence-based and ethical approach. We deliver courses and qualifications in horse behaviour and training, offering a personal and supportive approach to our students.

Directed by Dr Andrew McLean, Equitation Science International and its graduates provide a more modern and ethical approach to horse training and coaching that can be easily understood and applied by horse riders of all ages and levels.

We invite you to visit our website to learn more about the courses and services we offer: https://esi-education.com/

15/05/2024

Equitation Science is leading the way for horse welfare in all Equestrian sports.
Protecting the horse must be at the forefront in all disciplines where horses are used..

11/05/2024

This is a perfect example of how a horse can look a picture of health and still have gastric ulcers.
I love the work Becks Nairn does. We can learn so much from the incredible dissections she does…

11/05/2024

This photo says it all for our last week of weather!!

11/05/2024

Amazing!!😍❤️🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎

04/05/2024

All horses are PRECIOUS🙏😍❤️❤️🐎

03/05/2024

Wonderful to see!! Well done to Pony Club Australia for putting equine welfare as a priority and supporting bitless riding 👏👏

02/05/2024

While we accept and understand isolation can be devastating for humans, horse people commonly overlook the fact that horses are just as social as humans.

Being social is not just about living in a group it is also about the comfort and mental security that comes from belonging. The bedrock of this belonging is touch. It is well established in humans that the need for touch is crucial for a healthy psyche.

Again, this is precisely so in horses too. Horses need to touch and physically interact with herd-mates. It is how they form important bonds, and it lowers stress.

- A teaser from our soon to be released book Modern Horse Training Volume 2.

01/05/2024

PROTECT YOUR HORSE’S HEALTH AND WELLBEING!

Autumn Pasture and Mycotoxins

Horse health, welfare and physical performance can be severely impacted by eating mycotoxin-contaminated food and pasture. Spring and Autumn are the times of the year when pasture is most likely to contain mycotoxins.

Zeolite is a powerful yet gentle toxin binder, eliminator and heavy metal detoxifier for horses, livestock, humans and pets. It is also a powerful antioxidant as well as promoting gut healing and health, all backed by scientific research studies.

Zeolite has protected and improved my horses health significantly from toxin exposure, as well as healing my dog who had a cancerous tumour that has now completely gone.

I am proud to now offer this amazing product. The Zeolite I use and sell is Pure Australian fine milled Clinophilolite Zeolite. I have 1 and 2 Kilo Bags available. 1 Kilo - $39, 2 Kilos $69, Postage available. Recommended dosage for 500kg horse is 20g once or twice per day.
You can purchase the 1 and 2 kilo bags of Zeolite by sending me a pm or commenting below😊.

01/05/2024

Jessie is a gorgeous off the track thoroughbred who has had excellent basic foundation training established. She has lovely movement and pretty as😍🐎

Just imagine if AKA Jessie is a gorgeous young mare with so much potential Approximately 152hh, 6yrs old Jessie retired sound from racing in October 23 and has ..., 1323728030

29/04/2024

In 8 weeks my Beautiful Tommy has come so far. I am so pleased with his progress.

Tommy has been on his Zeolite from day 1 of his rehabilitation programme with amazing results.

Clinophitilolite Zeolite is a high quality toxin binder and heavy metal detoxifer as well as promoting gut repair and health.🙏❤️🐎

29/04/2024

This is why the modern day dressage training approach of riding a horse up into the contact, creates confusion in the horse, dulls one or more of the responses and inhibits the the horse from being able to develop self carriage.

Instead training the basic responses independently, to the lightest of aids, frees the horse to develop fluidity in movement and self carriage…
REIN WITHOUT LEG, LEG WITHOUT REIN

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 - a sneek peak at our soon to be released Modern Horse Training Volume 2.

If two opposing operant signals such as reins (deceleration) and legs (acceleration) are given together this contradiction will block the original learned response of one signal and cause it to deteriorate.

Every horse has a predisposition to respond more ‘enthusiastically’ to either 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 or 𝐆𝐨 responses.

Typically, sensitive horses tend to have better "Go" responses, and less sensitive horses have better "Stop" responses responses.

When opposing signals are used concurrently, the horse foregoes the weakest one. Therefore, the sensitive horse usually has worse brakes (‘hot’), and the less sensitive horse tends to have a worse Go signal (‘lazy’).

Our team will release little reveal details in anticipation of the book's release in the coming months. Watch this space. ✨

19/04/2024

Roundness refers to the arched head, neck and apparent dorsoventrally rounded body posture acquired by the horse in correct dressage training.

It is characterised by self-carriage where the horse has learned to persist in his speed, directional line, and head, neck and body posture without support from the rider.

However, roundness is frequently a forced response where the rider increases tension on the reins until the horse shortens its neck, or uses concurrent rein tension and leg pressures to ‘drive the horse onto the bit’.

Although this is contrary to the tenets of classical and ethical dressage, it provides the illusion of roundness and collection and is known as false collection.

Dressage experts, however, can readily perceive the incorrect outline, where the neck is shortened and the loins are hollow. The result is that the rider’s tight control on the reins to maintain this posture and the incorrect neck and back muscles involved prevent correct development of the topline.

There are significant welfare issues surrounding such training, which manifest in a raft of problems ranging from tension and conflict behaviours to wastage.

In correct training, the horse’s head should be suspended from his withers in self-carriage and the weight in the rider’s hands should be the weight of the reins and a light connection to the lips and tongue of the horse.

Such lightness is the putative goal of Baroque training styles and modern ethical training.

It is imperative that, from the horse’s viewpoint, pain is escapable and controllable, so lightness, of course, is important for the horse at every stage of training, and those methodologies that embrace correct roundness training and constant self-carriage are more correctly aligned with the correct application of learning theory than coercive methods.

📖 'Equitation Science, 2nd Edition', by Uta König von Borstel, Andrew McLean, Paul McGreevy & Janne Winther Christensen.
Visit our website to order the book.