08/06/2025
The Square Peg Round Hole Problem
Yes, some horses will find a fit with conventional training systems, but just as some children don’t fit into the conventional schooling system society has planned for them, some horses won't cope under conventional training methods. This results in them becoming a "problem horse" or a "problem child."
How can the child or the horse be the problem when they are the students in both examples? A good coach of mine many years ago said something that has stuck with me throughout my training: “If the student doesn’t understand, this is the fault of the coach/teacher, as it is their job to deliver the information and create an environment that facilitates learning.”
So, if it’s not working, maybe there is a different system, a more logical solution, or one that the horse finds easier to understand.
This is Why The School of légèreté Appeals to Me:
• It follows the principles of the ISES (International Society of Equitation Science), which means it is a fair and ethical training model.
• It takes into consideration where the horse is at regarding relaxation, balance, and flexibility, always returning to a place of relaxation, meaning learning will occur where it is possible.
• Although it is systematic, it allows for logic in training.
• There wouldn’t just be one solution for the next step within training; it will also depend on the horse's natural strengths and weaknesses.
• The school of légèreté emphasizes that dressage should be for the horse rather than the horse being for dressage, which makes sense since horses haven’t evolved to be ridden.
• If we, as humans, have chosen and still choose to ride them, it is only fair and reasonable that we provide them with skills and understanding in a logical manner.
• I have always loved watching horses move. Légèreté training allows horses to move freely with their rider.
• In current times, where training methods and practices are rightly being investigated and measured to see if what is being asked of the horse is fair, it gives me hope for the future of horsemanship. To see légèreté alongside many other horse-first approaches being part of the solution for how horses and humans can communicate without the need for coercive force or gadgets is encouraging.
• légèreté appeals to me because it includes all horses, not just those bred for specific sports, jobs, or human pleasure. It allows every partnership to improve, ultimately enhancing ease for both parties in the long run.
