All horses should have the right to feel safe during training.

 

Traditional and natural horsemanship both primarily uses negative reinforcement to motivate desired behaviours. Negative reinforcement (often marketed under the euphemism of pressure/release) plays on the horse fundamental need for safety by first introducing an unpleasant stimuli and then removing it when the horse has completed the goal behaviour. Many trainers believe that because safety is the most important need of the horse then it’s the most appropriate way to motivate a horse to perform desired behaviours.

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My belief is that because we exclusively use horses for recreational purposes, not to cure cancer or solve world hunger (even if some riders act like they do), we shouldn’t be so comfortable in routinely, and primarily using negative reinforcement. Horses should have the right to feel safe during training; their performances should not be motivated by fear, discomfort and/or pain.

 

Many horse owners feel entitled to use aversive training methods; after all they spent money in buying horses and pay for their care, right? But domestication is far form being an ideal situation for horses, they have lost far more than they have gain; they have been subjected to internal biological changes and have developed aberrant behaviours. They are routinely subjected to stressful, painful stimulus and most often are managed in ways that do not meet their key needs. As horse owners it is our responsibility to help horses cope with domestication. Showing compassion in training is part of this.