Natural riding versus traditional training techniques

The fundamental difference between what has been generically called “natural dressage” and what has been accepted over time as traditional training techniques boils down to one question: when you look at your horse, what do you see?

Many people view the horse as a creature to be controlled and mastered through a process commonly known as “breaking”. .. In fact, many people who practice traditional training techniques are sincere horse lovers and treat their horses to the very best when it comes to feeding and general care.

However, those who practice natural horsemanship see the horse a little differently. It is true that horses are animals and as such do not share the human capacity for complex reasoning and logic. But that doesn’t mean they’re just “dumb” animals. People who practice natural horsemanship (in any of its many forms) share the core belief that we should see horses as they see themselves, that is, through the eyes of another horse.

Wikipedia defines natural horsemanship as “the philosophy of working with horses by appealing to their instincts and herd mentality.” When a horse behaves in a way that seems unreasonable or illogical when viewed through the lens of human behavior, it’s easy to pass judgment and declare the horse “dumb.” But when you take the time to see a horse’s behavior the way another horse would see it, more often than not you can perfectly understand their reaction.

To really illustrate the difference between natural riding and traditional training techniques, let’s say you have a horse that is terrified of being bathed (ie spraying water is cause for absolute panic). An old-fashioned cowboy solution might be to tie the horse to a post in the middle of a field and spray it with water until it kills itself or gives up and submits to the bath.

Another “traditional” method of treating this problem might be to shake or sedate the animal. Both methods focus on dominating or “breaking in” the horse, and neither method addresses the “why” of the problem.

Now suppose you want to apply the principles of natural horsemanship to this problem. Would a wild horse ever bathe? What does a horse do when it gets caught in the rain? And a more basic question, why would a horse be afraid of water? If you can think like a horse, you can solve this problem without causing great stress to yourself or your horse.

There are many excellent resources on why horses might fear water in general, and plenty of advice on how to proceed, but horsemanship’s natural solution to this problem is pretty consistent: slow and steady wins the race. Think like a horse. When would you like to be doused with cold water? We have a hot day, right?

The first step, then, is to choose a hot day when your horse is likely to like the feel of the water best. He starts with a splash of water on his feet and legs, and slowly works his way up his body. If you have to do this for several days, so be it. Don’t push your horse too hard. It takes a long time to build trust and only a few seconds to destroy it. If you are in a big hurry, your horse will know and his stress level will increase because of it.

The bottom line is that while the example of bathing your horse is specific, the lessons learned can be applied to many facets of horse training. When you practice natural riding instead of traditional training techniques, you’ll build a lasting and satisfying relationship with your horse. They will both love being together.