Negativity Towards Horses

The best horse in the world is the horse between our legs. 

I have noticed an immense amount negativity in the equine community from riders towards their horses. Riders should never blame horses but instead remark on the failure to communicate - a two way channel. None of us would ever blame our peers, our co-workers, our teammates in sports, our spouses and boyfriends the way I hear people casually blaming horses. 

Horses do not fail. Humans fail horses. 

Failure from a horse is almost always the riders fault for not setting the horse up for success. With chunked goals and good communication any horse is a winner. But with selfish expectations or badly timed cues, lack of finesse or brazenness a frustrated horse can become a scapegoat. Horses need to tell when riders are doing it wrong, their honesty is a teaching tool. 

When it is not the rider's fault it is still human error for not preparing the horse previously through schooling and conditioning causing the horse stress and frustration. Through less blame and more focus on physical and mental development (even within one session) a horse will relax and be a better teammate. 

We need to take ownership of our horses that we ride on. Syntax, sentence structure and spin can make or break a horse's reputation forever.