Are some abused horses beyond hope?

April 14, 2021 – Ask Monty Newsletter

Question: Are some abused horses beyond hope?

Are there some horses that are beyond hope and will never make good riding horses, because they have been so badly treated by humans in the past?

Monty’s Answer:

While there are some horses that have been so mistreated that they are virtually unusable, I believe that the number is very, very few. If one fails to save a horse for some useful activity it is, in my opinion, virtually always because we are short of the mark in understanding how to meet the horse’s needs. I have literally never worked with a horse without significant improvement.

Sincerely,