What is the key to understanding horses?

March 17, 2021 – Ask Monty Newsletter

Question: What is the key to understanding horses?

What is the key to understanding horses, getting and keeping them onside?

Monty’s Answer:

The key to understanding horses, getting and keeping them onside, is to eliminate violence from the training routine. All things should be done to engender trust. Trust is a condition one simply cannot achieve when there are whips and forceful methods used during the process by which horses become educated. One only has to ask oneself their personal preference in education.

One can transfer these same principles to children and virtually every other animal on the face of the earth. Often the user of force will state that he or she is gaining the respect of the animal; I say that respect is in fact spelled R.E.S.P.E.C.T., not F.E.A.R.. My childhood would be a strong example of these principles. Children are flight animals and horses are as well.

Sincerely,