113. 25 Things About Horses I Wish I'd Known Sooner - a podcast by Jill Treece

from 2023-10-03T17:25:50

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Hello friends, this episode is exactly what it seems to be! 25 things I've learned in my time working with horses that I wish I'd known sooner and believe are worth sharing. Enjoy!



  1. "they wouldn't do it if they didn't want to" is a myth

  2. respect is often conflated / confused with obedience

  3. punishment only teaches horses to conceal their worries, fears, pain, discomfort

  4. it's not cool or a badge of honor to ride a "hot" horse

  5. it's not a disservice to or waste of the horse to not exploit their talent + athleticism

  6. regulating bodies do not always safeguard the horse's best interest + welfare

  7. tradition is not law + often fails to update with current research

  8. there is a difference in giving the horse a treat + training with positive reinforcement

  9. release does not equal reward

  10. management should be based on ethology + species-appropriate care

  11. when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change

  12. if you have 5 minutes, it will take all day, but if you have all day, it will take 5 minutes

  13. yield to win

  14. Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.

  15. many issues in the horse world are reflective of systemic issues

  16. mares are not moody

  17. softness is not weakness

  18. our mental health is reflected in our riding + training

  19. think in "what do i want the horse TO DO" instead of what i want the horse to stop doing

  20. good riding + training is very boring + looks too easy

  21. all behavior has a purpose, look at what need is this behavior meeting rather than why is my horse "xyz" character trait

  22. my relationship with my horse is my responsibility

  23. if you slow down, you get there faster (successive approximation)

  24. treasure my passion + honor it, don't exploit it

  25. when you don't respect the "no" you cannot get a real "yes"






EquiTheory Podcast — Hosted by Jill Treece of JETEquiTheory


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