The Good Horse Method approaches the horse on his terms. He is a horse first and foremost. He does not think, behave or react as humans do. He cannot make sense of our world unless we consistently set up boundaries and scenarios that guide his behavior to fulfill our requests.
Good Horse Method is a positive approach to interacting with and training the horse. We primarily use positive reinforcement (reward) rather than negative reinforcement (punishment) as training methods. Through reward and consistency we achieve our goals with the horse to develop a cohesive and happy partnership with the horse.
All Horses are Good Horses
The failure of the horse belongs to the trainer/rider/handler and never to the horse.
The Good Horse Method uses the Classical approach to riding and training. A core principle is the implementation of the cause and effect of our aids. Meaning we try as much as possible to use aids that the horse naturally reacts to rather than requiring the horse to “learn what an aid means .”
When you are learning to train horses, you are going to make many mistakes. That is how we learn. Unfortunately, the horse will be the true casualty of any mistakes we make in developing him.
Horses are prey animals. They are reactive and we hijack this trait for our own purposes. We do not burden the horse with human traits. Doing this clouds any issue we may be faced with while interacting with and training the horse. It makes it difficult, if not impossible to ascertain the cause of any issue or problem that arises.