Please could I ask your opinions on preferred training methods

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college girl

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Hello Everyone

I'm wondering if I could get some opinions please to help with my college course?!!

My assignment is to find out what training methods people prefer to use - traditional or contemporary. I also need to know the reasons why a particular method is used or preferred. Or are there particular circumstances where one method would be favoured for instance.

If you could spare a moment to help me it would be greatly appreciated!!

many thanks in advance
 
View said:
The question that you have posed is so broad that I have no idea where to start with a response.

In short, horses for courses.
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Ditto

OP you need to define exactly what you mean by "traditional" or "contemporary", and WHICH traditional or contemporary methods are you thinking of, because there are lots!
 
I agree that is broad! Varies between disciplines too. Would you like to pm me the title of the assignment? Does it ask for case studies? A survey? Are you allowed to focus on one aspect/discipline? Does it define traditional and contemporary - as that could mean anything and most people use a combination of both. Maybe they want you to define them.
 
Many thanks!!

Sorry I obviously sound so vague. I think that by contemporary I mean modern/ natural? Like working with the horses natural instincts, being kind, not using fear to dominate, but using motivation. By traditional, I mean training methods that have been passed down from generation to generation. But the latter I presume uses a certain amount of control and punishment, for instance the use of whips and spurs.


So do you know people who are modern or traditional trainers? Are there certain equine areas that would use one or the other, maybe for cost and speed? Riding school, racing stables?

Pigeon - the title of the assignment is just that - What Training Methods do People Prefer - Traditional or Contemporary. I'm supposed to be comparing the two, but think its getting complicated!

Please tell me if I'm still not giving you the right information, I am finding this assignment really tough!

Thanks once again for your time
 
Do you really think that tradional methods don't work with the horses natural instincts do you really think that tradional methods are not based on kindness .
I am sorry with a mindset like that I have no intention of wasting my time explaining how I was trained and what I do.
 
I think you need to select two defined training methods, and truly understand how those methods are used, as currently, the definitions you have imposed are very vague, and unlikely to bear much fruit! As an example - many of the people who favour a classical approach, one which has been around since time immemorial, will be pretty offended that you define traditional methods as those which use punishment to achieve results. Also, no-one is going to admit to using a training regime which is based on causing pain or fear to their horses.
Most educated horsepeople will take elements from several methods to achieve their goals. I follow classical principles, but also use "modern" methods to get what I want, but equally, there are both modern and traditional tactics that I wouldn't contemplate using.
 
Eh??

Those who gave me my initial training were from generations of horsemen - and they most definitely worked with the natural instincts to set the horse up for success.

Natural horsemanship is not modern; it's just a term for something that has always been there as an often instinctive part of horsemanship.

Most good trainers use a combination of things to achieve results, depending on the horse and situation in front of them.

Let's put a different context on your questions.

If you do some research, you will find that one of the racehorse trainers started using information to give a scientific basis to what he was already doing by instict. Is that contemporary v. traditional?
 
OP - did you set the title yourself or can you change it? If you can change it, then it might help to narrow it down by choosing two specific schools of thought/approaches (for example 'IH' or 'Think Equus' or positive reinforcement methods or parelli or Mark Rashid's approach..... all of which in yours are groups under contemporary even thought they're as unlike as chalk and cheese) and focus on explaining just two and people's thoughts on them? You could probably use a search on this forum as data, as there are many many many many many discussions about the pros and the cons of each for different scenarios.

Even if you have to stick with the same title, why don't you narrow it down to one 'problem' or one instance. For example if you have a horse with separation anxiety, or for backing an unhandled youngster, or teaching shoulder-in to a younger dressage horse - choose some specific thing and explain how each approach would differ as it goes about achieving the end goal. Does that help at all?
 
Thank you again.

You've been very helpful, and I can see that I have made it complicated, so I will change it to two types as Morgan suggested, and compare those. I did read about Parelli and it looked very interesting. thank you.

Sorry that I have clearly offended some people. I do not have a mindset, that is very unfair, but I have a lot to learn. I thought if I came here I would get some good advice from some experienced people. thanks so much to those who replied and goodbye.
 
I don't think you offended anyone, I think people might have just sounded a bit abrupt because it's just such a big topic it's impossible to answer in the way you phrased it, it's a bit like saying 'whats the best way of parenting, modern or traditional'

You're welcome to PM me if you want to talk about it, obv I only have one perspective but am happy to discuss.

the problem you'll have with Parelli is that it's extortionate prices to find out much more than the basics. There have been some studies that take two groups of horses and train them with either Intelligent Horsemanship or clicker training/positive reinforcement, both of which are quite accessible to find info about. You could compare those two perhaps?
 
I have no idea what you are trying to compare!

You would be better narrowing it down, eg. A normal training week for an eventer versus a showjumper or techniques used when lunging.
 
Morgan123 said:
Oh sorry I just looked it up, it wasn't IH compared with clicker, it was just a negative reinforcement approach, presumably what you call 'traditional' and some people call BHS - but anyway, could be useful for you http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159107002869
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negative reinforcement is more down to the person doing the training. I consider myself traditional and work in a way that the horse is set up to succeed and therefore has positive reinforcement. thats why people are encouraging you to choose 2 different methods for the survey as te current scope covers such a huge range of ideas and methods :).
 
By the way you have worded your question it is obvious that you have a biased view, which is hardly the way to start a project comparing anything.
 
Cortez said:
By the way you have worded your question it is obvious that you have a biased view, which is hardly the way to start a project comparing anything.
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I don't think the OP is intentionally biased, just lacking the appropriate knowledge (if that makes sense).

Do you have a supervisor/ tutor that you discussed the title with OP? Because I think you will find it nigh on impossible to answer the question you have set yourself as it is too broad, the categories are undefined and you will find that most people don't follow a "set" training programme anyway but use a little bit of lots of different methods.
 
college girl said:
Many thanks!!

Sorry I obviously sound so vague. I think that by contemporary I mean modern/ natural? Like working with the horses natural instincts, being kind, not using fear to dominate, but using motivation. By traditional, I mean training methods that have been passed down from generation to generation. But the latter I presume uses a certain amount of control and punishment, for instance the use of whips and spurs.


So do you know people who are modern or traditional trainers? Are there certain equine areas that would use one or the other, maybe for cost and speed? Riding school, racing stables?

Pigeon - the title of the assignment is just that - What Training Methods do People Prefer - Traditional or Contemporary. I'm supposed to be comparing the two, but think its getting complicated!

Please tell me if I'm still not giving you the right information, I am finding this assignment really tough!

Thanks once again for your time
Click to expand...

OP's post is not really open to misinterpretation.
Modern / natural like working with the horses natural instincts being kind not using fear to dominate but using motivation .
Traditional passed down from generation to generation but using a certain amount of contriol and punishment for instance the use of whips and spurs .

That's not really open to interpretation .
No point in wasting your time on a closed mind .
 
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