_GG_
Well-Known Member
I enjoy these threads regardless of my personal viewpoint on the methods / effectiveness of the training.
What I would like to say is that the horse that is trained without any shortcuts or undue preesure is probably as rare as a unicorn.
The only time this is likely to happen is when the owner is also the rider, has the experience and skill to train the horse without any paid for assistance or advice and has no time frame attached to any goals. How often does that happen?
Sometimes the shortcuts will cause minor probelms further on in the training requiring a simple step back, sometimes the consequences can be major. Same with the level of pressure (mental and physical) applied.
Why does this happen? Money.
Professional help whether it be from a local AI or an olympic medalist cost money. The person giving the help generally does so to earn a living. The person receiving the help has an expectation of a positive outcome.
Therefore you get the situation where the pro may feel a a certain course of action is desirable but in going ahead with that action they will not meet the expectation of the person paying the bill. If that expectation is not met to some degree then it is unlikely they would return for further sessions. Thus the livelyhood of the pro is threatened.
What tends to happen is the action taken is a compromise between doing what is really required and meeting the expectation of the customer. Thus you get shortcuts and pressure.
For example, a rider books a lesson with a high ranking dressage pro to assist with changes. First time the pro sets eyes on the rider / horse combi it is obvious the quality of canter, level of collection, strength of horse, ability of rider all fall well short of those required to train changes. So does the pro spend the hour working on the basic canter and rider position completely ignoring any move towards changes as this would be the correct thing to do?
Highly unlikely. Most probably the session will be 50/50 split between correcting the issues and satisfying the customer.
Only once in 40 years have I had a trainer (top level SJ) take the pure approach. I went for an SJ lesson (paid for by owner). We spent the entire time working on the canter (which I felt was correct) and never left the ground.
Owner refused to allow us back to that trainer as in their eyes they hadn't received what they paid for.
When those being given instruction fully accept what needs to be done even if that means taking a horse at elementary back to walking, then and only then will true training take place. I'm not going to hold my breath on this one.
PS, for all those that will reply saying my trainer tells it exactly as it is I would respond that they do as far s they feel you will accept without walking away and no further.
I would love to see what the trainer of Aramas would do if given a completly free hand with no expectation or time frame would do differently.
Completely agree and said similar in I think my first post on this video. To be honest, it is why I don't charge when I train someone. My reward is in seeing the improvements, but I don't need the money. Not charging generally gives clients the security that I am not doing things in order to keep them paying me. When I then say that we need to take a few sessions away from what the goal is to set up the foundations properly, it is accepted and the work is done.
I also don't necessarily think it is a bad thing to be pushed either. I know very many people who actually take things a bit too slowly. Horses get stale and end up bored and become school sour. I'd rather see baby steps of movement way ahead of the horses training as a way of improving the basic work and keeping the horse interested and challenged, then see a horse doing endless repetitions of the same work in the pursuit of perfection before moving on.
I think it should just come along as part of the ABC's of training to be honest. It isn't difficult in itself...we tend to make it difficult by overthinking it.
It's the freakin' sparrows, they set my teeth on edge 
