Free range horsemanship: knowing your values but adapating your methods

When Jemma Aigner from LM Saddles came to check Eddie’s saddle a couple of weeks ago we had some really awesome conversations about different horse training methods, and how important it is to stick to your values but be open minded about the tools and methods you use. Jemma came up with the term “free range horse trainer” and I loved it! This blog post explores what that means to me and why I want to continue letting my horsemanship be shaped and guided by “free range” principals.

Polarisation is an issue that darkens every day life and we see more and more evidence of people moving towards idealogical extremes. I see this mirrored in the horse world where people get sucked into cult like horsemanship methods where they daren’t deviate from the ever purer intentions of those shouting the loudest about the right way to be around horses. We’ve all seen the social media posts from warriors of different schools of horsemanship, shutting down anyone who is trialling other methods, or even just learning and making mistakes on their own path. I believe the “free range horse trainer” concept describes the essence of being on a learning journey with horses and encourages individuality in training and horsemanship.

Here’s some of the values and thoughts I have about working with horses. They are (of course!) constantly evolving and changing but I find these really helpful when I feel a bit stuck or am not sure how to approach any issues I have:

• This is a myth: horses wouldn't do it if they didn't want to

  I’ve not thought this for a long time, but it’s something we will all have heard and seen as people rush to defend the equestrian community. More and more I think that horses go along with so much we ask because it is in their nature to fit into a herd and live in a non-conflict environment, not necessarily because they enjoy what we are asking of them. I think we really need to be mindful of how they are feeling and sometimes ask ourselves some hard questions.

• Human and horse expectations can be very misaligned!

  Again, this is something I’ve always found fairly easy when it comes to being around horses but is becoming a stronger guiding principle as I continue my journey. Horses have no idea that we may have bred them for a certain job or spent thousands of pounds on them to help us achieve our human competitive goals. When I take Eddie on a hack, he frankly has no idea that the objective is to be ridden all the way round it! Realising our expectations are very different to those of our horses can really help us deal with what can sometimes be a very natural disappointment when expectations misalign and things go a bit pear shaped. I always try to think about what my horses has got out of this misalignment - and if it’s still been a positive learning experience for him that is all that matters, even if I have to let go of what I wanted from a particular session or time with him.

• Overcoming issues using a "whole horse" approach

  Of course, this has always been an important factor for me when riding and schooling horses, but over the last few years I’ve become more and more interested in working in a more holistic way and instead of treating isolated problems e.g. “he is tight through his book, I will get a chiropractor” I’m also taking into account; how is his diet and ability forage in different positions affecting that? Could his digestive system be struggling or lacking something that is causing pain in the way he holds himself? How balanced are his feet? How comfortable does he feel to move in a soft and strong shape? Is there tension when we are doing normal handling on the ground? Do I need to address other areas of our partnership such as the way we react to stressful situations? Taking a whole horse approach is really important to me.

Being a "free range horse trainer" has enabled me to question traditional beliefs, and continuously evolve my horsemanship. It is essential to appreciate the wealth of knowledge and inspiration offered by others while staying true to our instincts and valuing the well-being of our equine companions above all else.

In the end, our journey in the horse world is a dynamic and ever-changing adventure, one that empowers us to become better horse people and compassionate human beings.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, leave me a comment below with some of the things you’ve changed your mind on over the years!