Soulstriders

You can tell within seconds... 😅

The first time you sit in a saddle, one of two things happens:

🐴 "Get me off this thing!"
OR
🐴 "I never want this to end!"

All it takes is one ride for the horse bug to bite... and that's it. You're hooked for life. 💙

Judging by this little guys shouting, I'd say he's officially been infected. 🤣

Who remembers their very first pony ride?

This horse is not evil, this horse is not even all that dangerous. He is not threatening.

While his body language seems almost identical to a horse displaying anger/rage/aggression... This boy is in fact not showing any of that. This is just pure learned behavior.

But why would a horse LEARN to behave in a way that could be seen as disrespectful, rude, dangerous? Why would a horse "fake" being these things? Because he has learned it works. When he acts nasty and evil, people back off away from him... So he continues.

But why does he want people to stay away? Is it because he doesn't want to work? Should we respect him for it and just leave him to be a horse?

In this boys case.... No.

Its an easy no because there is only 1 reason that he is acting like this. He was abused. From one session with him I can practically guarantee that at some stage in his life he was smacked hard, more than once through the face and most likely had his ear twitched - both disgusting, abusive actions!

So no, this horse doesn't need to be "made" to respect anyone. He doesn't need to LEARN his place. No, what he really needs? To be shown that people can be trustworthy.

He needs to learn to trust again, the only way to do that is through love, kindness, patience... And to keep on pushing, to not give up. To be willing to go back to the basics, as basic as just a groom or even just a touch and start again from there.

Show him he can trust me, rebuild his confidence... And then the judges can come label him if they feel the need.

Trying to "make" a horse like this respect you, or giving him a whack for "being disrespectful", trying to dominate him into submission... None of these things will work, they will only make things worse... To a point where he may actually become dangerous and or unmanageable.

So I choose a different route, the best route... The one that always works... Trust first, the rest later. I don't back off for 2 reasons 1, he needs to learn that behavior won't get rid of me and 2, if I want him to trust that I won't hurt him, I first need to trust that he won't hurt me.

This is a VERY dangerous job if you don't know what you are doing. If you can't read the difference between aggression and fear, you shouldn't call yourself a trainer. If you can't tell the difference between "empty threat" and "now you die" please don't choose horse training as a career.

This job isn't for those who fear a bit of pain and it's also not for those who want to use pain to "gain respect".

Force -> Fear -> Injury

Trust -> Partnership -> Behavior

The choice should be obvious.

P.S The last answer: No I did not get bitten or hurt in any way while making this video.

It really upsets me when creators load videos that the KNOW is showing things wrong but they just load it just like that with no explanation... Then you literally get thousands of people thinking just because this video went viral that means it's good and that this is the way to do it.

Its NOT! Please do not do this at home, sessions like this DO NOT desensitize a horse, they traumatize it, making things even harder in future. This is not the way to teach a horse to overcome fears or be brave, this is not the way to get a horse to trust you and take cues from you in stressful situations.