Today’s guest, Dr. Steve Peters, is a leading authority on equine neuroscience. For over a decade, Steve has translated complex brain science into practical applications for horse owners, trainers, and competitors worldwide. His work isn’t just theoretical; it’s been tested in the field with some of the most respected names in horsemanship. His pioneering research and hands-on approach have made him a sought-after educator, giving riders and trainers an entirely new understanding of how to work with the horse’s brain, rather than against it.
On a more personal note, too many of us tend to work against the horse’s brain, and we’re sometimes not even aware of it…
If we become accustomed to seeing “smiling” winners who whip, spur, and yank on the horse’s mouth, with the mouth gaping open or the noseband excessively tight, we start to normalize that picture. Even worse, we may look the other way when a horse is stressed, in pain, or has turned to self-preservation. And that is truly unfortunate.
When we talk about SLO – Social License to Operate – you might be able to force your horse to perform, but do you really want to? Why settle for just a behavior when you can create an environment where your horse becomes a genius, with a large, adaptable brain, able to do all kinds of things willingly?
Have you ended up with a harsher way of training your horse than you are comfortable with, or du you have a horse that displays “conflict behaviour”? And do you want to change your approach? The good news is that you ca. You always get a second chance. If you wired it wrong, you can rewire it right. Unless you’ve pushed the horse over the edge. In that case, you must consider it a rehabilitation case. A horse like that will need a lot of patience and care to recover. But it can be done.
Remember: Horses are by nature more than willing to do what we ask, as long as they understand it and don’t feel their self-preservation is threatened. Horses do not want trouble. They always seek homeostasis, where they can self-regulate based on changes in their environment. Horses also crave synchrony and constantly search for it. As a rider, you should seek it out too, because when you and your horse are truly in sync, riding is effortless…
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