Questions

Some questions I try to make sure I think about when I work with my horses and questions I want answers to when I see others work with their horses. (Not to judge, but to see how the horse is feeling about the situation)

• How much of a threat is behind the cue/command?
• How much pain is the horse receiving from the equipment?
• If the equipment was gone would the horse still be there?
• Do they really have a choice to leave the situation?
• What happens if they choose to leave?
• Is there a threat of punishment if they go?
• What happens in a scary situation? If the equipment wasn't there to control them would they be gone?
• Are they showing little/big signs of stress? Tail swishing, flared nose, big eyes, etc...
• How can we make the situation better for them?
• How little can we do to ask something of them?
• Can we do it without threats?
• What is really motivating them? Fear or curiosity? 
• Are they connected with you? 

How do you find out these answers? Well with my own horses I watch them, but with others I study the horse. I love watching horse training videos, but I do it with the sound off. Why?Because I can completely focus on what the horses body language is telling me without hearing the trainers description of it. Sometimes the words take away from what is really going on.