10/18/2026
One thing I really dislike hearing when someone is riding a horse, is hearing a horse being labeled as “naughty”, “difficult”, or “having a bad day” simply because something is not going the way the rider wants.
More often than not, there is information in the horse’s response. If the horse is falling in, rushing, refusing to move forward, drifting, throwing their head, breaking gait, missing a transition, or repeatedly doing something the rider did not intend, my first question is not “what is wrong with the horse?” it is “what are you doing right now?”.
It may also be...
What are you asking?
When are you asking?
Are your aids clear?
Are you accidentally giving two conflicting signals?
Where is your body?
What are your hands doing?
Are you gripping?
Are you leaning?
Did you stop riding through the corner?
Did you ask early enough?
Did you actually release when the horse responded?
I have always tried to teach riders to look at themselves first before blaming the horse but that does not mean everything is automatically the rider’s fault. Horses can be distracted, tired, confused, frightened, uncomfortable, unbalanced, or simply inexperienced. Pain or tack issues absolutely need to be considered when behavior changes suddenly or consistently.
I just mean that “he’s being naughty” should not be our first explanation. For example if the horse keeps falling inward on a circle, look at the rider before blaming the horse. Is the rider pulling the inside rein? Is the inside shoulder collapsing? Is there enough inside leg? Is the outside shoulder being controlled?
If the horse keeps breaking from canter, is the rider gripping, tipping forward, losing the rhythm, or accidentally restricting the horse with the hand?
If the horse will not go forward, has the rider been squeezing every stride until the leg aid has become background noise?
If the horse keeps rushing, is the rider becoming tense and holding continuously, giving the horse nothing to soften into?
Often the horse is responding very logically to what the rider is doing, even when the rider does not realize they are doing it. That is why I would rather hear a student say “something isn’t working. Let me figure out what I’m asking” than hearing “my horse is being bad.” That shift matters because it teaches riders accountability without teaching them to blame themselves for everything. It teaches them to become curious instead of frustrated and most importantly, it teaches them to listen to the horse.
Another useful diagnostic tool is having an experienced rider or you as the instructor get on the horse when appropriate and safe to do so. If a rider is consistently having trouble with something, it can help separate a horse issue from a rider issue. For example if the horse is repeatedly struggling to pick up one lead with a student but the instructor gets on and the horse picks it up easily with the same setup, that tells you a lot. It does not mean the student is “bad” or doing everything wrong but it does suggest the issue is more likely related to timing, balance, body position, clarity of the aid, or how the rider is preparing the transition. I have always found that very useful as part of the diagnostic process because sometimes the quickest way to understand what is happening is to change the rider and see what changes with the horse.
So before we label the horse, we should ask what the horse might be responding to. Sometimes the behavior we are trying to correct is actually feedback.
