A real challenge to traditional horse training
and management
There is nothing wrong with tradition, except when it has passed its use-by date.
How can we tell ? Easy; we subject traditional methods to the modern tools called science, critical reasoning and ethics. If those methods stand up to our tests there is no problem; both their credibility and integrity are intact. But if they don’t, then we have no sensible choice but to leave them in the past - and move forward.
If this all sounds too simple, it is. We don’t care too much for changes that tilt our view of the world and our place in it so, no matter how much new methods may attract us on the basis of reason, there is an emotional cost to abandoning old and trusted ways of doing things.
At Natural Horse Planet magazine we understand these feelings, we have travelled that same road. We know these challenges inspire a little fear, which in turn sometimes births a little anger. We know that it is far easier to be commercial by diluting the message, and softening the challenge. But we also know that is not what the magazine is about.
We promise our readers to present our findings as honestly as possible, through our own features and contributions from authorities in the equine sciences. We won’t make it soft and fuzzy. We won’t water it down. We will show them the respect due to people who have the courage to follow their convictions - even when the road gets tough.
Welcome to the Natural Horse Planet Magazine.
What Kind of a Horse Person Are you ?
Do you agree that being kept in solitary isolation is most likely to make a horse unhappy ?
Do you think that being stabled is liable to cause high levels of stress and behavioural stereotypies, and is therefore counter to the horse’s wellbeing ?
Forced weaning causes stress and discontent in both foal and dam and is, therefore, counter to the horse’s wellbeing. Do you see any other solution ?
Does the deprivation of natural social contact and play produce psychologically unhealthy horses ?
Most of the male horses in the world are castrated. Is it necessary ?
Do you think that horseshoeing is unhealthy and counter to the horse’s wellbeing ?
Equipment such as spurs, bits and whips, plus any and all items of harness that operate on the basis of physical force, pain and discomfort have an impact contrary to wellbeing of the horse.
What kind of training methods feature psychological coercion and produce symptoms such as learned helplessness and post traumatic stress syndrome ?
