Episode 15: The Connection To Freedom

One thing leads to another. In this case a discussion of the function that a behavior serves takes us to an examination of “polite" behavior. How can we teach our horses how to safely co-exist in the environments we have chosen? There are obvious constraints limits on the freedom that we give our horses. Fences and closed stall doors limit their movements. But when we teach our horses behaviors that we refer to as “polite manners”, we are expanding opportunities to gain access to environments and activities they enjoy. Good manners don’t just benefit us. Good training creates more freedom for our horses.