06/09/2026
I probably spend more time doing "nothing" with horses than people expect.
Or at least, it probably looks like nothing.
There are lots of moments where I'm simply watching. I'm seeing what the horse does without me asking anything of them. Have they relaxed? Are they looking around? Are they taking in the environment? Are they processing what we've just done? Do they need a little more time before we ask the next question? Are they showing any fear?
I think we're often tempted to keep going. To fit one more exercise in, ask for one more repetition or keep making progress because the session is going well.
But over the years I've realised that some of the most valuable learning happens in those quieter moments.
Giving a horse time to process isn't wasted time. In fact, I think it's often a really important part of learning. We can be so focused on what we're going to ask next that we forget the horse might still be thinking about what we've just asked.
I also find those pauses incredibly interesting. They give me the opportunity to observe rather than influence, and I often learn far more about the horse when I'm not asking them to do anything. How quickly do they relax? What do they choose to look at? Do they investigate something new? Do they offer a behaviour without being asked? All of those little things tell me something.
Not every second with a horse has to involve us doing something.
Sometimes the kindest and most productive thing we can do is slow down, watch and give them the space to think.
I'd be interested to know if this is something you consciously do with your own horse, or whether, like many of us, you sometimes find yourself wanting to fill every moment.