22/10/2026
While working on ride-and-lead exercises, we ask Gladur to rein-back so Thor can pass from my right hand to my left, across the front. 🐴🐴
Gladur finishes his movement. I ask Thor to move… and he starts backing up, too. 😅🤔
Well, just a little bit.
Did he think he had understood the exercise? Did he assume he was supposed to copy Gladur?
Or was it something else entirely?
That’s what I love about them: staying open-minded. Because horses think differently than we do, and sometimes even differently than other horses, they never fail to surprise us.
Just when you think you're teaching a specific cue, he’s already connected the dots in his own way, using his own logic. That’s classic Thor.
But sometimes, it’s not about that at all. Thor seems hesitant to pass beyond Gladur’s shoulder, and since I didn’t switch the lead rope to my other hand right from the start, I can’t really blame him. He stays back.
So instead of asking whether he "succeeded" or "failed," we can simply ask: what did he understand from what I was offering? 🧠🌿
Have you ever noticed if your horse's "wrong" response wasn't actually wrong at all, but rather a reflection of mixed signals or a slight inconsistency in your cue? Share your thoughts below! 👇💬
(And if you often wonder what your horse truly understands from your requests, we can help you decode their logic. Send us a message! 🤝)