Training Tip: Is Your Horse Making an Honest Mistake or Not Trying?

Determining whether a horse is making an honest mistake or not putting any effort into doing what you’re asking of him is a crucial skill for a trainer to have. You have to be able to recognize when a horse is giving you the wrong answer but he’s trying to figure out what you’re asking him to do versus him giving you the completely wrong answer and not trying. For example, say you point to lunge the horse off and he leaves with energy, but he goes the wrong way on the circle. That’s just him making an honest mistake. The complete opposite would be if he just stood there and ignored you. Your job is to make him feel uncomfortable when he’s not trying. When he tries, be patient and help him find the right answer.

If you’re a new horse owner, you’re probably thinking, “That’s great, Clinton, and I understand why it’s important to be able to differentiate between the two, but how do I do that?” Unfortunately, the only way to get good at determining if your horse is making a mistake or not trying is experience. The more horses you work with and the more you study horsemanship in general, the more knowledge you’ll have to pull from to make decisions.