Our equine training philosophy draws from a time-honored adage familiar to many horsemen: the horse is never wrong. Simple, yet profound, this belief shapes every interaction at Adaptive EQ, reminding us to look beyond symptoms and uncover the true source of challenges. From this foundation, equestrians develop a deeper understanding of the horse’s nature, setting the stage for growth, connection, and lasting success.
Equine Training Philosophy
Horseman’s Creed: The Horse Is Never Wrong (and what does this REALLY mean?)
The Blame Game. It’s a common enough malady we’ve all seen, and we’ve certainly all heard it at some point during our instruction. So who’s fault is it? Is it ours? Is it the horse’s? Perhaps it’s his first owner, his second, or even his fourth owner that is to blame? All of the above may be the case, but whether the problem is a jump refusal, laziness, skittishness, or something grander such as, “it is the horse’s fault that I am not more skilled or more graceful,” placing blame never produces the result you set out to achieve.
Avoiding the Blame Game
In place of blame, we must quiet the ego and ask ourselves, “what is the source of this misunderstanding?” A foundational weakness in the rider or horse often improves only through care, attention, and consistent practice. We call this being impeccable with our practice.
A case in point: if you struggle with a specific issue but a more advanced rider can make the issue improve or go away entirely, this insight has rewarded you with an opportunity to improve your technique. In the horse, if you cannot confirm a flying lead change under saddle, yet observe the horse performing it at leisure in the field, look for foundational deficiencies such as under-saddle balance and strength, as well as potential pain points like saddle fit.
Addressing these challenges requires patience and problem-solving. Buying a new horse to avoid them will only create a temporary solution.
Foundational Deficiencies
We can usually trace ongoing problems back to foundational deficiencies in balance or strength. Sometimes that deficiency lies in the horse and sometimes that deficiency lies in the rider. As we develop (or re-develop) these two qualities of balance and strength, Adaptive Development EQ builds upwards until we find the source of the block that is keeping you from achieving the results you desire. With diligence, all other traits of fine riding follow, including confidence, quietness, sensitivity, and timing.
Hidden Issues
Remember, according to the old masters, your horse is never wrong. Let’s elucidate this further, by noting that it is also extremely unlikely that your horse is inherently bad, cheap, mean, dumb, clumsy, (insert your choice of negative trait). Ongoing problems in horses arise because of underlying, often hidden issues. Adaptive Development EQ addresses all of these issues, including:
- A history of improper training, abusive training, or frequent changes in trainer
- Physical pain (often not a visible lameness, and runs the gamut from ulcers to improper shoeing, and everything in between)
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Preparation—failing to ensure the horse is mentally and physically strong, fit, and far enough along in training to succeed at the task
- Ill-fitting, inappropriate or unnecessary tack (e.g., long term use of excessive equipment: severe bits, nosebands and other training aids originally meant for short term use in extreme cases only)
- A mismatch between the horse and rider’s athletic ability or training level, without adapting the training approach—is the horse helping to train the rider, the rider helping to train the horse, or are both learning together?
If you take nothing else with you to the barn but this one thought, “the horse is not to blame,” then you will have already improved your horsemanship without ever having to lift a finger. For it is through this thoughtful practice, that you begin to hear the very quiet voice of your horse. What you discover within (both yourself and your horse) will transform your frustrations into joys, reward you with knowledge gained, and open the door to a higher level of partnership and achievement.
Equine Wellness: A Holistic Process
For new clients, Adaptive Development EQ works to resolve stumbling blocks on a case by case basis, and trains (or re-trains) horses for the correct development of the individual horse’s natural mental and physical ability. This often will require adjustments to diet, hoof rehabilitation, equipment changes and other areas of noted deficiencies. We also adjust training in order to best match the rider’s skill level, confidence, and personal goals. This process takes time, and the horse must be treated with patience and generosity.
Commitment and Timelines
Adaptive Development EQ is not a quick-fix program. For horses with disabilities, we may design and apply a custom program of exercise and nutrition that supports them for life. Some training problems — for example, a horse that is “crazy” on the lunge line — often resolve in a few sessions. However, the handler may need additional sessions to improve lungeing skills, reduce the horse’s reactivity, and build goodwill. In this instance, developing handler proficiency during follow-up sessions helps ensure the problem stays resolved in the long term.
Many clients notice positive changes during the very first session, whether Euki is riding or working the horse from the ground while explaining her approach. Deeper, lasting changes typically emerge within three months to a year. Once clients overcome the initial stumbling blocks with their horse, they often continue working with Euki–either to maintain health in horses that require specialized programs, or to advance their horse’s training to higher levels of performance.
Learn More About Our Process
To read more about what Adaptive Development can do for you and your horse, see What Kind of Training is This?, as well as our services page to get an idea of what happens over the course of training and see if scheduling an initial consultation might be right for you. Adaptive Development EQ offers equine wellness consulting services that take the long view. Your horse approves, we hope you do too!
To see an example of how Adaptive Development EQ can transform your horse, including before and after photos, please read Euki’s article, “In Defense of the Average Horse.”, read about Euki here, or see examples of her work from her sampling of featured transformations.
