Coercion vs. Guidance and Suggestion

I think one of the first thoughts people have related to the word coercion has to do with someone being beaten or threatened so they admit to a crime they didn't commit. Which is why evidence obtained under these circumstances isn't allowable in court. How does this apply to your horsemanship? 

Yes, how does this apply to your horsemanship? Calling in Foghorn Leghorn here with the HOW, I SAY HOW does this apply to YOUR horsemanship? Luckily I keep a picture of him handy for your viewing pleasure. 

Coercion: The practice of persuading someone to act or think in a certain way by use of pressure, force, threats or intimidation to obtain compliance.To dominate, restrain, or control forcibly.

How much of what we do to 'train' or 'teach' our horses is done with coercion? How much is an ask? How much is a lack of awareness that we are using coercion?

If you start to consider halters, bridles, ropes, sticks, whips, spurs, martingales, draw reins (a death penalty verdict for use as far as I'm concerned), as tools of persuading your horse to act in a certain way. Now, I'm not saying I don't use some of them (I'll not be discussing barbaric tools--draw reins, martingales, chambons, etc. at this time). But, how you use something and how you feel about it and how the horse feels about it is what makes up the definition of coercion.

WHEN YOU CHANGE WHAT YOU BELIEVE, YOU CHANGE WHAT YOU DO.

"To see what is right and not do it is a lack of courage."  -- Confucius

Ask yourself if what you're using and how you're using it is an indicator of coercion? Is it right? Is there a way to do it less? Would you consider yourself a better horseman if you did find a way to change what you do? What do you believe? If you thought about it a little more, might you think differently about it? And then make a couple of changes?

Such as: Lets say you want to turn left as you're walking along on your horse. Instead of using the rein to pull the horse's head to the left, what if you drifted your left hand out to the side with slack in the rein? That's an ask. The feel of it will stay the same later when you don't move your hand so far, but get a good result. If your horse doesn't go to the left, what does that mean?

Does it mean you take up the slack and pull the horse's head to the left because he didn't go when you asked?

"You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration."  -- James Allen

If you are used to using some amount of pull to get your horse to go left and your horse is used to you doing it, there is a good chance that your horse is NOT going to recognize your ask, since you don't usually ask. He will assume the slack rein drifting to the left means nothing. How would you go about indicating that you would like that to be enough of a signal?

"Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude."-- Ralph Marston

"I try to do the right thing at the right time. They may just be little things, but usually they make the difference between winning and losing. "  

-- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

At the right time is where timing and feel come in. A second or a micro-second may not seem important to you now, but when you find out how important it is to your horse, it will open up a whole new world of horsemanship.

Really -- HOW would YOU go about indicating that you would like that drift to be enough of a signal?

Have you paused here with your eyes up to the right and your index finger on your chin, and...

I'll wait.