One of the reminders I offer most often when working with horses, is “teach, don’t expect.” This mantra is equally helpful to human students—not just those learning to ride, but also those learning any number of skills in daily life.

Riders, and too many trainers, often expect horses to just figure skills out. A young horse doesn’t even know how to turn a corner in an arena—he walks down the long side next to the fence and stops when the fence turns a corner in front of him. The same is true for grooming, saddling, and mounting a young horse; for traversing a pole on the ground without touching it; for riding on forest trails or in indoor arenas; for racing across a polo field or pulling a holiday sleigh. Many trainers assume the horse will figure out these tasks with experience, and eventually he does. But why not save human time and equine patience… and teach him........

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