Quiet Riding

"...force was the basis of horsemanship practiced by the common man for millennia."

"Regardless of the reason a horse is the way he is, if the person can't control him without the use of force or fear, one thing is certain — the person involved isn't yet able to offer the horse a feel that he can understand."

Many people are afraid of the size and strength of the horse and feel they must "make" him do things. "It's the 'making' part that causes people to use a lot of unnecessary firmness, which is exactly what those horses can't understand."

"Some people like just getting by because they don't like a lot of challenge, and most things can be handled using the methods they're used to. Unfortunately, those are exactly the methods we're trying to stay away from, and that'd be any use of fear and force to make the horse cooperate."

"I don't mind saying again that there's no place at all for ideas about dominating a horse in the connection we are building here."

"When you are trying to learn how to use feel in the best way, you need to always keep in mind that less force on the horse can help him to become lighter and more willing."

"You're working to develop his actual understanding — not his automatic response to force with the understanding left out."

"We want to be real clear between a horse and the person handling him. We want to stay away from any mix-up for the horse concerning force or fear, so your feel must be applied in a way that he can understand, without any part of force or fear coming in there. Some people might need some time to think over this subject and I'm in hopes they do, because this is so important to the horse. It's also real important to the person's future with any horse."

"The appropriate feel can be anything from the whisper of a touch to doubling a horse with all the strength you have. It just all depends on the situation. There's going to be some times when the feel that's needed might require firmness, but there's no place for being rough when it comes to handling a horse."

"...where a person has no idea about feel, they will try to make the horse do what they want, through force."

"It is only by rational and calm methods which are never brutal that the horse may become obedient and well balanced."

"We must not be deceived by the apparently rapid results obtained by the use of violence."

"When I say that it is necessary to be energetic and bold, I am not advocating violence and recklessness, which many riders boast of and which makes them undergo such great dangers, destroying the horse's spirit and keeping him in continual confusion."

"Horses can be trained, and largely have been trained throughout history, with fear, pain, and intimidation. The revolution [in horsemanship] has shown us, however, that this is not the path to optimal performance."

"'Don't knock the curiosity out of a young horse,' [Tom] Dorrance ...whispered."

"His [John Lyons'] emphasis is on communication and understanding, rather than force, and the patient application of gentle persuasion techniques."

"I have consistently found that resorting to violence or even discomfort is rarely necessary when people have prepared their horses well for their jobs."

"Force has more to do with punishment than with being helpful."

"Whoever tries to accomplish something through force may have only short-term success."

"Over time, pressure always creates counter-pressure — or resignation."

"No one can dance with inspiration when there is a pistol held to her head."

"...force and fighting usually lead to training problems related to resistance such as stiffness or a lack of suppleness, which usually make things worse."

"Muscle tension and mental blocks are never resolved with force but rather with sensitivity and understanding."

"Forcing a stiff horse into a frame to achieve throughness is not promising: It contradicts all training principles and damages the horse's health."

"When a horse presents in his natural beauty without force and follows his rider relaxed and willingly, even laymen can see and appreciate it."

"Do not try to use force because that destroys the effectiveness of your drive."

"...respect for the horse is paramount and no force is used. The horse must agree to every move and happily so."

"...any method based on achieving your will over that of the horse by punishment or brute force is not to be considered."