08/13/2025
“Teaching” a horse patience by tying them for hours without food, water, shelter, or the ability to move is not training — it’s neglect disguised as horsemanship.
This outdated method is rooted in a mindset that ignores equine learning science and welfare, replacing empathy with dominance and convenience.
From the horse’s perspective, there is no concept of “patience” as we humans define it.
Research in equine behavior shows that horses learn through associations and immediate consequences, not abstract moral virtues.
When left tied for hours, a horse does not learn to “wait calmly.”
Instead, they often experience escalating stress, confusion, and learned helplessness — a psychological state in which they stop reacting not because they’re “calm,” but because they’ve given up hope of influencing their situation.
This is not training; it’s mental and emotional abuse.
The horse is deprived of the ability to meet basic needs, placed in a vulnerable and unnatural position, and left to endure discomfort, fear, and boredom.
Such treatment erodes trust and creates long-term damage to the horse-human relationship.
The harsh truth is that these methods persist because they require no skill, no understanding of learning theory, and no investment in the horse’s well-being.
They produce the illusion of a “quiet” horse quickly, but at the cost of the horse’s mental and emotional welfare.
True patience in horsemanship comes from us, not the horse.
It means taking the time to introduce new situations gradually, meeting the horse’s basic needs, and setting them up for success in a world completely foreign to them.
Owners — it’s your responsibility to educate yourselves.
Learn to recognize trainers who rely on outdated, shortcut methods that harm rather than help.
Your horse depends on you to choose training built on empathy, science, and mutual trust.
We surely owe them that much.
Join us at www.equitopiacenter.com where awareness, education and advocacy can shape a better world for horses - from their perspective!
