Young Rider: Ellie Gough

trial and error: “Punishment shuts down

the try, so if they’re not confident to try how are they ever going to be trained? When you punish a try, you then close the window of things that they’re likely to want to offer. You might be able to do what I call wrestling and wrangling, which is physically making it impossible for them not to do what you want with huge weight shifts or pulling beyond flexion levels, but that’s using everything else but the horse’s understanding - and that’s a mistake.”

Which brings us back to the importance of studying the horse. “Horses are so incredibly trainable if you understand equine learning theory,” Amanda says, “they build associations remarkably quickly and it doesn’t take long for them to understand that when the pressure of your aid is released, it’s telling them that they got it, that it was the right answer. Work on creating those positive associations, so that if at first they don’t get it right, they’re not afraid to try, try, and if necessary, to try again, because that’s what it takes for a horse to become a well-educated, sound and willing partner.” You can follow Amanda by joining her DRESSAGE→←CONNECT Facebook group, or call her on 0407 460 413.

Amanda’s coaching style stems from a lifelong interest in education (Image courtesy Amanda Clifford).

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