Training in the Right Way: Positive vs Negative Riding

 Those words ALSO do not mean what you think they mean… at least not in the context of effective training.

Dressage training is supposed to be the process of training ANY horse to be a better riding horse. The more the horse learns, in theory, the easier it is to communicate with and therefore complete more complex tasks with. Although competition dressage training often is more focused on training for the dressage test, that is not what the original intention (and original judging requirements) were for competitive dressage. Initially, it was designed to give riders and trainers a way to determine how their training measured up to the theoretical ideal of the training process. That said, it is critically important to understand the meanings and reasons for some of the terms we use to describe dressage training and what to look for when observing training and competition (and videos and photos), regardless of whether you intend to compete or just train your horse to be a better whatever you do with him. That, ultimately, is the main purpose of my articles. To provide education and knowledge for riders to understand and improve their eye and understanding of what dressage training is supposed to be. While there will always be some differences in practice and theory, good horse training is always recognizable to the educated eye. That said, it absolutely is necessary that we remember and understand that limited knowledge is limited judgment.

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Let’s talk about positive and negative riding and how they align with effective (or ineffective) training. Spoiler alert: this goes beyond simply good and bad riding.

Positive riding encompasses a few concepts, but one overarching way to define it is as the thought process employed when a rider uses their aids to help a horse understand and perform the tasks required of him and then subsequently rewards the horse’s try. This approach to training focuses on the idea that the horse does not inherently understand dressage or the exercises asked of him, therefore his understanding needs to be fostered through multiple imperfect attempts that trend in the right direction. In this model, the rider takes on the responsibility of making it possible for the horse to succeed.

Negative riding is the thought process of a rider who asks a horse for a specific result and then punishes the horse when it is not performed correctly. This methodology functions off the assumption that the horse “should know” what is being expected of him and therefore is willfully resisting or evading when he does not deliver the expected result. In this scenario, the rider assumes that the horse should be able to just perform the exercise and when he does not, it is an intentional choice.

Essentially, though both positive and negative riding have active attributes – that is how you ride within them — a more useful way to consider them is as mindsets you use when you approach training.

To be a good horse trainer, of any type, one must understand and embrace the concept that horses are not verbal. While they can learn that certain words might mean a thing to do, they do not understand human language. They are intelligent, and can develop a great deal of understanding, but they cannot listen to a podcast or a lecture, read a book, take a lesson or watch a video to learn what we want of them. Horses do learn through repetition (not drilling within one ride, but through repetition of the same expectations over days, weeks, months and years).

The repetition of training is not focused in the singular sessions, but occurs over many days, weeks, months and years. Photo (c) Gwyneth McPherson

Since horses are not able to understand verbal language, we are relegated to using (almost exclusively) the sense of touch. And given that fact, their learning process is necessarily based on making mistakes. Basically, because they have no former knowledge of a new concept, they have to feel free to “try” to answer correctly, and not fear punishment for the “wrong” answer. Bringing this back then to riding and training, when a rider is in a positive riding mindset, they recognize and encourage the horse’s attempts that trend in the right direction and discourage the ones that do not.

A good mental exercise for anyone who trains horses is to imagine learning a skill like basketball, or knitting, or driving from someone who only can use the sense of touch to teach it to you. And then apply the thought process of positive riding, where try is rewarded. While some aids must be given strongly, or firmly to avoid catastrophe, punishment is not part of the process. The touch that you receive directs to the correct answer and helps you maintain the the task until completion. In this situation, you still have to do the task, but you are being “herded” in the right direction all the time.

Now imagine trying to learn a skill (you don’t even know what your task is, because you’ve never seen it or done it before), and your teacher smacks you, punches you, or pokes you, with no further explanation when they feel you aren’t trying hard enough, or did it wrong. Then they repeat this process over and over, without demonstration of what is right, or clear direction of what is expected. Sounds like a great time, yes? (And by great, I mostly mean absolutely not at all).

You can probably see how being trained by someone employing a positive mindset would be preferable to someone who assumes you know better and are simply being defiant, or lazy, or dumb.

When training is positive, the horse develops confidence in the rider’s aids, that they will help him complete the requested task. Photo (c) Gwyneth McPherson.

Now, horses are large animals, and they can be unpredictable and dangerous. So sometimes we need to use strong (and some may even say harsh) aids and methods to control some of their more dangerous behaviors. That is a product of dealing with animals that do not reason like humans and cannot understand our verbal language the way we do. Where the confusion starts is that restraint and control in dangerous situations is not the same thing as training.  While it is sometimes necessary to restrain or control a panicking or violent horse, this is not a teaching moment. Horses cannot learn in these moments. They cannot be trained when they are terrified or angry (and really, generally speaking this applies to people, as well).

Imagine the difference between explaining to a child that they need to stop and look both ways before they cross a road, while demonstrating the proper actions by crossing roads with them— holding their hand and helping them navigate when it is safe to cross—versus running as fast as you can, grabbing them by the waist and knocking them down on the pavement as you shove them out of the path of an oncoming car. The first scenario is teaching (repetition of the correct response). The second scenario is a harsh, scary, and possibly painful correction that stops a dangerous situation. It is a correction. It is memorable and becomes part of their knowledge of experience, but it is not how they learn how to cross the road safely (and probably not particularly enjoyable for any party, especially if you like said child).

Riders who use punishment and rough aids to try to teach horses tasks may have some success. The success, however, comes from intimidation and overpowering the animal. There is always an end point to this type of training where the horse is stronger than the aids, or more afraid of the person or something else than the punishment. Using this mindset and training model, the horse will not achieve its full potential due to fear, anxiety, and quite likely, injury. The assumption that correcting/punishing wrong answers will teach the horse what the right answer is always fails because the horse just repeats the wrong answer and the correction. That’s what they get good at, doing it wrong and being corrected.

Effective training—in the right way—is the repetition of activities that develop strength, balance and therefore confidence in what is being required. This activity requires the rider to have a great deal of understanding and knowledge of what they are asking the horse to do, and how to elicit the “right” mistakes, which lead, eventually to the right answers. As you can probably intimate by now, this type of training takes more knowledge and more patience, but it also creates a better result. With positive riding, the horse learns to listen to the rider’s aids because he understands (over time) that the rider’s aids help him get the right answer, which is a much more harmonious and productive approach that actually allows for continued progression up the training scale.

Remember: limited knowledge is limited judgment.

Gwyneth and Flair in competition at Grand Prix. (c) flatlandsfoto.

Gwyneth McPherson has over 35 years experience competing, training, and teaching dressage.  She began her education in in the late 1970s, riding in her backyard on an 11 hh pony. Her first instructor introduced her to Lendon Gray (1980 and 1988 Olympian). who mentored Gwyneth for a decade during which she achieved her first National Championship in 1984, and her Team and Individual Young Rider Gold Medals in1987.

In 1990 Gwyneth began training with Carol Lavell (1992 Olympian) who further developed Gwyneth as an FEI rider and competitor. Gwyneth achieved a Team Bronze in 1991 and a Team Silver in 1992 in the North American Young Riders Championships, and trained her stallion G’Dur to do all the Grand Prix movements while riding with Carol.

In 2008, while Head Trainer at Pineland Farms, Gwyneth began training with Michael Poulin (Olympian 1992). Michael was trained by Franz Rochowansky (Chief Rider for the Spanish Riding School 1937-1955). Michael has shared much of Rochowansky’s knowledge and wisdom with Gwyneth, completing her education as a Grand Prix rider, trainer, and competitor.

Gwyneth’s teaching and training business, Forward Thinking Dressage,is based in Williston, FL. In addition to teaching riders and training, Gwyneth also loves sharing her knowledge of the sport and art of dressage as well as discussing relevant topics pertaining to the training itself and the current competitive landscape.