Philosophy of Horse Handling 
Under The Mcloughlin System

 The Road not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

(I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:)
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
 
 This is more than a pleasant rhyme about a walk in the woods.  It is a beautiful illustration or metaphor about crossroads or critical junctures that necessitate decisions that may change the dependable, the status quo, or what is predictable; though not comfortable.  Some crossroads we can prepare for as they approach.  Such as: marriage, the birth of the baby, changing jobs or school.  Others are unexpected; such as sudden death or sudden loss of health.


The customary thought is that you can plan for the expected, but if you survive the unexpected, you’ve done well.

Horse handling can parallel the private life.   There are just as many expected as unexpected happenings in good horse handling, as in private life.  The question is which road will you take?   Will you take the road of adversity?   Can you plan for both the expected and unexpected in horse handling?   When the situation or “horse” cries, “change or else” what road will you take? 

The McLoughlin system of horse handling is a process that will help provide the foundation for both the expected and the unexpected.  Crisis management is not management.  It leaves many victims in its path, and a bitter taste in the mouth of those who administer it.
There is a constructive and productive way, not necessarily effortless, but satisfying; that goes against the method of brutalizing horses and the quick training techniques that confuse and frustrate horses and students.


Unfortunately, most trainers get horses to do things!  The more talented the horse, the easier it is to get him to do what you want. That confuses the issue. Trainers think they do well when this happens. The problem is two fold:

        1. If the trainer is working with an average horse (most are) he has to get Rough, jerk, spur. Travel the road most people do to get the job done: then we get nervous and spoiled horses.
       2. The next problem is, even if the trainer is using humane techniques on above average horses, he’s still getting the horse to perform.  Not teaching and showing him how to perform. This means, when the owner gets on the horse, he or she can’t ride him, or if they can, it doesn’t last for long, even with good riding techniques.


If you get the horse to do it, you are only working on the physical side of training. When you take the time (time is a key word) to teach and show your horse what you want, you are working on the mental side of training. In order for a trainer to work successfully on the horse’s brain, he must first have his mental attitude under complete control. Meaning: no ego. Not getting mad being completely mellow around your horses. Not just when you are riding and training them. When you are grooming, leading from one stall to the other, feeding, loading on a trailer, and driving down the road. No matter how good a horse handler you are, until you put this factor together, you will not get a true union between you and your horse.

The art of Classical Stock Seat riding unfortunately is not the norm. Just like what the Classical Dressage world is trying to do, we must work hard to pursue good riding form and style, with efficient and balanced moves of the horse.

The horse has done remarkable things for man. Some were unbelievable and have never asked for much in return, just some good hay, feed and a clean stall. As a true horseman, we owe it to the horse to show him in his grandest style!

The #1 secret of successful horse handling, Attitude!  We are going to take a look at the Road less traveled....