What I’m about to describe—The Triple T Spectrum—is a new concept in the world of horse training and psychology. Very few people fully grasp its significance. But my hope is that once you hear it, once you see it, you’ll never unsee it. You’ll be changed by its power, and your relationship with your horse will never be the same. The light bulb will switch on, and you might even ask yourself, “Why didn’t I know this before?”

It’s a hidden yet simple phenomenon that feels obvious once it’s exposed.

Here is the spectrum:

Tension – Transition – Treat

Before I explain it in just a few short paragraphs, let me add this: This spectrum is why your horse keeps hanging on to old problems. It’s the reason you’ve hit a plateau. It’s why you feel stuck. It's why you hesitate to do more. And once you break through this new understanding, it can set both you and your horse free.

Once again, here it is:

Tension, Transition, Treat.

In a typical lesson—whether under saddle or on the ground—a rider might ask for a canter transition. The horse, preparing to respond to the cue, tenses up. This tension can show up in different ways: physical bracing, facial expression, ears, tail swishing, bolting, bucking, hesitation. With a little patience and support, the transition finally happens: the horse canters. The educated rider then releases the cue and rewards the horse—sometimes with a treat, a rub, or an enthusiastic praising gesture.

This is the standard cycle of any task. I use the canter example because the tension before the transition is often more obvious.

But here’s where it gets weird…

The horse experiences three things:

• The tension
• The transition
• The treat (or release/reward)

Which part does the horse actually remember?

Conventional wisdom says: “The horse learned to canter.” The horse responded, was rewarded, and thus will remember the canter transition. In only about one-third of cases, that’s true.

But in many cases, the horse doesn’t remember the transition at all. Instead, the horse remembers the tension. So the next time you ask for the canter, the same tension returns.

And if that cycle repeats, the horse may eventually learn to canter, but it’s always laced with anxiety, resistance, or brace—rather than a calm mind and smooth movement.

In other cases, the horse doesn’t remember the tension or the transition—they only remember the treat. They learn to anticipate the reward and ignore everything else. These horses might become pushy, fidgety, or over-eager, nickering and nudging for the treat rather than actually responding to the cue with thoughtfulness.

In both of these cases, most riders believe they taught the canter.

But in reality, the horse learned everything except the canter.

And now a cycle of misunderstanding has begun—one that can stretch on for years.

Take a moment. Let that soak in.

It’s the reason you’re stuck on a plateau. It’s why you’re hesitant to ask for the hard things. It’s why your horse isn’t connecting the dots the way you hoped. It’s the hidden block that prevents you from building the calm, trustworthy, elegant horse you know is possible.

So what’s the solution?

Yes—repetition is the mother of skill.

But more importantly:

Your focus and intention determine what is truly being taught.

If I ask for the canter and it comes out rough, I must NOT reward that version. I must NOT punish either—that only adds more tension. I also can’t reward prematurely, or I’ll reinforce the tension.

Instead, I release the cue gently when the canter happens, give a small moment of peace… and then try again. Maybe I change direction, adjust speed, rebalance. Then repeat. Again and again, with quiet intention, until I get the quality I’m looking for.

Only then, when the transition is soft and clean, do I reward. Often, that reward isn’t a cookie. It’s a calming rub or scratch. No excitement, no fanfare—just a continuation of the stillness that made the quality transition possible in the first place.

This concept applies to EVERYTHING in horse training. Every cue. Every task. Every lesson.

Let this change how you see your horse’s responses. Pay attention to what they’re really learning. Help them remember the right part of the spectrum. With clarity and patience, you’ll begin to build a horse that responds with softness, trust, and understanding instead of tension or confusion.

If this resonates with you, count yourself among the few who grasp this depth. Help me share it. For the sake of our horses—and ourselves—this could change everything.

Thanks for reading. Don