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Trust the Horse, Not the Tale

Don Jessop

Why your horse's past doesn't matter.

1. Horses Don’t Speak Human

Even if every word of the oral history of your horse is accurate, it’s still a secondhand account of a horse’s past, filtered through human perception. Horses communicate through body language, energy, and behavior, not through words. Paying attention to what your horse shows you is far more reliable than relying on what someone tells you.

2. The Danger of Preconceived Notions

Believing too strongly in a horse’s backstory can set you up for confirmation bias. If you expect a horse to act aggressively or timidly because someone said it was abused, you may unintentionally interpret normal defensive behavior as proof of that claim. This can prevent you from seeing the horse for what it truly is—a unique individual capable of change.

3. The Blame Game

Sometimes, oral histories shift responsibility. A seller might claim, “This horse hates men” or “She was ruined by a bad trainer,” to deflect from their own inadequacies in handling the situation. It may be true the horse was traumatized, it happens all the time, but shifting blame to the past instead of working for solutions in the present is rarely helpful. Humans tend to think if you can find the source of the problem you can heal the wounds and make progress. But with horses, you can't go back. You can only prove to them you aren't like their other owners. You are firm when you need to be, sure, for safety. But you're also kind and giving and clear. The healing happens when the past is left in the past and the future holds promise.

If your horse has a history that's not ideal, you're not alone. The person you become will shape the future of your relationship and outcomes with your horse. Seek to educate yourself and solve problems rather than name past events as a way of defending his or her position.

Here's to always learning to be better for our horses!

Thanks for reading my dear, passionate horse loving friends. ​Don

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Don Jessop - Blog Welcome

Hi! I'm Don Jessop

With Mastery Horsemanship

I write to Inspire, Educate and Encourage You with Your Horse and Your Personal Journey.

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