You’d think by now humanity would have come up with a better metaphor. Nobody is throwing stones at birds anymore.

But it looks like I have to use it again to illustrate a point.

Here’s the lesson…

Some activities with horses do more than others. Some actually create opportunities for learning or progressing in more than one area at a time.

Take liberty training, for instance. If you play your cards right, you can use liberty to warm up the body and the mind at the same time. You create blood flow and mobility while also building connection and mental stability.

Of course, if you do it wrong, you don’t get any birds. Or results. Nothing good comes from doing liberty wrong. But when it’s right, you get a lot done.

Another example is straightness training. Let’s say I make a rule for you in my class: you must walk a narrow course where drifting left and right simply isn’t allowed (no more drunk horse).

The rule is that when you fail and fall off the track, you must come to a full stop and go laterally—sideways—back to your track.

That means if you’re cantering from P to H or K to R (or whatever line you choose), and your horse drifts, you must halt. Immediate stop. Then leg-aid your way sideways and back to the track before taking even one more forward step.

This type of straightness training kills three birds with one stone.

First, impulsion. Your horse learns to settle quicker because he may be stopped suddenly, and he begins to anticipate the possibility.

Second, straightness. Your horse becomes easier to ride because he’s no longer drunk—or just starting driver’s education in a parking lot.

Third, balance. Transitions are known to improve a horse’s sensitivity to signals and help them carry their own balance better.

I’ll give just one more example, although there are dozens of activities that add layers of training.

Flag work is my last example. A good trainer will use a flag to both groom a horse and drive that same horse. Horses are typically afraid of flags, so using a scary object to create brave, warm, bonding feelings, while at the same time encouraging happy, quiet responses to suggestions, creates a dual training benefit in one single activity.

If you read between the lines, you’ll notice that any activity can have multidimensional learning opportunities.

The key is awareness. Once you’re aware, you begin to approach horse training in a very intelligent way.

Good luck, and thank you, ​Don