There are many aspects of humans that are similar to horses. Among the more outstanding similarities: we both need camaraderie and fellowship to survive. Horses are herd animals, human beings are political animals. The core of both natures is that an individual horse or human will always need another of his kind to go on. Another important parallelism between the two species is that when in a needed form of fellowship, an individual horse or human is the subject of pressure. When several minds mingle and share identical space, pressure is unavoidable.
Extend this parallelism a bit more, and you can see how pressure, though mostly having negative connotations, can become a positive driving force too. Some people excel under pressure—using the typically undesirable force to compel them to perform at heightened standards. This also applies to horses. Implement some kind of pressure in your coaching and your mare would better and faster understand her lessons. Though there are limits to using pressure as a coaching tool.
What does somebody do when he continually experiences pressure at work? He gives up his job—or his health becomes weakened. He either escapes the pressure or loses to it. Again, this human condition parallels horses. Apply too much pressure, and your mare would start to have a look for avenues of escape. The flight reaction suggests itself. Well, you are fortunate if your mare chooses the flight reaction over the fight reaction, actually. But sometimes a trainer would unconsciously force his steed to the last resort of fighting back to flee the pressure. Horses trained under regimens of incessant punishment, tough pressures, and those based on fear and force are not fit for pony riding or other higher equestrian sport. They can only be a potential danger to themselves and their riders.
A mare only becomes truly fit for riding if she establishes a relationship of mutual trust and confidence with her rider. This relationship must be deeply rooted in her coaching.
Do not be deceived though; as discussed earlier, pressure is integral in training and lessons. Dressage and likewise all high level equestrian sports require strict coaching and motivating pressures. The key is in always knowing the resistance edge of your mare—just how much pressure she can take before she goes looking out for a way to be rid of the source of pressure.
As such, it is obvious that lessons that may capitalize on using pressure positively are most desirable. And pressure is best used in acceptable levels. This suggests that lessons should be broken down to smaller parts such that the pressure applied for in each part serves to compel the horse to learn quicker instead of forcing her to flee the situation. Naturally, the release from the pressure and the corresponding rewards for proper or correct responses build on this concept and help improve instruction in which these are incorporated. These serve as the tiny vacation getaways from the little pressures horses are subjected to in coaching.
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