What Does It Mean for a Horse to Be Soft?
Updated: Aug 27
Clear Mental Horsemanship with Dennis Cappel
People talk a lot about wanting their horses to be soft. I do too, and I think any good horseman does. But I think that word needs to be defined.
To me, softness is when I apply an aid and the horse politely and quietly, with a good attitude, moves away from that aid. He steps away from that slight bit of pressure and into complete freedom.
Every time.
That horse learns to be happy in that sweet spot of freedom, and that’s where he wants to go.
Sometimes I think people are actually being too soft with their horses when the horse is disobeying them, and then they wonder why they can’t get the results or the response they want from their horse.
If a horse is just left loose all the time, he doesn’t really know where wrong is. He can go anywhere, and that can be very confusing for him.
I think a lot of people have a mental block about putting too much pressure on a horse with their hands or their legs, so they’re hesitant to use enough pressure to clearly communicate what they want.
For me, it’s about disciplining yourself as a horseman and knowing exactly what you want.
You’re not allowing the horse to do anything you don’t want, but you completely allow them to do everything you do want.
That’s what softness means to me.
Mindful Riding,
Dennis Cappel
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