‘Stop blaming the horse’, says Marcel in Horse & Hound

Marcel Olivé is author of The Truth about your Horse, an expert in natural horsemanship, and (lucky for us!) a Park Lane Stables volunteer. This article in Horse & Hound explains why we need to respect a horse’s hierarchy of needs.

Marcel having a conversation with a horse at Monty Roberts’ ranch in California.

“For generations, the equestrian world has operated on a simple premise: when a horse misbehaves, the rider must correct the behaviour by increasing pressure or changing the training tool,” Marcel said. “Today, I am challenging that.”

Horses want to work in partnership with us, and a horse that doesn’t do what we ask of them is very unlikely to be ‘naughty’, wilful, or need ‘correcting’ (much less punishing). We need to get away from this negative mindset and listen to what they are telling us instead. That way we have a true partnership, and a relationship that benefits us both.

Marcel’s hierarchy of needs explains how basic physiological requirements must be met before anything else can be attempted. A horse that it stressed simply cannot be receptive to our requests. Identify and address the reason for the stress and positive communication is opened up between us.

We love how much we learn from Marcel! And you don’t need to have your own horse to find this fascinating. Read ‘Stop blaming the horse’ in Horse & Hound

The Truth about your Horse: Transformative Wisdom for Horse Owners by Marcel Olivé is available in paperback for £14.90

Read Marcel’s related article: Playing skateboards and suitcases with ponies