Training Philosophy

My Training Philosophy…! I have spent a lot of energy and ‘thinking’ time building on the knowledge of generations of horsemen in my own family and other exceptional trainers in Australia. I have always had a strong desire to understand the teaching and learning processes between horse and rider, and although I am continually ‘tweaking’ my ideas, my methods have evolved into a system I describe as ‘MO:RE 4 Training’.


MO:RE 4 Training
Mo tivate
Re sult
Re ward
Re flect
Re peat
I see myself as a teacher, and this system could be described as the basis of a teaching concept that could be applied to children, adults and animals alike.

In practical terms, my approach very much follows traditional Australian and ‘natural’ horsemanship methods with the concept of ‘pressure - release’. However, by considering the definitions of these words;

Pressure is ‘the exertion of force against a thing; influence or persuasion of an oppressive kind’

To Motivate is ‘to stimulate the interest of; to inspire’ (Oxford English Dictionary)

it clicked that good teaching is not just about the lessons you give, but the positive and motivational mindset in which you deliver them!

My fundamental beliefs about training horses…!
  1. Horses need to be taught acceptance until it becomes a habit (Desensitise)
  2. Horses need boundaries and a leader (Discipline)
  3. Horses need work if they are to be reliable
  4. Horses learn in a building block fashion, each block being linked to the last
  5. Horses learn from their mistakes/experience
  6. Be polite
  7. Understand (watch and feel) how your horse moves, recognising strengths and weaknesses