It's recently become 'taboo' to smack your child. We owe our dependents respect, a nurturing environment and a gentler way! Yet it's ok to whip, spur or smack our horse?
Of course it's not ok, but there is no enforcement or public outcry if we do! Surely that can't be right?
This post is not actually about smacking... Usually the human motive behind any 'smack' is fear and worry not some sort of enjoyment of smacking for smacking sake! We lash out in fear in order to protect - ourself or others!
Often the trigger with our horses is old fashioned disobedience. In today's increasingly politically correct society the mere word obedience, and disobedience is outcast; frowned upon. There is a growing movement and increasingly loud voice through Social Media populating the notion that we must not think of wanting obedience from our children or our horses.
Yet surely there is a time and a place for obedience?
I know from first hand experience that when I am out hacking on a horse, to keep us both safe, I need to be able to move his / her rear end left towards the kerbside, away from passing cars and on command! My command! I have no problem describing this as "obedience", and see no point glossing it up as anything else.
Obedience for the sake of it, delivered for the sake of it, with an intention of ruling, controlling, dominating, punishing or oppressing another living creature I won't ever subscribe to. Obedience when it is for safety sake - I can!
As I'm not into labels and try to avoid traps of self deception, I'll keep using the word obedience and not disguise it as willingness, connection or anything else to make some people agree with me, after all we all have the right to disagree - and so do our horses! Oops what does that mean for the supporters of obedience? Complicated when you start to think of it isn't it....?
