What is Learning…

We can get stuck in our mindset of what learning really is, and reduce it to simply input of facts, memorized information, or prompt /response situations.  But we know it’s so much more! “Learning is the intentional, incidental, individual or collective acquisition of intellectual, physical and social knowledge and skills.  From the point of view of learning psychology, learning is understood as a process of relatively stable change in behavior, thinking or feeling.”

For instance, we think about grooming as simply a kind of chore.  Chores that teach physical skills in themselves hold real value.  Just learning to brush a horse involves choosing the correct tool, using it in the correct way, and working effectively in a systematic way.  Learning to groom and care for a horse teaches social skills by bringing awareness of the horse as an individual.  Like humans, horses need food, water, shelter, and emotional care.  Students learn the importance of good care.  They develop an intellectual understanding of how good care affects a horse’s well-being, which in turn affects the horse’s ability to do his work as a lesson horse. 

Riding, unlike many non-team sports, involves the participation/cooperation of another living being.  Developing a sensitivity to the amount of pressure required for a response takes time—but can be reinforced when the student moves around the horse from the ground.  In simple grooming, leading, and handling, students get a feel for using varying amounts of pressure, adjusting it to an individual horse’s level of response, but also making adjustments according to the horse’s mindset on that day.  Applying this process results in a real change in behavior, thinking, and feeling.