10/10/2026
20 Ways to Ruin Your Horse, According to Someone on the Internet🍿
A comprehensive guide to being wrong about absolutely everything.
I recently asked horse people to share some of the conflicting advice they've received about caring for, managing and training their horses.
And holy moly, what a magnificent collection of mutually exclusive certainties we've accumulated.🤯
It turns out that almost everything you do with a horse is wrong. Not just mildly wrong, either. We're talking morally reprehensible, scientifically indefensible, spiritually bankrupt and quite possibly a violation of the Geneva Convention.😱
The really impressive part is that the person telling you you're wrong is invariably absolutely certain they're right.
So, in the interests of fairness, inclusivity and offending absolutely everyone equally, I've compiled a collection of 20 ways you can apparently ruin your horse.🔥
How many of these arguments have you encountered?😜
1.Shoes are cruel. Barefoot is cruel. Boots are unnatural. Glue-ons are cheating. Traditional farriers are dinosaurs. Barefoot trimmers are cult members.
2.Treats are scientifically proven training tools. Treats are bribery. Treats create dangerous horses. Treats build trust. Food rewards are essential. Food rewards are manipulative.
3.Bits responses can be well trained into communication. Bits are medieval torture devices. Bitless is ethical. Bitless is dangerous. A snaffle is gentle. A snaffle can be severe.
4.Horses need rugs. Horses don't need rugs. Rugs destroy thermoregulation. Not rugging is neglect. A clipped horse must be rugged. A healthy horse can regulate its own temperature.
5.Unlimited hay is essential. Unlimited hay causes obesity. Restricting hay causes ulcers. Obesity causes laminitis. Horses must eat constantly. Horses must not overeat.
6.Ride into the contact. Never ride into the contact. Contact creates balance. Balance creates contact. The horse must seek the bit. The horse must never feel the bit. Your hands must be soft. Your hands must be effective.
7.Round pens create communication. Round pens are the best place to start a horses training. Round pens create learned helplessness. Sending a horse away establishes leadership. Sending a horse away is emotional abandonment. Turning to face you is respect. Turning to face you is avoidance.
8.Be the leader. Don't be the leader. Be a partner. Be a guardian. Be a friend. Never be a friend. Establish boundaries. Never impose your will. Earn respect. Respect is a human construct.
9.Nosebands. One finger. Two fingers. No fingers. No noseband. Anatomical noseband. Cavesson. Flash. Drop. Loose is kind. Loose is dangerous.
10.Dental tools. Power tools are dangerous. Hand tools are outdated. Sedation is essential. Sedation is unnecessary. Equine dentists are experts. Only veterinarians should touch teeth. Horses survived millions of years without dentists.
11.Start riding at two. Start riding at four. Wait until seven. Early exercise strengthens bones. Early exercise destroys joints. Young horses need work. Young horses need to be left alone.
12.Stabling is cruel. Paddocks are dangerous. Track systems are revolutionary. Dry lots are essential. Small paddocks are prisons. Big paddocks are injury factories. Horses must live in herds. Horses need individual management.
13.Feed magnesium. Feed turmeric. Feed salt. Feed oils. Feed herbs. Feed gut supplements. Feed joint supplements. Don't feed supplements because supplements are unnecessary.
14.Your horse is naughty. Your horse is frightened. Your horse is traumatised. Your horse is testing boundaries. Your horse is expressing its truth. Your horse is reflecting your childhood wounds. Your horse needs a stronger leader. Your horse needs you to regulate your nervous system.
15.Never accept no. Always accept no. Wait for a genuine yes. Let the horse choose. Never force anything. Teach the horse to comply. Honour its autonomy. Respect its boundaries. Get some help to learn to train properly.
16.Chiropractic. Osteopathy. Massage. Acupuncture. Craniosacral therapy. Myofascial release. Masterson. PEMF. Energy healing. Bodywork is essential. Bodywork is a waste of money.
17.Train every day. Train twice a week. Train for five minutes. Train for an hour. Always finish on a good note. It doesn't matter if you finish on a good note. Rest is essential. Consistency is essential. Repetition builds understanding. Repetition creates boredom.
18.Hands wide. Hands narrow. Hands high. Hands low. Inside rein. Outside rein. Never pull. Always maintain contact. Open your rein. Never open your rein.
19.Pressure is communication. Pressure is coercion. Escalating pressure is essential. Escalating pressure is abuse. Rewards create willingness. Rewards create dependency. Never punish. Always correct. Be consistent. Be flexible.
20.Horses need leadership. Horses need connection. Horses need attunement. Horses need autonomy. Horses need boundaries. Horses need freedom. Traditional horsemanship is outdated. Natural horsemanship is unnatural. Science-based training is the answer. Science doesn't understand horses.
AND THE WINNER IS...
Absolutely nobody.
Because whatever you're doing with your horse, there's someone on the internet who is absolutely certain you're doing it wrong.🙄
Of course, some of these disagreements are legitimate, some depend on circumstances, and some are complete bo****ks. The trick is learning to tell the difference.😎
NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!
What's been missed from the list? Add your favourite contradictory horse advice to the comments. Let's see how long we can make this ridiculous list.😆
Collectable Advice 312/365. 🤓
Don't confuse conviction with competence.
One of the most useful things you can learn in about working with horses is that the answer to many questions is "it depends." It depends on the horse, the circumstances, the skills of the person involved and what they're trying to achieve. Terribly inconvenient for anyone selling the one true way.🫣
Of course, that doesn't mean every opinion is equally valid. Sometimes the evidence is clear, and sometimes people are MSUing (ie Making S**t Up).The trick is developing enough knowledge, experience and critical thinking to recognise the difference, rather than outsourcing your judgement to whoever sounds the most confident.✊
IMAGE📸: Most likely a internet expert🙃
