Horsemanship Superstars
We have never had greater access to horse training than we do today. With a few taps on a phone, we can watch some of the world's most accomplished horsemen and horsewomen work their magic. We see seemingly impossible transformations, flawless liberty work, perfectly soft transitions, and horses that appear to read their handler's mind.
It's inspiring. It's educational. And sometimes, it's completely discouraging. The truth is, both of these things can exist at the same time. Watching highly skilled trainers can expand our knowledge enormously. We pick up new exercises, better timing, fresh perspectives, and creative solutions to problems we've been struggling with for months. Many of us have become better horse owners simply because we now have access to information that was once only available by attending expensive clinics or apprenticeships.
But there is another side to the endless stream of polished videos filling our social media feeds.
Without realising it, many everyday horse owners begin comparing themselves, and their horses, to people whose entire lives revolve around training horses. These trainers are, in many ways, the equine influencers of our world. Their job is horses. They spend every day riding, observing, learning, teaching, filming, editing, and refining their skills. Many have worked with thousands of horses over decades. They are professionals in the truest sense of the word. Most of us are not.
Most horse people work full-time jobs, raise families, study, run businesses, or juggle countless other responsibilities before squeezing in an hour or two with our horses after work. Sometimes we only ride on weekends. Some weeks we barely see our horses at all. Yet somehow we still expect ourselves to produce the same results. It's a comparison that was never fair to begin with.
Imagine expecting yourself to cook like a Michelin-star chef after making dinner three nights a week, or feeling disappointed that you can't play piano like a concert musician who practises eight hours a day. We would immediately recognise how unrealistic that comparison is.
Yet in the horse world, we make these comparisons constantly.
When we see a video where a difficult horse quietly loads into a float after twenty minutes, or a young horse calmly accepts their first ride, it's easy to forget that we're seeing a carefully selected snapshot. We're rarely seeing the years of experience behind the trainer, the countless horses that taught them their feel and timing, or the preparation that happened before the camera started rolling. Instead, we watch the highlight reel and wonder why our own horse still won't stand quietly for the farrier.
The danger isn't the videos themselves. The danger is forgetting the context. That doesn't mean we should stop watching them. Far from it. The best trainers have an incredible amount to teach us. They challenge old ideas, demonstrate better communication, and encourage us to think differently about our horses. Their content can inspire us to improve our own skills and remind us that there is always more to learn.
The key is changing how we measure success. Rather than asking, "Why can't I do that?" perhaps a better question is, "What can I learn from this?” Maybe we won't achieve the same level of refinement, and that's okay. Maybe your horse doesn't need to perform at that level either. If our horse is becoming calmer, more confident, easier to handle, or more enjoyable to ride than they were six months ago, that's real progress.
Our journey doesn't have to look like someone else's highlight reel. Professional trainers aren't succeeding because they found a secret trick. They're succeeding because they've invested thousands upon thousands of hours developing their knowledge, timing, feel, and consistency. That level of expertise deserves admiration, but it shouldn't become the standard by which every recreational horse owner judges themselves.
Our horses don't care how many followers we have or whether our groundwork looks Instagram-worthy. They care that we're fair, patient, consistent, and willing to keep learning. So watch the horsemanship superstars. Learn from them. Borrow their ideas. Let them inspire you. Just remember that inspiration should leave us feeling motivated, not inadequate. Our horse doesn't need us to be an equine influencer. They just need us to be the best horse person we can realistically become.
Suzy Maloney B.Eq.Sc.Dip.Couns.
Happy Horses Bitless
Considerate Horsemanship
Email: suzy@happyhorsesbitless.com
Lismore, NSW, Australia
Ph: 0401 249 263
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