Conflicting views - What can we learn from others?

Why is it important to keep an open mind?

May 29, 2025

Years ago, in my early 20’s I was at an Art Gayton (western) clinic.

Until that day, my entire (short) life with horses was based on what I knew about dressage, from a few clinics in the school holidays which I had saved up for at Christmas and lessons with Tom Roberts. Yes, that marvelous man who wrote the Horse Control books, and changed the horse world in South Australia and elsewhere.

This clinic was different, so different in fact that I was conflicted right from the start. It appeared he was teaching the opposite of what I had learned. I was struggling with both the language used and being able to reconcile in my mind, that it seemed to depart from “dressage.”

I was struggling to get my young horse to strike off on the correct lead, the left. I remember it as distinctly as if it was yesterday.

In dressage, you use the inside left leg and rein to bend the horse, the right rein to hold the horse in that frame (rather than turn from the left aids) and the outside (right leg) to say “now” (strike off).

Art on the other hand said something like, “hold her head to the fence with the right rein, and strike off with your right leg.” Use your left rein and left leg to hold her to the fence.

This to me was inconceivable, because this would be lateral aids, and she would be bent the “wrong” way into the fence.

But I had paid a lot of money so I decided I must go with it.

I walked her down the fence line, with her head to the fence, and touched her with my right leg. She immediately stepped over with her hind end, (creating a hollow side on the left) and struck off into left canter, gradually straightening up along the fence as we went.

Lightbulb moment!

I felt the bend I was trying to create with “dressage.”

Naturally it wasn’t the horse which was the problem, but me.

Using a different way of communicating allowed a shift in my thinking and I “felt” what was needed for the first time.

I never had any further trouble teaching a horse to take the correct lead using “dressage.”

I am sure we have all had such lightbulb moments.

How about sharing yours, in the comments below?

This is from Cleo Murphy, Equine Science Chronicles.

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