"Punishment as a training tool should become obsolete. It's unnecessary and counter-productive. Your horse wants peace with you, and he'll adapt his life to achieve it. When he isn't getting something you're trying to teach him, he's already unhappy.

"Punishing him at this point is backward thinking, and just causes anxiety.

"Instead, show him again-more clearly-what you want, and when he responds even a little, give him instantaneous, positive feedback.

"This is much preferable to concentrating on what you don't want (the lack or wrong response), and making your horse more miserable in the process.

"Think of it another way: if your boss only yelled at you whenever you made amistake, and never praised you for doing something correctly, pretty soon you wouldn't want to go to work at all. It's the same for your horse."

-- John Lyons, America's most trusted horseman