ClaireAB, I expect you’ve seen Momty Roberts work with ponies, horses and maybe read about his work with children. He’s a fascinating man, who observed wild horses in his US state and decided that’s how he’d work with them . His own dad was a traditional man who expanded the “breaking horses” approach to his children and his work as a police officer.
Monty works empathically, I saw him spend 15 mins with a pony who had scars from a RTA when the horse box he was travelling in was damaged. The pony hadn’t been in a box since. Traditional methods with ropes and force failed. Within 15 mins the pony was walking quietly and slowly by Monty’s side, into a horse box. Monty and his wife fostered ‘difficult boys’ he was clear, violence achieved nothing. He used role model, sanctions and stability,
Horses and dogs like children, need structure, kindness, stability and boundaries, consistently maintained,.