July 2009

Our Readers Agree: Learned Helplessness Is Harmful

But how and why? Let’s talk about it.

By John Strassburger

The hardest decisions for anyone who trains horses—whether a professional with numerous horses or an owner with one horse—involve when to push, when to back off, when to discipline and when to forgive.

There is no single standard or rule of thumb. And perhaps that’s why our March article "Learned Helplessness—A Dangerous Method" caused an unprecedented amount of reader response. Some congratulated us for publishing the article, some took issue with certain observations, and some asked for advice on redeeming

Riding across the countryside usually restores a horse’s interest in life and reminds him how to take care of himself.

horses who’ve been ruined by trainers who implement learned helplessness. In this month’s article we’ll address some of those questions and objections. …