Concepts of beating or forcing horses into submission no doubt creates aversion to the word. Yet, submission itself, the act of yielding oneself to the power or authority of another, should not be looked upon with degradation. Submission is not a dirty word...and it is too important a part of cooperative relationships for us to be turning it into one.
When partners have differing opinions, one of them must submit...to defer to the other's judgment...for the team to move forward cooperatively. If my horse and I are out on a trail and a bear should happen to come creeping out of the woods, you better believe I'm going to submit to my horse's leadership and allow him to get us the hell out of there as fast as he can. But, if my horse is telling me he's concerned about a bicycler peddling toward us, I want him to submit to me and allow me to guide him calmly past the bike.
It's not an unreasonable request. If I've spent some time proving to him I can make good decisions about our safety, I can reasonably expect my horse to grant me his submission. Horses are reasonable creatures. They are willing to submit to all kinds of things when asked in a reasonable manner, just like you and I.
Horses know very well that without submission there is no cooperation. It's understandable that folks would be uncomfortable with the word if they think horses are the only ones doing the submitting. Oh, no, no. Horses are masters of art of cooperative social interaction, which is why they unashamedly challenge humans to submit to them as well.
Most assuredly yielding to a horse's power starts by not freaking out or getting upset over any behaviors it might present. It's all normal horse behavior. As for yielding to a horse's authority? That beautiful journey begins the moment you first realize your horse just taught you something.
In the give and take of healthy relationships, submission is the give part. It is a gift all riders should become comfortable offering, asking for, and accepting...gracefully. All the great trainers figure this out. That's what makes them great.
Perhaps those who are now hating on the word are just not consciously aware of how much submission of their own is poured into their exquisitely harmonious relationships with horses. Rather than expressing distaste for the word, they would do better to help riders gain clarity it. Submission is the gift exchange that creates cooperative partnerships. Ain't nothing ugly about that.
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