All Creatures

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My husband and I have been enjoying evenings curled up by the pellet stove with mint tea and an episode of All Creatures Great and Small on PBS. This week, one line of dialog struck me as particularly good writing and, more importantly, a beautiful way of viewing modern animal training. 

To set the scene, a veterinarian is called to a farm about a race horse that was unrideable after a long and stressful transport. No physical cause can be found for the horse's aggressive and agitated behavior; it must be psychological. The owner says to the veterinarian, "I thought perhaps you could break him."

Dr. Farnon looks solemn as he replies, "I'd say he's already broken. Our job is to put him back together again."


I am not a horse person, but I understand "breaking" a horse is a traditional training method that breaks the horse's spirit so the rider can control the animal completely. What a sad way to begin a working partnership. I was pleased to see in a quick Google search that the term "breaking" seems to have fallen out of favor with many modern horse trainers.

Dr. Farnon's view of horse training must have been quite progressive for the 1930's, when the show takes place. He goes on to work with the horse with the primary goal of making the race horse feel safe. He proceeds slowly despite the owner repeatedly trying to rush him. In the end, Dr. Farnon showed that compassionate care, rather than domination, could put him back together. 

Watch the full scene here: All Creatures clip - Season 3, Episode 3



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