It's funny how people give a name to a horse training principle and try to mystify something that was figured out thousands of years ago.
One I heard was called "shaping".
It's about improving a horse's response.
It was defined as the gradual change of standards of behavior that are rewarded.
This is a fancy way of saying you continually work on your horse until you get what you want him doing.
That's it.
Then there's the problem of horse owners wondering how trainers get their horses to do complex things.
So, I'm going to reveal the exact secret of complex horse moves.
First, start with the simplest thing.
Break down what you want your horse doing and start with one thing at a time.
That's how you "really" get your horse to do what you want.
Say you want your horse to spin.
What most people don't realize is the spin consists of lots of different things to get one result.
It naturally starts with your horse being able to ride.
Then you start getting your horse to turn.
This doesn't happen over night.
You have to get him good at turning.
Next, teach him to move off your leg pressure.
So when you ask him to move to the left, you will apply leg pressure from the right.
Next, teach your horse to neck rein.
This doesn't happen overnight either.
Once you have your horse doing these things, start assembling the pieces.
So you'll start to put the pieces together by applying the neck rein, leg pressure, body position, and more.
Once your horse knows the individual pieces then you can put the pieces together to teach him yet another piece you want him to do - the spin.