How do you manage setbacks and plateaus in a horse's training progression?

Setbacks and plateaus are inevitable in horse training and should be understood as normal parts of the development process rather than as failures of the horse or the training program. A setback — a period in which a skill or quality that had been established appears to deteriorate or disappear — is often the result of the horse being pushed beyond its current physical or mental readiness, a change in the horse's physical condition, or the introduction of a new demand that has exposed a gap in the foundational work beneath it. When a setback occurs, the correct response is to return to the last level at which the horse was correct and confident, confirm that level thoroughly, and then approach the more demanding work again more gradually than the first time. Attempting to push through a setback by increasing pressure or insisting on the level that produced the deterioration almost always makes the situation worse. A plateau — a period in which the horse's training does not appear to progress despite consistent work — is typically a sign that the horse is consolidating existing learning before it is ready to add new demands. Horses that appear stuck at a particular level often make a significant jump forward after a period of consistent work at that level, because the consolidation that was happening invisibly during the plateau period suddenly becomes visible in their performance. Reducing the intensity of work during a plateau, varying the exercises without introducing new demands, and allowing the horse time to consolidate what it has already learned is more productive than pushing harder in an attempt to force progress that the horse's development is not yet ready to produce.