Most riders never move past “apply pressure, get release.” In this episode, Jake breaks down the three evolutions of pressure every horse goes through—avoidance, acceptance, and seeking—and why staying stuck in stage one creates stiff, reward-hacked horses that look trained but aren’t. You’ll learn how to evolve your horse’s mindset from just escaping pressure to actually relaxing into it, and eventually to seeking connection and offering movements with initiative. If you want to understand how real softness, throughness, and that almost telepathic feel with your horse are built, this is the roadmap.