If you don’t tell the horse what to do, will it not get bad manners?
There is a difference between forcing somebody to do something and asking somebody to do something. But the fine line is often misunderstood. If I ask the horse – say – to step into the trailer and it does not want to, I will not force it with whips, dogs, ropes, etc. On the other hand, I will also not bribe it with food as that may lead to compliance but not learning. What I will do is assess the problem (why out of the multitude of reasons will the horse not enter the trailer?) and then break down the task into smaller steps. I will end up with the horse in the trailer. It might take longer than with force but if I do my job right, the horse will learn to get into the trailer and the issue is gone while you otherwise have to get your dogs or whips out every time.
If you work with food, is that not “bribing”?
I would consider holding a bucket with treats in front of the horse’s mouth to make her move forward as bribing. Rewarding a behavior is not that. The food is offered AFTER a wanted behavior is exhibited by the horse. We might use food as reward or sometimes clicker training depending on the case.
I have had many trainers look at my mare. Nobody can fix her!
I would certainly be happy to meet your horse myself. I don’t do magic but I love and specialize in more difficult cases.
Why are you looking to partner with the horse? It does not have a mind like a person and should just have good manners!
Well, that is where my opinion differs from yours. I do believe that animals are beings with a personality and I want to honor that. I still strive to make them good citizens who learn how to get along with humans to have a happy co-existence. This has worked well for me. If your view of the animals is different, you might want to consider a different trainer.