When a  twitch is used properly it releases endorphins which calm the horse without the need for sedatives. It is not for distraction, although people often think that’s what it’s about.

The uneducated will always tell you it’s “cruel” because they don’t understand how it works. It doesn’t hurt, it isn’t cruel, it’s entirely humane – and the “humane twitches”, as they are called, don’t work nearly as well as the traditional ones!