The issue with going off-script, or otherwise deviating in horsemanship, is that you have to accept that you're going to look extremely silly if things don't work out. Someone, usually someone that isn't taking any risks themselves, will be a dick about it.
Let's say Una and I develop into a badass horse-human partnership who canter around bridleless, do inhand dressage at liberty and hack out over hill and dale. I'll be praised for my stupendous horsemanship and supernatural feel. Non escalating reinforcement! Variation of responses! Caring how the pony feels! She must be gods gift to equines!
Sure, now lets say Una degenerates into an unhandlable mess and I give up riding altogether. Pony petter! What a foolish woman! Back in the day she used to be a decent rider... She spent so much effort trying to be gentle, that they both distingrated like mushy bread in soup!
I can skip the embarrassment by doing what everyone else does. If I failed the normal and boring way, by kicking my pony through things until she lost all the spark in her eyes, holding her nose in and grinding mid level dressage for a couple years until Una inevitable injured something bad enough that she needed an early retirement - I'd just say "Gosh golly, horses are hard" and everyone would nod sympathetically.
Guess what though, whether or not people point and laugh - I know too much now and I can't do things the old way anymore. So I either sit on the fence forever wringing my hands, or I give learning this new way a red hot go.
I may still fail for many reasons, but it won't be because I wasn't thinking and doing. It'll be because I did stupid things, which atleast has the virtue of meaning I actually tried.
Inspired by https://ludic.mataroa.blog/blog/get-weird-and-disappear/