Relaxed & Forward Blog

Jack the Dog: Calming Signals and Anthropomorphism

Maybe there's a rule that if you have dogs long enough, you eventually end up with a terrier even if...
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Riders Against Bullies

Railbirds. Everyone's a critic. I'm no fun anymore. I can't go to rodeos, a tradition I...
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Roo: Letting a Horse Be a Horse

I was doing what I do when I lay down at night; mentally taking the late night walk-through, tossing hay...
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Sleeping With The Wrong Dog

Warning: This is not an upbeat rescue story. It's a sad story with a sad ending.  Proceed with caution. Or...
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There's No Romance in Rescue

It's my bi-annual report on the animals fostered here at Infinity Farm. I try to balance on a tightrope when I...
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Calming Signals and the Aggressive Horse.

Just to be clear, calming signals are not something humans do to calm horses. It's the language horses use to...
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Thin Horses, Body Scoring, and Inconvenience.

Start here: There is no rule that says when a horse's age goes up, his weight needs to come down. Age is no excuse...
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Email Subject Line: "Do I Want a Horse?"

February 2nd, 10 pm, 12 degrees. There was dense fog all day. We didn't see the sun and the temperature stayed...
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Photo Challenge: New Horizon

inconvenience be damned the next improbable howl of resilience is just beyond the word yes so just yes ... Anna...
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Negotiating; Not Fighting.

It was last spring when this ancient donkey came to the farm. In the beginning, we thought she might not...
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The Passion to Punish

First, last, and always, this is the truth about communication with animals: Punishment is the lowest form of expression. A...
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Winterizing the Compassion Fatigue. Again.

Chatting lightly about weather is considered the tiniest of small talk, unless you live outside the urban bubble. We take...
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The Fine Art of Cantankery.

I've had a hard time acting my age. That's not it, exactly. It's more like I'm straddling the Grand Canyon...
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Judging Dressage

Dressage isn't perfect, but what part is baby and what part is bath water? Watching the Dressage competition at the...
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Rescue: Training the Things We Take for Granted

Lethargy. Sweltering with a non-specific stickiness. Flies. More flies. Dilly-dallying. These are the wilting Dog Days of Summer, named for...
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Defending Horses with Words and Money

Fair warning: I'm going to ask you to do a favor for horses. It will involve some of your time...
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A Lesson about Squeamishness and a Donkey.

Look, it's a selfie of me mucking last week. I like to get an early start in the summer. Over...
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Mansplaining in the Barn

Thirty-five years ago, I stood with a group of women protesting a murder sentence given by a judge in Denver....
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