RELAXED AND FORWARD: Since 2010, an archive of weekly horse training essays. My dogs say it's their turn now. Happy to oblige, it's all affirmative. Including words from a gray mare on the fine art of aging cantankerously.
You Know I’m a Small Business, Right?
Do you like the writing I share? It's free, and it always will be. That's my gift to horses, hopefully....
Do You Need to Keep Your Horse Calm?
I can't be the only woman of a certain age whose parents thought she needed to be muffled indefinitely. They...
“Why Don’t You Post Training Videos?”
Photo by Ilona Gerou It was at the dark ages of VHS, long before the...
When Impatience and Cruelty are Normalized
Sometimes I find myself standing in front of people talking about horses' feelings. I'm almost embarrassed; I was raised to...
How to Stop Taking Your Horse Personally
Bhim is a one-of-a-kind, I surely hope. People might say he's still with me ten years after he came for...
How to Attend a Clinic
Gray Mare memories: It was one of the first clinics I ever attended. The clinician was famous; I signed up...
Being the “Good” Horse Isn’t Easy.
People want to tell me about their challenging horse, the quirky one, the scary one, the kill pen (scam) horse....
Calming Signals: Thoughts About Spooking at Nothing
There are two kinds of spooking. This is the first: It was midmorning on the ranch, and we were riding...
Horses Are Like Bad Boyfriends (Or Why the Wrong Answer Might Be Better)
Horses are like bad boyfriends because they only want to talk about themselves. Wait, let me explain. First of all,...
Bit Contradictions: A Confused Conversation
"Slower, please." "Here we go." "Don't bang..." "Almost ready." "... my teeth." "Good..." "Not good." "Stand." "Let go." "Back up."...
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