Relaxed & Forward Blog

Silent Night: The Truest Words Aren’t Words At All.

I was standing outside of a hotel at five in the morning waiting for my limo. Obviously, several things had...
Read More about Silent Night: The Truest Words Aren’t Words At All.

Things We Should Refuse to Train Horses To Do

Warning: Loudmouth Party Pooper Rant. I think we all know whose side I'm on in this horse training reality show....
Read More about Things We Should Refuse to Train Horses To Do

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....
Read More about You Know I’m a Small Business, Right?

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...
Read More about Do You Need to Keep Your Horse Calm?

“Why Don’t You Post Training Videos?”

Photo by Ilona Gerou   It was at the dark ages of VHS, long before the...
Read More about “Why Don’t You Post Training Videos?”

Helmet Safety and the Ability to Buy Hay

If my horses could see the big picture, they'd still say my job is hay. They have not read one...
Read More about Helmet Safety and the Ability to Buy Hay

Leading Horses with Spatial Kindness. What?

The exercise was to halter your horse thoughtfully, asking the horse's permission for each step of the process, and acknowledging...
Read More about Leading Horses with Spatial Kindness. What?

Are You Having a Midlife Horse Crisis?

I got an email from a reader last week. She had a hard question. She acknowledges she was naive, but...
Read More about Are You Having a Midlife Horse Crisis?

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."...
Read More about Bit Contradictions: A Confused Conversation

There Will Be No Faith Healings Today

  We've all seen it. Someone holding a lead rope and hyper-stimulating a young horse with a stick until he...
Read More about There Will Be No Faith Healings Today

The Failure of Good Intentions

There was a time that I thought if I saw my horse curled to one side, itching his flank, I...
Read More about The Failure of Good Intentions

Affirmative Training: Navigating the Nebulous.

"I have a three-step process guaranteed to transform your horse into your perfect partner and it only costs ten thousand...
Read More about Affirmative Training: Navigating the Nebulous.

The Simple Truth About Complicated Training

It was back around the time the light bulb was invented. My Grandfather Horse was a lanky spooky colt, I...
Read More about The Simple Truth About Complicated Training

Being the Railbird: Anniversary Edition

Beware: Colorado Prairie Railbirds, guaranteed to spook more people more than horses. A reader gave me...
Read More about Being the Railbird: Anniversary Edition

Tunnel Vision for Problems and the Things We Don’t Notice

  The night-feed is my favorite. In the summer, the sky and clouds are as gaudy as the underwear department...
Read More about Tunnel Vision for Problems and the Things We Don’t Notice

What Does it Mean to be Domesticated?

If you have been reading along for the last 1300 or so weekly essays of mine, you know sometimes I...
Read More about What Does it Mean to be Domesticated?

Auld Lang Syne Horses

I've heard it a couple of times just today: "As we head into the third year of Covid..." It makes...
Read More about Auld Lang Syne Horses

Relaxed & Forward in 2022. Now What?

The lockdown at the beginning of 2020, followed by months of quarantine, was a wonderful opportunity for a thoughtful assessment...
Read More about Relaxed & Forward in 2022. Now What?

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your name and email to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.