Relaxed & Forward Blog

The Dynamic Power of Consistency

We would like consistent behavior from our horses. It would be good if they took each cue with light and...
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For the Fragility of a Horse…

"When we see horses galloping with ears sharp, tails flagged, and hooves churning up the soil, they are the epitome...
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Beyond Legal Whiskers

The International Federation for Equestrian Sports unanimously banned horse whisker trimming, effective 1 July 2021. Horses snort and rub their...
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Affirmative Training: Misunderstandings About Control

You have made some changes in how you work with your horse and you're both much more relaxed. You've evolved...
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Calming Signals and Feculence

I'm responding to a request to write a few words about poop. "BM, defecation, excrement, fecal matter, the deuce, sh*t,...
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Calming Signals: Planning for Stress

Calming signals are an animal's emotional response to their environment, expressed in body language, sometimes in increasing anxiety moving toward...
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Why Horses Don’t Multi-task

Imagine what it means to have senses as keen as a prey animal. Feel the roar of nature even on...
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The Best Horse Conversations Start With “No”

Imagine that each time you climbed on your horse, he began to move in a slow canter, so rhythmic and...
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Take a Cue from Your Horse

He was a bright young gelding. Alert, athletic, and so willing. One day he would become the kind of breathtaking...
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Affirmative Training: A Cowboy Walks Into a Bar…

A cowboy walks into a bar. He's dusty, fresh from the barn. Shuffling his feet, keeping his eyes low, he...
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