A Short List of Unfair Things to Ask a Horse
Old mares have a constant dilemma. They get stiff and stove-up. They're stoic so they don't whine about it, but...
A Different Leg Cue
"My horse won't go forward!" the rider says. Many trainers respond with the traditional battle cry, "More leg!" What does...
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...
Calming Signal Substitutions: Helping Your Horse
Most of us are old enough to remember what a rolled-up newspaper is for. Wacking the dog, of course. Because...
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...
Finding the Ground But In a Good Way
Our T'ai Chi master told us to drop our weight? I was barely legal and my fledgling art career was...
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...
Patience in Real Time
A clinic organizer was telling me about a trainer she brought in, someone whose approach was significantly more aggressive than...
Brain Science and the Art of Play
It's cold on the flat windy treeless prairie of Colorado. The next few months will be even colder but right...
Is Your Horse Distracted?
You want the horse to focus on the task and do it. Let's say your horse needs to stand still....
Calming Signals and Why the Second Time’s a Charm.
Want to know the smallest thing you could change in training for the biggest improvement? I usually say doing a...
Your Horse’s Memory is Your Best Training Aid.
My friend, Bruce, died from colic one year ago today. You are remembered. Our memories of...
Boundaries: Whose Space Is It?
Horses gallop on pounding hooves that cut the ground and then melt to a stop, whiskers floating in the light....
The Problem with Pre-Corrections on Horses.
She enters the barn, looking left to right. What does she think her horse might be afraid of? First, let's...
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...
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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