When Horses Can’t “Do” The Clinic…
Lena was elegant in that special way that Thoroughbred mares can be. Her face had long planes and gentle curves...
How to Focus Simply.
I had just finished a lesson when another woman I knew at the barn came up to me with a...
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 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...
Virtual Dressage and Girls in White Shirts
The FEI passed good rules this year, and the Olympic judging held to the high side. Dressage had things to...
Does Leadership Mean Domination Now?
From a Reader: "Anna, you articulate the dance between horse and human so very succinctly. I wish it were easier...
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...
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...
Horse Intelligence: What Are We Missing?
I love reading about science like hungry people love over-cooked greenish-gray Brussel sprouts. And that's the kind of sentence...
Life Happens: The Unplanned Dismount
"I owned horses for 20 years until divorce happened," the reader said, asking me to write about it. "I think...
Whoa. A Hands-Free Halt.
She's an 18hh Thoroughbred-Shire cross. She's 30 years old and her name is Thyme. I'll give you a minute to...
Human Calming Signals: What’s Your Barn Persona?
How aware are we when we pull on a persona? We're usually aware when we tidy one up to make...
What Will Happen if You Don’t Ride Today?
It's really hot here. How hot is it? I'm not saying. People get competitive. You'd just say it's hotter where...
Affirmative Training and Corrections You Regret.
People tell me that when they're with their horses, they aren't always perfect. They sound apologetic, you'd think I wore...
Horsewoman, A Computer Can Smell Your Fear…
We are horsewomen. We muck 13,505 pounds of manure a year... per horse, and you know we don't own...
Escalation: Finding the Thing Before the Thing.
It feels like you wake up in the middle of a movie, one of those thriller-action plots that have too...
Calming Signals: Yoga Mind/Equine Reality
The Dude Rancher and I practice yoga. We started years ago; he was having way too many headaches and my...
Does Your Horse Need a Tune-Up?
This is how it goes: Sometimes it's just fine to go lollygagging around. The time isn't right; you're hungry...