Relaxed & Forward Blog

Photo & Poem: Bond

  He said show her who’s boss. Standing with her head in the corner and hooves nervous on the straw,...
Read More about Photo & Poem: Bond

The Argument for Curiosity: From Fear to Courage

Cadence teaching contact. I rarely have any idea where I'm headed. I get in a car...
Read More about The Argument for Curiosity: From Fear to Courage

Photo & Poem: Birds and Horses

  Fences mended with twine until there’s more time. Scrubbed water tanks filled fresh, drank down to half by noon....
Read More about Photo & Poem: Birds and Horses

Calming Signals and Holding a Grudge

Sometimes your horse isn't forward and it's frustrating. Or he doesn't like the trailer, and now neither do you. Maybe...
Read More about Calming Signals and Holding a Grudge

Travelblog: Introverts Everywhere

Humans spend so much time trying to “make” horses do things. I’m a little more fascinated these days with what...
Read More about Travelblog: Introverts Everywhere

Photo & Poem: Invisible Rope

Walking wide beyond my grasp, only ask for his eye, now wait. His forelock shelters a glimmer of movement. He’ll...
Read More about Photo & Poem: Invisible Rope

Can You Feel Your Hand?

  Can you feel your hand? How about your fingers? Literally, can you feel them if there isn't a paper...
Read More about Can You Feel Your Hand?

Calming Signals and the Thing We Call Stubborn

In celebration of Edgar Rice Burro's birthday, he's asked me to rant a bit about the thing humans call stubborn....
Read More about Calming Signals and the Thing We Call Stubborn

Photo & Poem: Flight

So still the herd, taking rest with soft flank to muscled shoulder, as the light shifts cooler. One nose lifts...
Read More about Photo & Poem: Flight

Calming Signals and Preacher Man: Still “Reactive” After All These Years

Bear with me, please. I miss my dogs, one in particular. I'm in Dunedin, and he's 12,620 km away. It...
Read More about Calming Signals and Preacher Man: Still “Reactive” After All These Years

Photo & Poem: Horse Trailer Conversation

Horse Trailer Conversation She takes me from the herd, pulling me to the box. Her hand is thick, there is...
Read More about Photo & Poem: Horse Trailer Conversation

Behavioral Euthanasia of Horses

  "Anna, do you have any articles that touch on behavioral euthanasia?" It's from a question about a rescue horse...
Read More about Behavioral Euthanasia of Horses

Photo & Poem: Wild and Tame

  You’ve landed in a place you don’t belong, the cat let me know, as she howled at you on...
Read More about Photo & Poem: Wild and Tame

Can a Horse Try Too Hard?

It was the first day of a Calming Signals clinic. I was talking to a group of people about leading...
Read More about Can a Horse Try Too Hard?

Photo & Poem: Known

Across the long diagonal to the west corner of the dry lot, he’s on the far side of the herd,...
Read More about Photo & Poem: Known

The Horse Trainer and the Dermatologist.

My gray mare calming signals included squinty eyes, a dry mouth, and a weird chicken-like movement with my neck and...
Read More about The Horse Trainer and the Dermatologist.

Photo & Poem: Waiting Out the Storm

  Rusty coat, a spiky mane, and a spotted blanket, he would have been a firecracker of a colt, plain...
Read More about Photo & Poem: Waiting Out the Storm

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.