Terry Golson

I was concerned about the twilight years for the Goat Boys. They’re not going to last forever, and one was sure to die before the other. What was going to happen to the remaining lone goat? I thought about adding to the herd before Pip and Caper were too old […]

The Plan Is Working!

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It’s a cliché to say that life is a complex, intertwined web, but when you live in a place that looks like this, the cliché comes fully to life.   I’m a human with dull senses. The spotting scope that we have in our window helps, but still. Although some […]

Seen and Unseen

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I had the BEST compliment the other day. I pulled into the line at a drive-thru coffee shop. There were pick-up trucks in front of me, and more behind. When I finally got to the cashier/barista, she smiled at me and said, You need to teach the guys how to […]

Horse Women and Their Trucks, Part II

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On Sunday, Tonka and I went to a dressage schooling show. There will be no photos of us with a ribbon. Our score was one of the lowest that we’ve ever gotten – a 61.25 % I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care. I like those blue ribbons. […]

When A Low Score Is A Win

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July 4th. Around here it means hot weather, cookouts, parades, and fireworks. Fireworks are gorgeous spectacles, but I’m a bit of a curmudgeon about them. The noise scares animals (and people) and they’re a fire hazard. They’re dangerous and I wish that individuals weren’t able to buy their own sparkling […]

Fireflies and Fireworks

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The woman who sold Tonka to me told me a story about him to explain his temperament. Her horses were turned out in big grassy fields in rural Maine. It was deer hunting season and shots were fired in the woods. All of the horses startled and bolted away from […]

Horse Temperament Test

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This is the view from the causeway of my driveway in Maine.   It’s a different sort of beautiful everyday. Enough to make one slow down and look. But I’ve got things to slow down for besides admiring that sky. I’ve got to keep my eyes on the road. The […]

Slow On The Driveway

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I have a couple of adages that I ride and live by. One is ‘the slower you go, the faster you get there.’ Another is ‘the more you do, the more you do.’ I’m not a bold and brash rider. It’s all too easy to stay in my comfort zone. […]

The More You Do, The More You Do

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Effective trainers know that when a desired behavior is rewarded, it’s likely to happen again. For that reason, we’re thoughtful about paying attention to what the animal wants and timing the reward so that they make the connection between what they’ve done and the consequence. But behavior isn’t only learned […]

When Feeding Treats Goes Wrong

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