relationship building

I use food rewards when training, but not in all scenarios. Here’s why. I train by identifying the behavior that I want, setting up scenarios that make it doable, and then rewarding the animal when it happens. I want to be able to get that behavior numerous times, the more […]

Training With Food – Sometimes

by
and through the snow… the horse knows the way… I’m fortunate to keep Tonka at a stable with an indoor so that I can ride all winter. But, oh, Tonka and I get so tired of those four walls! In the last week it has been bitterly cold, the winds have […]

And Through the Snow…

by
Hey, Tonka, let’s take a selfie. Hmm, maybe not so close to the camera.   It’d help if you didn’t lean quite so much on me.   Maybe I could get into the photo, too?     I guess this will do. 

Selfie With Horse

by
I sit on the floor of my horse’s stall. I watch him wiggle his lips in the hay. I hear him chew. His breath is relaxed and calm. So is mine. There’s no need to meditate when you have a horse.

Sitting With My Horse

by
Anyone who’s been around me at the stable knows that I’m obsessive about grooming my horse. I take pride in seeing a shiny coat and I enjoy the bonding and communication that happens during those long sessions of brushing.   But I also love seeing a tail filled with shavings because this tells me that […]

Shavings in the Tail

by
Take your dog to a trainer and one of the behaviors that they’ll teach you is how to get your pet to come when called. A good trainer will teach you the reliable recall, one that your dog listens to despite distractions, like bicycles zipping by, or a piece of hamburger on the […]

The Reliable Recall, with a Horse

by
Hello, Tonka, what’s on your mind?   Peppermints.   Anything else? Nope. Just peppermints.   There’s still grass in the paddock. Why don’t you go graze? Nope. I’d rather have peppermints.   You got your peppermints during a riding workout. How about a hug instead? That’ll do.   note: that thing […]

A Conversation With Tonka

by
This was my first impression of Nate.     Note the pinned ear, tense eye, wrinkles around the narrow nose and the clenched corners of the mouth. This is a horse with a message. He couldn’t be saying it any louder. DO. NOT. TOUCH. ME. If you did approach, more likely […]

Loving on Nate

by
A round pen is an enclosure for horses that can be quite useful. It’s usually about 50 feet in diameter, big enough that the horse can move, but small enough that they can’t get too far away from you. It’s a safe place to start a youngster or do trick training. I […]

Joining-up or Giving Up?

by