relationship building

It rained all day on Thanksgiving. The horses were not turned out into their big paddocks, but Tonka has his in/out so at least he got to put his head outside. The barn was closed to boarders so that the staff could have most of the day off. We all […]

The Sanity Nugget

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I’m the sort of person who is happiest when my life is structured with goals. I like to achieve. This can be frustrating. I rarely live up to my desires or expectations. That being said, goals are good. They can expand your world and push you to help others. But […]

The Big Picture Goal

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Tonka and I have a relationship based on two-way communication. We both have a say. I trust that when Tonka stops in an alert posture that there is something to suss out. I don’t take that stop as a disobedience. Rather, it’s the start of a discussion. For example, yesterday […]

He’d Rather Canter

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Today I shared an apple with Tonka.   After Tonka finished chewing and swallowing, he continued to lip smack and savor the moment.   Then Tonka licked my breeches. He wasn’t nudging me for more. He was being affectionate and thanking me.   Yes, I believe that sometimes animals are […]

Animals Say Thank You

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I live on a hill overlooking a beaver marsh in southern Maine. This is the view from the front of the house. Two acres of field and blueberry barrens sloping down to wetlands. If I were a landscape painter I couldn’t have imagined a better composition. Those 4 large oaks […]

Observer or the Observed?

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As I turn out of the barn’s driveway at 6 am, Tonka safely ensconced in the trailer that I’m pulling with my pickup truck, I glance at Steve and say, Why do I do this? It’s not a question and he’s heard it before. We know that on the road back […]

Are Horse Shows Fun?

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I’m incredibly fortunate during this pandemic to be able to continue to ride and take lessons at my boarding barn. I’m even able to enter local schooling shows. I ride six days a week and because I’m competing I have a focus. There’s lots that both Tonka and I have […]

Tonka at Turtle Hill

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Tonka is an amenable horse. To the casual observer it appears that Tonka doesn’t freak out at the sort of novel things that scare other horses. Partly this calm demeanor is his innate nature. However, it’s at least equally the training that I’ve done, and relationship that I have developed […]

Dragging Jugs

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As part of Tonka’s search and rescue training (we’re members of this team), we have to get used to out of the ordinary situations. You can’t train for every scenario, but you can train for confidence around, over and through novel obstacles. Last week a few of us met to […]

Combining Curiosity and the Touch Cue

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