Despite their reactive reputation, horses are not always easy to read—particularly when they are well-trained. Ol’ Fred may seem calm and cool on the outside, but inside he may be shaking in his horseshoes. A recent study out of...
Horses coexist as herd animals with complex social relationships that depend on visual and auditory cues to tell friend from foe in their environment. Their complicated system of visual cues are a type of body language that keeps them...
The round pen used to be a rider’s best friend when it came to dealing with a horse that was deemed naturally hyper or easily excitable. The longe line was a common tool in the trailer at every show,...
Learning how to train a horse with tough love started with my chestnut, Chizzy. He's the first young horse I have ever owned; I adopted him at age 3 from the racehorse rehoming organization I work for. He’s opinionated,...
What can you do to bond with your new horse? After horse shopping for months, you found him—the perfectly seasoned horse who checked off all the boxes on your must-have list. You asked all the important questions, visited more...
If your normally cooperative horse has become resistant to something he’s done willingly for ages, it’s important you investigate what’s causing his change in attitude. Often what we call “bad behavior” in horses is simply a lack of training,...
Getting your horse ready for a routine vet appointment is an important part of horse ownership, and for many horse owners, vet day is just another day at the barn. But if your horse won’t stand still for an...
Thanks to recent equine neuroscience research, we’re gaining true understanding of the connection between equine brain function and effective training. These takeaways from a recent groundbreaking seminar debunk a few myths and can help us work better with our...
QUESTION: I had a tight, close-knit bond with my first horse. Now I have a new horse, and I want to have that same type of relationship. I haven’t gotten there yet. How can I get closer to my...
Horse owners often wonder if their horses are expressing emotions or equine emotional intelligence. While they may not have the same capacity for complex human emotions like shame, embarrassment, pride and guilt, there is evidence that horses feel pain,...
