Studies in animals, and humans, have shown that the mere association with reward for particular behavior can quickly replace the need for direct reward. The brain assumes that a reward is coming and begins to signal that we ought to behave in a particular manner to receive that reward. In turn, this neural firing on …

That is right, human history predicts that we as a species will use force in obtaining control. We posturalize and use our ego to intimidate, when that fails to work we can then resort to physical means even so far as to kill; and killing can mean mental, emotional or physical death for our victim. …

[dc]How is the[/dc] herd bound horse, or buddy sour horse, approached and dealt with? I have seen many of the traditional approaches. Isolation, trailering them away, walking them because you cannot ride them away from their friend successfully, etc. I have seen various measures of success in these ideas, some have worked in mild cases, …

By and large equestrians of all disciplines and sports tend to view leading in a rather two-dimensional fashion. That is, leading is used in order to transport the horse from point A to point B but otherwise has little effect on the training of the horse. This is a real shame because the manner in …

[dc]My horse[/dc] refuses to stand still at the mounting block, or even get close! Sounds familiar? I discovered this clever trick to make the mounting block issues a breeze and to entice your horse to WANT to hang out nice and close… My first horse was a Paso Fino, and he loathed the mounting block. …

I am convinced that walking – be it in the form of leading, longing or riding – is greatly under-used and under-appreciated for its benefits. Not just for the benefit of your horse either, walking is a great exercise for us riders too! Especially when done correctly – when every ounce of energy is put …

Ah, yes. Those rather innocuous-looking tools used throughout every discipline be it hunters, jumpers, western and even (shocking!) Dressage. The simplest directions for use are as follows : fold them in half length wise and throw in the nearest trash can. Seriously. If you are reading this article because you wish to know how to …

Natural Horsemanship gurus of all methodologies and followings have a tendency to employ this method to control run-away horses, to promote suppling and basic control over green horses. Most will also tell you it is the “must have” emergency parashoot to instill in your horse because, after all, you never know when he might go crazy. Yes, it is …

It is absolutely, 100%, scientifically certified as fact – certain breeds of horse are too lazy to canter and instead they prefer to run faster and faster at the trot instead. Does this logic sound a bit off to you? It does to me too. I’ve heard that it is believed by some that certain …

It is merely a myth… and one excuse for Rollkur / Hyperflexion. This question is raised frequently – how to soften and flex a horse who is stiff in the neck. There is a problem with the question however, because it assumes that addressing the horse’s stiff neck will actually correct the stiffness. In reality, …