I have always been pretty good with horses, but never with predators.  This includes men and dogs.

Scout, my Jack Russell Terrier, confirms everyday to me that I have no business attempting to train predators.

Scout is a serial killer.  I am pretty convinced that she must be reincarnated from some famous serial killer madman.  When she is locked in on the kill, there is absolutely no reasoning with her- she cannot see or hear anything else.  After the kill, she always…

You love your horse and your training sessions.  Does your horse feel the same way?  Liberty sessions are an excellent way to keep your horse engaged and to determine if you're horse is signing up for class.  The VIDEO in this blog demonstrates Hank, a retired Thoroughbred, doing just that.  He's engaged in his classes and…

People are commonly told that they need to be dominant to their horses, but such advice is not in line with scientific studies on dominance behavior. Although dominance hierarchies certainly exist among horses, there is no need for people to try to assume a place in such hierarchies. Horses will naturally defer to people because we, as a species, are more confident than horses are and thus more likely to be leaders in the horse-human relationship. Consider the Budweiser ad run during the…

Are you on a tight schedule?  Are you having challenges finding time for your horse?

There is a solution.

When I was focusing more on riding than bonding I found I often didn't have the time to groom, tack up, ride, cool down, untack and groom again.  I often chose to do nothing rather than interact with my horse.  Then I would feel guilty because I wasn't…

People ask me all of the time how I got into natural horsemanship- and I always tell them at the beginning of any of my clinics…

11 years ago I had no idea what natural horsemanship was- Seriously- no clue.

I was eventing at the Preliminary/Intermediate level on my Thoroughbred George, and we either did really well or…

People often tell me that their horse loves to work, loves to jump, loves to show…From what I know about horses, I’m not so sure. Equitation scientists looked into the matter… 



Imagine a conversation between you and your horse, if horses could talk. 



You: Good morning Spunky. Ready for a…

These are the dog days of…

Highlights from Canada

When we crossed the border, I was pretty sure that we crossed over to the Arctic Circle.  The temperature dropped around 30 degrees, and the wind kicked up to hurricane force.  I had on three jackets and the border control officers were in short sleeves and cargo pants- and obviously bothered by the heat.

As I approached the booth with Jack Russell in lap, towing a huge camper and 2 year old strapped…

Last Friday I thought that my truck was fairly operational- besides the fact I could not turn it off- then it did not want to start again.

So I figured, just don’t turn it off ‘til I get to Virginia- it’s a diesel, so I really don’t have to turn it off to fuel up.

Technically, that is correct.  However, if your truck DIES while you are driving it 75 miles per hour down the highway, while you are talking to someone in England- well Houston, you have a…

I make my living observing horses and riders. And I’ve done my own personal survey over 25 years of training and teaching. I’ve had my share of roadblocks with horses, coached riders step by step through others and, as a show judge, winced from a distance at horse and human meltdowns. 



So here’s the most common things that get us stuck,…

I think that a lot of people are under the impression that my life is glamorous.  As I write this, I am sitting in a campground that spans about 5 acres and am surrounded by at least 500 people in campers and tents parked 10 inches from each other.  Everyone has a Boston accent except for me.  The campground is located across from Santa’s workshop.  My son is watching Elmo for the…

....I often get asked how to find Great Horsemanship Clinicians or Trainers and how to determine the Good ones from the GREAT ones.....

Here are 5 Telltale Signs to Look for When Searching for Masters of Horsemanship.

•  People Like to be Around Them and Respect…

Have you ever had the frustration

of going to get your horse who

 then turns and walks away from you?

Great Horsemanship Trainers use the Halter Test

It is a quick and easy way to get a TON of information about you and your horse. By simply paying attention to the bits of information the horse gives you as you are doing it, you can easily learn to use the…

My boy was in his first parade in Aurora on Canada Day, and he was awesome.

This is a moment of triumph; the culmination of a year and a half of careful work, of diligently following a detailed, specific  training plan, to acheive a horse that is calm and quiet, yet light and responsive to the aids. Quite the change. He is, indeed, a different horse.…

A recent study in the UK found 91% of leisure riding horses had behavioral issues as reported by their owners. 



Researcher J Hockenhull PhD said that of the 1,326 horses, 78% were ridden with artificial aids—such as martingales, whips, or flash…