#horseintelligence

Take a Cue from Your Horse

He was a bright young gelding. Alert, athletic, and so willing. One day he would become the kind of breathtaking dressage horse that his sire was, I hoped. It would be years before he’d be started under saddle, but it was the perfect time to start arena work. Did you just seize up a bit? Does taking a young horse to the arena sound like punishment? Do you shake your head, knowing dressage is all…

Building the Bubble #4. Just Train Less

It’s an obstacle course, by golly. And there’s a pedestal, by golly. We both see it, but one of us acts like it’s a meteor from Krypton.  The lead gets tight, the handler doesn’t notice because the world has fallen away. Now the handler is nothing but pedestal, pedestal, pedestal.

Horse thought balloon: (what’s wrong. why do you have pedestal anxiety? we’ve done this five times already, can you…