#trainingtrust

Do You Need to Keep Your Horse Calm?

I can’t be the only woman of a certain age whose parents thought she needed to be muffled indefinitely. They wanted a quiet polite daughter and look how that turned out. And I’m probably the wrong person to write this since I have a rescue dog that hasn’t stopped barking since 2014. Here goes anyway.  I was talking to an equine pro who told me about arriving at a new client’s barn to find a…

Boundaries: Whose Space Is It?

Horses gallop on pounding hooves that cut the ground and then melt to a stop, whiskers floating in the light. A masterpiece of contradictions, horses frighten easily but are forever curious. Wilder than a dog, much bigger than a cat, with a certain animal magnetism that drew you beyond childish reason. Can you remember your earliest thoughts about horses? It was like a fairy tale. It isn’t until…

Finding Your Horse’s Sense of Humor.

His name is Normandy, but he goes by Norman at home. He’s been here almost a year now; he belongs to my barn manager. I’ll start by saying he isn’t a rescue. There is no heart-wrenching history. His previous owner loved him dearly. Sure, there are little things to tweak but he’s a good match with his rider, so that makes him perfect.

Ironic that I’d write about him now; Norman is a bit less…

Consistency in All the Right Places.

In the winter months, below-freezing mornings make for stiff joints and a cold bit; midday riding is the best. As summer comes and it’s in the nineties before the horses have finished breakfast, get up before dawn or wait for the sun to cool. Just get to that routine and it seems to get dark about ten minutes earlier every night; no more rides after work. Spring is anyone’s guess. If only we…

Your horse is a young horse or a rescue horse or the heart-horse of your life. A mare or a gelding or something else entirely. He comes in a plain brown wrapper or loud spots. He’s fresh as rain or he’s an elder with high withers and a slow stride. You stay on the ground, immersed in a simple love of horse breath and mucking. Or he has a canter that makes you feel the way babies feel when their…

You love horses. No, you really, reallylove horses. Because they are so amazing. We share videos of blind horses cared for by sighted ones. Ponies who tolerate wild kids and horses fulfilling last wishes of our own elders with gentle kindness. There are brilliant competitors dancing and racehorses running on heart. Trail horses who carry us to peace of mind. And don’t forget mules fighting…