An important element of horse training and equine behavior is communication. As we introduce positive reinforcement(R+) training techniques, we will first focus on teaching the bridge signal (for our purposes we will use a clicker). Through this process we will also practice manners around food and ...

We continue working on manners both on the ground and around food. However, we are going to take it a bit further and add movement. We will be reinforcing relaxation and downward transitions. Therefore we put a greater value on our horses choice to quiet their bodies AND minds. Overtime this skill (...

Teaching your horse to stand. Standing still, calm and relaxed, anytime, any place is one of the most important behaviors in their repertoire. Using the positive reinforcement in a systematic way increases clarity as well as your horse’s motivation.

Many people struggle with good ways to motivate their horse to go forward…to WANT to go forward when asked. In this lesson we discuss ways to help your horse go forward. By utilizing positive reinforcement we put something in it the the horse wants and values and this is a game changer. We will disc...

In this lesson we being teaching our horses to go from point A to Point B. This is useful for exercise, for teaching your horse to go away from you, to trailer load, and for teaching your horse to jump or go over obstacles.

In this lesson we discuss why horses bite. It’s not always what you might think. We also discuss positive and constructive ways to address the unwanted behavior.

Leading often leaves something to be desired. In this lesson we discuss ways to help get your horse refocused and back in the game of leading. It is often too much momentum that leads to many of the challenges so we discuss ways to help our horses practice some impulse control.

We discuss and practice techniques for teaching young horses basic skills, including standing still and impulse control.

Teach your horse to be cordial at the gate. Resource guarding is common among social animals, including horses. I discuss some techniques to help them to make better, safer choices at the gate or when in a group setting.

It is important to be sure that our horses understand and chose to focus on the things that we have taught them, even in new and distracting situations. I discuss ways to strengthen your horses focus and build reliability with your training.

Teaching your horse to happily participate in bridling isn’t hard to do when utilizing positive reinforcement as part of the equation. In this lesson I discuss what steps to take to create seamless bridling. In addition, I discuss how to change the reluctant horse into a happy participant.

In this lesson we discuss and practice getting ready for fly season. We walk through the steps to getting our horses comfortable with being sprayed with fly spray.

Timing is key in any type of training and positive reinforcement training is no exception. This certainly holds true when we think about shaping movement. In this lesson I discuss some tips to develop better timing and targeted results.

Sometimes, during training sessions, our horses get off track. I discuss ways to get back on track, to bring clarity to our sessions and to minimize frustration.

Teaching pressure as a cue, with a strong positive reinforcement history instead of using escalating pressure. While this may seem like a matter of semantics, the resulting emotional state is quite different. I describe the difference and ways to create the behavior utilizing positive reinforcement....