Blogs
Training advice, inspirations, and motivations all found here.
#28:Â The Thinking Brain vs. The Reactive Brain
Listening to your horse doesn't mean a world without boundaries. Learn how to reframe structure as redirection rather than correction, and discover why 'aggression' in horses is often just proactive fear waiting for clear, empathetic leadership.
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#27:Â Memory and Muscle - Why Stress Ruins Good Training
When the chips are down, does your horse trust you or struggle against you? Learn why focusing on the internal experience of the horse—rather than just the external result—is the key to ensuring your training holds up when things get difficult.
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#26:Â Have a Horse That Doesn't Want to Go Forward?
Is your horse truly confident, or just routine-bound? Discover how the target acts as the ultimate antidote to learned helplessness, giving your horse the 'mental agency' needed to rewire their brain for heart, try, and true internal motivation.
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#25:Â The Missing Piece - Building Emotional Resilience Through Enrichment
Does your horse rely on a rigid routine for security? If so, you might actually have an insecure horse. Learn why real confidence comes from internal tools, not an unchanging environment, and how small increments of variety can rewire an anxious brain.
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#24:Â Beyond the Refusal - Why 'Stuck' Horses are Actually Seeking Safety
Horses often choose a behavior they dislike simply because it feels safe and predictable. Learn how to break down complex anxieties—like jumping flower boxes—into digestible tasks that rewire a horse's need to avoid into a desire to engage.
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#23:Â The Emotional Bank Account - Why 'Small' Lessons Pay Huge Dividends
From trailer loading to piaffe, everything we ask a horse to do is essentially a 'trick.' Learn how to stop over-attaching importance to big goals and start using systematic, creative small lessons to turn a spooky horse into a resilient partner.
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#22: The Neurobiology of the Click - How Dopamine Rewires Your Horse's Brain
Stop training for compliance and start training for connection. We dive into the neuroscience of the 'click' and why dopamine is the secret to a horse that is truly invested in the game.
#21:Â Creating Confident Horses Through Emotional Development
When your horse was young, his brain was highly plastic, meaning every interaction he had with his...
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#20: From Tension to Triumph - The Role of Calm in Horse DevelopmentÂ
If we analyzed the data behind competition success, we would likely find that a staggering percentage...
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#19:Â Transforming Fear into Curiosity - Smart Strategies for Horse Training
In high-stress situations, like a police pursuit, some officers have later reported having no memory of firing their...
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#18: How Weaning Trauma can Affect Future Confidence in Horses
Previously we talked about separation anxiety and what is going on in the horse's brain when they...
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#17: How to Cope with Separation Anxiety
When a horse experiences the stress of separation, the brain shifts from a state of social connection...
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#16: The Power of the Pause - Why Slowing Down is Your Fastest Way Forward
Oftentimes, the most profound progress that happens in your training doesn't happen during...
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#15: Self-regulation...can we teach horses to have it?
It's one of the most vital skills we can teach our horses because it moves them from a reactionary state...
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#14: The Target - From Worried to Relaxed
We like the target for so many reasons. It is a tool to create behavior. Here you can see Santino...
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#13: Are We Punishing Horses for Their Past Trauma?
This is an important and perhaps somewhat controversial topic we hope you’ll all read through...
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#12: Can We Establish Boundaries with Positive Reinforcement?
More and more frequently, we’re seeing posts condemning positive reinforcement (R+) from people who dabble...
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#11: What to do About that Spook!
Horses are by nature, neophobic...this means they find new sights, smells...
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#10: Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Enthusiasm?
Develop a calm and relaxed problem solver and improve your relationship in the process. Hi all…
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#9: Understanding Behaviorism vs. Cognitive Learning: A Holistic Approach
There has been a lot of debate surrounding behaviorism versus cognitive learning. However, it is...
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#8: How to be the Lone R+ Crusader in Your Barn
Hello, Jessie here. My dad used to tell me, "you catch more flies with honey, than with vinegar"...
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#7: What Does Being Present with Your Horse Look Like?
I just found this video of Henley after she had just gotten done showing at the Young Horse...
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#6: The Importance of "Play" in Your Training
Teaching our horses to enjoy playing the game of training, includes teaching them to be relaxed...
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#5: The Body, Brain, and Emotions Are All Working Together
Emotional bonds AREÂ influenced by reinforcers. But behavior and emotions are a much bigger picture...
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#4: From Whales to Warmbloods
My animal training skills were developed during my 10 years of training marine mammals. It was a...
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#3: Is Your Horse Doing This Just for the Food?
Do you think your horse is only doing it for the food? Many people find their way to positive reinforcement...
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#2: Does the Emotional State Matter and How Does it Apply to Building Boldness?
Did you ever think that if you could get a young horse who didn't have emotional baggage, then I...
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#1: Focus on the Emotional State to Create Confidence
This is a fun little video of Henley at about a month old. She was fiercely independent even as a...Â
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