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Mary Hunter and her horse Apollo


On this site I share stories of my animal training adventures, information about the science of animal training and behavior, and tips and advice to help you improve your training.

Join me as we explore the best training strategies for creating fast learning, effective communication, and enthusiastic, willing animals.

If you’re new to Stale Cheerios, I recommend that you start by visiting this page to learn more about Stale Cheerios and that you visit my Top Posts page.

~Mary Hunter

Recent posts from the StaleCheerios blog

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Chewie’s Diary Week 10: Tarps are fun

By on April 16, 2025 in Chewie’s Diary

Recently, Chewie and I played with a tarp! As part of Chewie’s training, I have been gradually introducing her to new objects and new experiences. I wrote previously about some of our adventures with mats. Horses are often scared of tarps. They look funny. They feel funny when you step on them. They blow around […]

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Chewie’s Diary Week 8: Happy Birthday!

By on April 2, 2025 in Chewie’s Diary

Happy birthday, Chewie! I’m not sure of Chewie’s exact age. But, the rescue knew she was a spring 2023 baby, and the vet guessed that her birthday could have been around April 1. So, April 1 is her “official” birthday on her Coggin’s certificate and other veterinary paperwork. And, that’s official enough for me. I […]

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Chewie’s Diary Week 6: Traveling

By on March 19, 2025 in Chewie’s Diary

Chewie and I have both been traveling recently! I just returned from a wonderful three days in Chicago for this year’s ClickerExpo conference.  My Friday morning lecture at ClickerExpo! The weekend was filled with lots of learning, as well as opportunities to catch up with old friends and meet many new friends.  I felt honored […]

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Chewie’s Diary Week 5: Mats

By on March 12, 2025 in Chewie’s Diary

We’ve been playing with mats! I have structured these sessions so that they are exploratory in nature. I don’t have a concrete goal in mind, other than to provide an interesting, enriching experience while allowing Chewie to interact with something new. Chewie steps on the mats while sniffing them. Here’s how the session works. I […]

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