Chewie and I have been working on some targeting exercises. During a recent training session, Chewie was practicing touching a wall target with her nose. However, shortly after we started, someone began doing some work with a loud tractor, very close to Chewie’s pasture. Chewie has walked away from the target. When the noises started, […]
Chewie’s friend Allie with some gorgeous clouds in the background! We’ve had some really lovely spring weather recently, and I am getting to spend quite a bit of time at the barn. But, I can’t spend ALL my time at the barn. Eventually, I do have to leave. I’ve been thinking a lot recently about […]
I’m out of town this week! I’m in Galveston, Texas, for the ABMA annual conference. ABMA stands for the Animal Behavior Management Alliance. The ABMA is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to enhancing animal care through training, enrichment, and other strategies that promote well-being. ABMA members are mainly individuals who work with exotic animals […]
Receiving consistent foot care is really important for a young horse’s physical health. Munching on some pellets while I trim a front hoof. When Chewie was at Habitat for Horses, the trainers at the rescue worked with her on picking up her feet, and their farrier was able to trim her feet on a regular […]
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 […]
We haven’t done much training with food up to this point because Chewie wasn’t ready. Chewie needed time to settle when she first arrived and when she moved pastures a couple of weeks ago. I’ve also been gone some at conferences, and we dealt with a spell of nasty weather in February. Chewie is now […]
