A trailer is a small, dark, metal box on wheels. For a prey animal like a horse, walking into the mouth of this monster sounds like a pretty scary idea! Shimmer, our little buckskin filly has found a foster home. So, it was high time for her to learn to walk into a trailer! She […]
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Did you know that horses could be trained with clicker training? In this section you’ll find lots of information about how positive reinforcement training methods can be used to create horses that are smart, brave, athletic and enthusiastic about training. If you’re skeptical, I recommend starting with this blog post, which summarizes a research study that examined whether clicker training causes horses to bite.
Doolittle works on leading using clicker training (video)
Clicker training is a safe and effective way to teach a foal, colt or horse the basics of leading.
Horse Swap!
We swapped around a bunch of the horses at the rescue almost two weeks ago. We currently have about 30 horses on a friend’s 25 acres (plus use of the pasture next to it, which is 35 acres). These are many of the Iowa horses that we are currently available for adoption, plus some of […]
Jason Patrick’s Free Horse Clinic DVD
Over the weekend I watched a DVD produced by Colorado horse trainer Jason Patrick. Although our philosophies and training techniques differ, I really enjoyed watching the DVD. He has a relaxed and easy going style, which seems to carry over to how he works with his horses. Jason Patrick is an innovator–willing to try new […]
Rescued Horses Need Homes
The rescue I volunteer at saved 23 horses at the end of the summer. The horses finally legally belong to the rescue and we are looking for adoptive homes or foster homes. We recently have also had several horses returned from adoptive homes that could no longer care for them. The rescue now has over […]
Rosie Meets the Big Green Ball
Rosie and I recently started playing with a big green ball. It’s not quite as big as some of the ones marketed by natural horse trainers, but it’s still pretty big! The ball is actually an exercise ball I bought at a sporting goods store. I just hope it will be strong enough for the […]