Are you interested in animal training?

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

Nothing Beats a Texas Sunset!

By Mary Hunter on December 1, 2010 in Fun Photos

Leaving the ranch recently…

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Trailer Loading at Liberty and Dottie Gets Adopted

By Mary Hunter on November 29, 2010 in Horse Training

Our sweet Dottie got adopted! Dottie has really blossomed into a sweet, curious little mare this fall, largely thanks to multiple volunteers at the rescue being willing to take it slow and let her learn that it’s fun to interact with people. You can read about some of the work Meghan did working on building […]

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Walt Disney needs some Clicker Training!

By Mary Hunter on November 27, 2010 in Horse Training

This is a humorous little clip that has been circulating around the internet. Its well worth watching for a few laughs, if you haven’t seen it yet. The clip is a 1941 Disney short called “How to Ride a Horse.” Now, while watching, I couldn’t help thinking how much this horse could benefit from a […]

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Spectacular Photos: Rescue Horses at the Waterhole

By Mary Hunter on November 19, 2010 in Fun Photos

These are a few photos from last weekend, I hope you enjoy them! Kirsten, Dawn and I took a round bale over to the rescue’s other property near dusk. The horses came galloping down to greet us, but then most passed by us and instead headed down to the waterhole. There was no wind, the […]

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The Columban Simulations: How Smart Are Pigeons?

By Mary Hunter on November 18, 2010 in Other Species, Research Studies

I found two wonderful youtube clips recently. I highly recommend taking the time to watch them! They are the first and second halves of a short 1980s film about the Columban Simulations. The Columban Simulations were a series of research studies where pigeons were taught to perform complicated behaviors that we usually think of as […]

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a formerly untouchable horse gets petted

Gracie makes more progress

By Mary Hunter on November 16, 2010 in Horse Training

Kirsten captured some great pictures over the weekend of Gracie and I interacting. I’m petting her in most of these, but the way my body is turned, you can’t really tell. I just love how calm, relaxed, engaged and curious she looks in all of them. She is definitely a different horse from last November! […]

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