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 […]
Spring has arrived in north Texas and with spring comes spring grass! The arena at our barn has grass all along the edge. Delicious, yummy grass. Tempting grass…. Apollo and I have sometimes struggled with the spring grass in past years. This year, we’ve been working on a new reinforcement system in the arena with […]
Recently, I started listening to a new audiobook. It’s called “The Paradox of Choice,” by Barry Schwartz. If you’re curious – the book is available from both Amazon and Audible. Having choices is usually good. However, one basic idea that Schwartz explores in the book is that when it comes to having choices, it is […]
At the Art and Science of Animal Training conference this year Alexandra Kurland spoke about loopy training, which is a concept she has been developing over the past year. Loopy training was the focus of a clinic I did with Alexandra Kurland last fall. The more I hear about it, the more it makes sense […]
Here’s a simple pattern Shiloh and I were playing with at liberty on Sunday afternoon 1) Shiloh approaches me and targets an exercise ball I am holding. Once he touches it with his nose, I click and give him a treat. 2) As I feed the treat in front of him, I move to his […]
Here are four good reasons why you might want to use a mounting block the next time you get on your horse: 1) Using a mounting block is better for your horse’s back. Jumping up into the saddle is quick and easy for you, but you could be putting a lot of strain on your […]
