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Curious Colors
Horses come in a wide variety of colours, and we never seem to question why horse colours have bizarre names. Well, I’ve had enough and I’m going to get to the bottom of these ridiculous names....
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Rewards or Lures?
In all my training, with my young Warmblood True and other horses, I use reward as a primary technique. In general, it’s quicker over the long term, lasts longer, is more effective, creates positive...
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How Mustang Trainer & Mom Ann Hanlin Found Her Calling
It’s hard to remain the “cool mom” long-term to your children, but Ann Hanlin has an ace card up her sleeve, at least when it comes to her two sons. After all, anybody can be a soccer mom. But a...
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Tail Fashions
I had my hair done today, the usual cut and colour, and my hairdresser asked if I wanted to try bangs, to which I replied, “No.” But it got me thinking about why we call them bangs which had me...
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Truedini
In the past couple weeks, I’ve described my green Warmblood True’s progress with the lessons on my training agenda. But maybe the most fun to consider is his training agenda—all the stuff he’s learned...
View ArticleState Horses
While writing about horse colours, I learned that the Appaloosa is Idaho’s state horse. I was unaware there is such a thing as a state horse, which is odd because here in Canada we have a provincial...
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Rounding the Back
A couple weeks back, I promised some words on teaching roundness in young and green horses. This is kinda complicated, so let’s approach it in chunks over the next few weeks. Here we go! Roundness:...
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Random Mule Facts
I collect a lot of random facts when writing these posts, leaving me with bits and bobs that aren’t long enough to stand alone. So, this week I present you with two random bits of information, apropos...
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If Your Horse Isn’t Round, You’re Hurting Him
If you’ve ever sat on a stiff horse, you know it’s not a comfortable ride. But have you ever considered that it’s not comfortable for the horse either? When your horse is hollow and stiff, he cannot...
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Rounding: Discipline, Conformation, and Behavior
Last week, we reviewed the basics our youngsters need to know before learning to move in a long rounded frame. “Frame” refers to the position of the horse within an imaginary rectangle, with his nose...
View ArticleThe Slapdash Way We Denote Horse Height
Brace yourself. This is about to get confusing. I work at an animal shelter a few days a week and the other day one of my co-workers was telling me about a rescue horse she knows. I asked all the...
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Roundness in Practice
OK, let’s climb on my young Warmblood True and see how this roundness business works in real life. As with any maneuver on a young or green horse, be sure you already know how to get the result on a...
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3 Exercises to Target Your Core
Long gone are the days when we could consider our horse’s fitness the only point of concern when it comes to our athletic endeavors together. Sure, he has to collect his body, gallop distances, and...
View ArticleFactors That Affect Your Horse’s Hoof Growth and Quality
Although your local climate and weather conditions will likely have an influence on your horse’s hooves, there are some universal factors that impact hoof quality and growth rate year-round, no matter...
View ArticleA Read on Roans
When I was seven my parents almost bought me a pony named Captain Crunch. I loved him, not only because I was a kid and because I loved the cereal but also because he was a strawberry roan. And...
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Three Daily Treats
Today’s title might perplex those who read this column regularly and know that for brain-based reasons I prefer to train by reward, but non-edible reward. The three treats refer not to the horse, but...
View ArticleCaulk Talk
I saw a TikTok video today of a woman talking about how hard she pronounced the ‘L’ in “caulk” to the man working in the hardware store. I know exactly what she is talking about. It also made me...
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The Value of Time
Time: that annoying measure of life that’s worth its weight in gold! In these weekly articles, I often describe brain-based training techniques that proceed slowly. Most people, especially those who...
View ArticleYou Can Visit Your Horse at the Barn or the Yard, But Rarely, If Ever, the...
I’ve always regarded the UK as the birthplace of horse sports. I’m sure that is entirely correct, but it’s how I feel. I love British TV and all things horsey from the UK but I do question their...
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Pre-Checks for Jumping
It’s time to start teaching my green warmblood True to jump. As usual, we have to begin with some preliminary checks. First, be sure your horse’s bones and body are physically mature enough to begin...
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