Thought provoking
What is the horse saying with his ears?
After posting yesterday’s blog, I noticed several people comment negatively about the horses ears during the performance. The common thread seemed to be that the viewers of the video seemed to think that the horse was saying, with its ears, that it was irritated or annoyed. On the surface I can see how some people…
Read MoreWhen your horse refuses to lead do you switch to driving him forward?
You can’t out pull a horse. This seems like an obvious statement but there is a good chance, if you stop and think about it, you have probably tried to at some point during your interaction with horses. Ponies are practically famous for having moments when they say ‘no’ and refuse to go forward. Is…
Read MoreWhy did you start riding horses?
What was it that made you fall in love with horses? Have you always dreamed about them from the time you were little or did you find them later in life? The answers to this question always fascinate me. I have loved equines of all shapes and sizes from the time I was little and…
Read MoreMeasuring educational maturity in horses.
When training horses I am always observing their level of maturity. Sometimes this is measured by the number of correct responses that they have to training situations but other times it is measured by their general demeanor. Horses, like people, mentally mature at different rates. It is tempting to measure a horses maturity by ‘testing’…
Read MoreWhat about dismounting from your horse, mounting block or not?
“What about dismounting? Mountaining block or not?”-Kim M This question came in after my blog, “What is your opinion on mounting blocks? Is it easier and better for the horse?”. In general I think proper dismounting is an under discussed subject. Dismounting without pulling on the saddle is just as important as mounting without pulling…but thankfully…
Read MoreVideo: Mount horse without girth for educational purposes; proper mounting technique.
This demo is done to show the proper distribution of the riders weight when mounting. It is not something for everyone to try. Never ride without your saddle properly secured. When I attended college and majored in Equestrian Studies one of my ‘tests’ was the ability to mount up without a girth. The instructor didn’t…
Read MoreAfter an accident with a horse how can I get over my fear? How can I make the process easier?
“Hi Stacy, I am in Australia and I have watched your videos and read some of your posts. I have also heard a lot about you from friends. I was wondering if you have any advice for a horse lover who is terrified of horses. When I was 12 I had an accident and fractured…
Read MoreWhere is your attention? written by Jesse Westfall
Recently, I was out riding with a lady whose horse had its head in the air and was looking off in the distance most of the time. The problem with a horse like that is they don’t see the ground that is right in front of them and they tend to stumble when the ground…
Read MoreNewt conquers standing on the box…but what motivates my horse?
When I set up the video camera on day seven of teaching Newt to stand on the box I didn’t know exactly what I would do with the footage. I did know that I was spending a lot of time laughing at my horse…and I was really enjoying watching him learn. As I stood there…
Read MoreMy horse, Newt, learning to balance on a box.
This is a video of Newt, my horse, trying to find his balance standing on a wooden box. Newt had previously been trained to cross over a wooden bridge, so when he first saw this box…he walked straight over it. For each of the seven days prior to this I spent a few minutes a…
Read More