Looking for a horse that comes to the gate when they see you? One who follows you happily to the barn, who shows you affection? Not every new horse starts off this way, as it completely depends on their past experiences. And sometimes, even when they come to us this way, horse owners end up with a sour horse who stops choosing to be with them. If you want to change how your horse views you, but you don’t know where to start, this post is for you!
Category: Tutorials
These are tutorial videos that show you how I taught my animals things that they know. They may or may not work with your own animals!
Popsicles for Pets!
Who doesn’t love to cool off on a hot day with a frozen treat? Well, our pets love this too! You can make endless tasty combinations for your dog or cat, and they’ll love you for experimenting with new things. Ingredients like yogurt, banana, peanut butter, fruit, meat broth, meats and even their wet food can all make delicious popsicles for your furry friends.
DIY Homemade Essential Oil Diffuser
Looking for a simple, classy looking diffuser to make at home? Or maybe you’re like me, and want a diffuser RIGHT NOW but do not want to go to the store! If you have the oil you wish to diffuse, a glass jar, and some sticks you’re all set.
Hug Tutorial
One of my personal favorite tricks is the “hug”. I like it because it really feels like a hug, and it also seems like Tucker understands that I enjoy it more than just as a trick. It is something that seems to make him happy as a way of expressing affection in a language we both understand, along with “kiss.”
The Ugly Side of Clicker Training
Clicker training is awesome. I can 100% vouch for that, because I see the results firsthand every day. But like all things, it can be a bad thing in the wrong hands. The bad reputation that clicker training has earned is due to the technique that uses a clicker, not because of the clicker itself. Just like the classic “the bit is not a weapon, it is the hand that wields it” or however those things go! Here is some information on how to keep clicker training a positive experience, and some stories about some struggles I’ve had to figure out.
How to Start Clicker Training
A lot of people think about trying out clicker training, but can’t seem to figure out how to get started. Some don’t even fully understand what clicker training really is, and I know it can be confusing. So let me break it down for you in this post!
Transferring Cues: Shaking their head for “No!”
Something that we refer to a lot is transferring your cues to a new cue. What does this mean? How do you do it? It is really very simple! Some things are easier to teach with a direct physical motion as a cue, possibly involving touching your horse to cue a certain behavior or trick. But usually we want our horses to do these things from a more subtle cue. For example, for the trick where the horse shakes their head “no” it can be fun to teach your horse to shake their head when you shake your head. The easiest way to teach this trick however, is to tickle the hair right outside their ear. So how do you get from ear tickling to head shaking?
Spinning
Part of the dream of horses is sharing a dance with them. A beautiful step towards this dance is the twirl, which can be done in both directions using the human’s spin as the cue for the horse’s spin. It is a great exercise for reading body language and developing greater communication between horse and human, not to mention it’s just plain fun! All our horses absolutely love spinning, and will throw in spins at random if you let them.
Jambette
Oh the jambette! Such an elegant word for an elegant movement. In the highest levels of collection, the horse can be conditioned enough to hold the jambette at varying speeds and turns. It can also be used as a segue to the Spanish Walk. For this post, we will be using it for the latter.
Luminous Beings Are We
Your brain is amazing. Did you know that each half of your brain thinks in a completely different way? The right hemisphere of your brain is the artist, the one that lives in the moment; all that exists is this precise moment. It’s the one that takes all of the sensory input, in the form of different energies, in from your environment, collects this inside of you, and combines it with your own internal energy.