919-428-3209

To Scold or Not to Scold— That is the Question

When working with horses we often hear, “You just need to show him who’s boss,” or “I hope you didn’t let him get away with that.”  Do these phrases sound familiar?  As I continue on my own horsemanship journey, I find myself wondering what I was thinking in the past when I would sometimes scold a horse.  Did the punishment meet the crime? Was it really a crime?  Was it a behavior I or someone had taught the horse?  Was he just escaping a fear? All these are valid points in decisions we must make, split-second, to continue the positive

Read More

Softness in the Face: It Just Isn’t Enough!

For years, I worked and rode my horses feeling very proud of the fact that my horses had the softest feel in the pole and face.  Yet, I never understood that true softness travels through the face, pole, neck, withers, shoulders, fore legs, barrel, flank, hips and all the way down to the hind feet and tail.  Where did this idea of softness start?  Ask many folks and I’m sure we will get a multitude of answers, but I really think it starts in the brain. And with that, we strive for willingness from the horse. Alternatively, I think we

Read More