Episode 7: Saddle Fit

In our 7th episode, Jec interviews saddle fitting expert Kristen Vlietstra. The California-based saddler works with horses and riders of all disciplines. In this conversation, the two discuss simple ways to assess good saddle fit and some common concerns. Listen here. Here is Kristen’s blog […]

More Crummy Cribbing Research

Once again, Kentucky Equine Research is guilty of misleading the horse-owning public with another “research” article, thinly veiled as a supplement sales pitch. Yes, those quotation marks are intentional. Moreover, we might suggest KER rebrand itself as KERDS, Kentucky Equine Research Dedicated to Sales. Earlier […]

When Science Goes Sideways

If science were a horse, it would be an abused and neglected one. This horse would be taken advantage of and used as a vehicle to get humans where they want to go. It would be promoted as a Super Horse, treated like a Vaudeville […]

Learning Schools and How to Avoid Tribalism

Cayuse Communications has published many articles on horses’ learning processes. We’ve featured pieces on optimal learning and long-term potentiation, the role of attention, dopamine/reward cycles, and negative reinforcement. Our article on the cons of clicker training drew a lot of attention from the training method’s fans and detractors […]

Will Evidence-Based go the way of Natural Horsemanship?

When does a term outlive its usefulness? Decades ago, “natural horsemanship” started out as a term to describe what was, for the most part, a more gentle, thoughtful, from-the-horse’s-perspective type of work. The phrase was used prominently by Pat Parelli and it soon became shorthand […]

NY Times’ David Philipps on Wild Horses, Part II

Editor’s Note: Read Part I Read Part III New York Times reporter, David Philipps, is the author of Wild Horse Country: The History, Myth, and Future of the Mustangs. Taking on a topic that’s rife with politics, intransigence, and polarizing factions, Philipps manages the near-impossible: […]

We talk with NY Times’ David Philipps on Wild Horses, Part I

Editor’s Note: New York Times reporter, David Philipps, is the author of Wild Horse Country: The History, Myth, and Future of the Mustangs. Taking on a topic that is rife with politics, intransigence, and polarizing factions, Philipps manages the near-impossible: an intriguing through-narrative with fair […]

Donkeys: “We don’t need no stinkin’ blankets!”

In winter, equines are generally best off if you provide them with plenty of hay and the option of shelter. More specifically, Best Horse Practices views blanketing as not only unnecessary but potentially harmful in most horse-keeping situations. Read more about that here. What, then, […]

Is Stress Good or Bad?

Recent research on stress and learning in horses, conducted by a group of French scientists, has made a splash in horse media. The study, titled “Stress Affects Instrumental Learning Based on Positive or Negative Reinforcement in Interaction with Personality in Domestic Horses” involved work with […]

Introducing the Dopamine Counter

No one’s doing a better job of connecting brain science with horsemanship in an innovative, easy-to-grasp, fashion than West Taylor. Recently, Taylor released this video of his work with a challenging horse from Colorado. Even by horsemanship video standards, “Flagging on the Fence: Downregulating a […]