Sun, Snow, Snoozing

I have a pet theory on snow-and-sun-induced snoozing: During a winter storm, horses get a bit stressed. It’s windy. Visibility is poor. Conditions are in flux. Afterwards, the sun comes out and everything is quiet, peaceful, and bright. The sun warms horses’ coats. The birds […]

Cribbing: What’s Good to Know

What is a smile or a handshake? The answer is like a Matryoshka doll with another doll inside it and then another doll inside that one. Sure, they’re gestures of welcome. But neurologically speaking, they are the manifestations of a bundle of voluntary and involuntary […]

Katrin Silva: Friend or Means to an End?

Editor’s Note: 2018 Best Horse Practices Summit presenter Katrin Silva grew up riding dressage in Germany before moving to the United States at age 19 to learn to ride Western. She’s been riding both disciplines for the last twenty years and is a regular guest columnist […]

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 […]

Clicker Training: Thumbs Up or Down?

Editor’s Note: In conversations, interviews, and observations of scores of horsemen, I’ve come to understand that ‘pressure and release’ or negative reinforcement, is an extremely effective method for working with horses. Since horses use negative reinforcement on each other, it’s easy to understand. Understand more […]

Emergency Homework for Horse Owners

Dr. Rebecca Gimenez Husted was a popular presenter at the 2018 Best Horse Practices Summit. She provided some horse-owning particulars for preparedness here. For more information, visit her organization TLAER or Facebook page. We have a great library of Emergency topics here. Husted writes: Ready […]

Quick Emergency Rescue Tips

Dr. Rebecca Gimenez-Husted was enthusiastically received at the Best Horse Practices Summit, held earlier this month in Durango, Colorado. She is the president of Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue. After the conference, she wrote: It has been a week since we were synthesizing together – […]

Can We Talk? Western & Dressage Chats

Is Your Horse Ready for Uncertainty?

Editor’s Note: Amy Skinner is a regular guest columnist and has been a horse gal since age six. She will present an arena demonstration with fellow trainer and rider, Katrin Silva, at the Best Horse Practices Summit. She rides and teaches dressage and Western. Skinner […]

Amy Skinner: You Are Your Best Teacher