How Dressage-Based Riding Helps Your Horse, Part I

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 […]

Interview with Mark Rashid &Crissi McDonald, II

I met with Mark Rashid and Crissi McDonald in Mancos, Colorado, for a wide-ranging conversation on horsemanship and life work. Rashid will hold lessons and welcome auditors in Mancos, Colorado, July 27-29. For more information, head here. This is Part Two of our interview in […]

Amy Skinner questions the 30-day start

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 […]

Restarting Gabe means Rediscovering Feel

Editor’s Note: We hear this week from Nancy Lowery of Calgary, Alberta. Lowery has been blogging about her Leadership Learning through Horsemanship Experiences for more than a decade. A recent interview series by Lowery explored what Calgary leaders have learned through their relationships with horses. […]

Renaissance Man in the Making

Editor’s Note: Fred Holcomb is a horseman, BHPS steering committee member, and farrier. He completed equine research at a Wyoming ranch and Davidson College, has mentored with experts in Washington, and is readying his entry into veterinary school In this guest column, he reflects on […]

Don’t Waste Small Moments

Editor’s Note: Amy Skinner is a regular guest columnist and has been a horse gal since age six. She works with owner/operator Jim Thomas as a trainer at Bar T Horsemanship where she rides and teaches English and Western. Skinner has studied at the Royal Andalusian […]

Upside Down Horses Are My Good Fortune

Licking and Chewing: The Process Illuminated

Say what you will about Facebook. Occasionally, a productive conversation on the social media platform can illuminate and educate. That’s what happened when Cayuse Communications contributor Amy Skinner posted this video of a horse in training. She asked several professionals, including Warwick Schiller and Dr. […]

When it comes to “problem” horses, take the challenge

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. Read her article on Contact here. Silva has competed successfully through fourth […]

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 […]