Suddenly your dog sees something. His muscles stiffen, ears and tail go up, and he’s absolutely… not listening to you. What do you do? Well, usually, you end up looking around, trying to quickly figure out what’s distracting your dog!! … Is it a bird? … A cat? … Is there another dog coming??? … Did he hear something?? Guess …
Food Tip #1
I have a neat little trick for you and your cute dog! Most dogs get fed dry dog food and it isn’t exactly the healthiest diet. So a great way to mix it up and give it a healthy twist, is to add some veggies (fibers). Dogs, as all animals, really need these fibers to aid digestion, amongst other things, …
Space
Personal space can communicate so much depending on how we enter and leave it alone… It’s a concept I’ve been observing and playing around with quite a bit, especially in the last few days. I’m having a hard time describing what I mean, but I really wanted to write about it today, so stick with me here! My goal with …
Our Mothers
Pat Parelli once said (just kidding – Pat can’t just tell a story once) to imagine a mother watching you work with your animal. I say “a” mother, because it could be your mother, the animal’s mother, or both? Mommy party! He said, imagine your horse’s (or dog’s and so on…) mother is watching you work with her child… Would …
Animal Kindergarten
Every time I start a young horse or train a puppy, I get inspired. It reminds me to take breaks often and reward just as much and BIG. “That was so great, it’s the best thing I’ve seen anyone ever do!!” The babies need to feel how thrilled you are that they did something – no matter how basic (in …
Brilliance!
“We want our horses to be calm, and thinking… But if we take all the life out of them, we need to ask ourselves: ‘where is exuberance going to come from? Where is brilliance going to come from?’ “ – Karen Rohlf
Rational
“Isn’t it funny how, when a horse spooks or shies away from something, humans often see their behavior as irrational, and then sometimes even punish them for doing so. When in reality, it is the horse that is acting in a rational manner by trying to stay away from something they see as potentially dangerous and the human who is …
Click
I have had so much going on the past few weeks… months? It’s been difficult to find the time and clear state of mind to write regular posts. But, just as it’s starting to get warm here in Germany, I am finding fresh air and things are less hectic. It will be easier to live in the moment! Which is …
Common Ground
“Even as horsemen, with similar backgrounds and beliefs and a shared love of the horse, we have differing ideas on what constitutes good welfare…. Too often we respond with closed minds and bitter words. We fail to even try to find common ground, forgetting that, at the very core of the issue, we are all trying to do the same …
The Subtle Pauses
“Good musicians understand that it is the subtle pauses between the notes that create the flow, balance and harmony of a beautiful piece of music. Good horseman understand the same thing applies when working with their horse.” – Mark Rashid