Horse Behaviour & Psychology

Colt Starting Competitions

Updated:

March 25, 2022

colt starting competition, tania millen, how to start a horse, working with foal, jim anderson higher horsemanship, heart of the horse, niki flundra horse trainer, glenn stewart horse, jill barron horse

Are They Good, Bad, or a Bit of Both? Colt starting competitions are wildly popular with audiences, imbuing a sense of wonder at what trainers can do with previously unhandled three-year-old horses (colts) in just a few hours. They’re judged events, where each trainer is paired with an unbroke horse and has just a few hours to start it under saddle. While the trainers work with their horses, they explain their training methods to the audience. On the third and final day of the competition, the trainers show off their horse’s skills over an obstacle course. The young horses are started by top-notch trainers, the spectators are entertained, and the trainers win prizes and kudos for their skills. So, what’s not to like?

The Many Hats of a Horse Show Judge

Updated:

March 15, 2022

Lindsay Grice horse trainer, how to be a horse show judge, what does a horse judge do? ontario horse show judges canada

I smiled, walking past the airport hat kiosk, en route to a judging adventure at an exhibition in Eastern Canada. I’d be wearing several hats and judging a kaleidoscope of classes at the show — equitation, road hack, reining, Western riding, working hunter, pleasure driving, driven dressage, conformation, showmanship, miniature horses… and more!

Sparky the Wonder (Senior) Horse

Updated:

February 4, 2022

relationship with horses, understanding horses, alexa linton, how old horses get, paddock paradise track system, natural environment horses

Vibrant Life Beyond 20 - Recently, I spent time with a horse named Sparky who is estimated to be over 40 years old. Understandably, you may be visualizing a tottering shell of a being, held together by medication and hay cubes, but this could not be further from the truth. Sparky is a sound, vital, cheeky, engaged fellow and the leader of the pack, although his teeth no longer work well for chewing hay. Out of curiosity, I studied his lifestyle, diet, way of being, and exercise routine with hopes of gleaning some insight to help me support my more “mature” equine clients as well as my own mare Diva, who turned 22 years old this past May.

Solving Pony Problems

Updated:

January 20, 2022

evolution of ponies, riding ponies, training ponies, children and ponies, nikki alvin smith, what to look for in a pony, my pony bites

Sadly, ponies get a lot of bad press. Even so, their reputation as being lazy, stubborn, and difficult to train, plus their seemingly inherent displays of poor behaviour, have less to do with their innate nature and more to do with a lack of training.

How to Get and Keep Your Horse’s Attention

Updated:

December 15, 2021

Jonathan Field how do i get my horse to focus, get my horse's attention, help focussing horse, horse won't focus, horse won't pay attention, natural horsemanship

My horse is great in the arena, but easily distracted as soon as we go out of the ring. He’s good when he’s by himself, but when there are other horses around, my horse’s mind is not with me. My horse is fine when his herd-mate is nearby, but as soon as we try to separate he loses his mind! Sometimes he’s with me… and other times it’s like I’m not even there. If you can relate to any of these statements, the tips in this article will help you understand your horse – the ultimate tourist – and how to get his attention.

Walk, Trot – BUCK!

Updated:

November 18, 2021

Jonathan Field, how to stop horse bucking, why is horse bucking, horse won't canter trot, groundwork for horse

Recently, I helped a friend whose mare was having problems with the transition to canter. Moving from trot to canter was scary at best – the mare might cut sharply into a turn, panic and rush, or throw in a strong buck. The mare seemed to be saying let’s just stick with the trot!

The Power of Play with Our Horses

Updated:

November 4, 2021

how to play with my horse, alexa linton on horse play, mindfulness activities with horses, fun equine activities, how to reduce my horse's stress, alexa linton equine sports therapist

The mammalian nervous system is an incredible thing, with its complex functionality, and all the ways it regulates our systems, adapts to change, restores itself, and even mirrors the nervous systems of those around us. If any year was going to introduce us to the limits and resourcefulness of our unique nervous system, 2020 would be it. In this one year, every one of us has found out exactly how we cope with global uncertainty, massive change, potential scarcity of resources, and possible threats to the health of ourselves and our family and friends. Our nervous system is an integral part of how we cope with stress and change, working behind the scenes to recalibrate, reorganize and bring us into new ways of being in a healthy or not-so-healthy state.

Traditions in Horsemanship

Updated:

August 12, 2021

traditional horsemanship practices, alexa linton, how to lead a horse, how to mount a horse, how to clean horse tack, best horse bits and saddle

Why do we have them? What keeps us practicing them? As I write this article, I find it ironic that I am laid up on the couch with a lower back injury, brought on by the age-old tradition of lifting, hauling, and generally doing way too much when my body wasn’t up to the task. From my recovery position, it seems fitting to attempt to grapple with the rather sticky topic of traditions, and why we often feel so compelled to stick to them. I’ve touched on this a little in my past articles, but today I want to really dig in and unpack why and how traditions become traditions and what keeps us practicing them, sometimes long past their best before date.

Get-It-Done Horsemanship

Updated:

July 13, 2021

alexa linton whole horse, horse misbehaving, difficult horse, best way to train a horse, do horses have feelings?

Is it effective or abusive? I remember the feeling like it was yesterday. I’m about 15 years old, and I’m riding a lesson horse in a ring. We’re jumping, or we’re trying to. It’s not going well. My instructor is screaming at me. Screaming. In hindsight, my horse is terrified. He has refused a jump, more than likely because he’s scared of it. My instructor is screaming at me over and over: “Get it done!” and “Don’t let him get away with it.” Eventually, with much kicking and whipping, my horse carries his terrified self and me over the jump. Our hearts are racing. We are both scared, bordering on traumatized, in a place where we are unable to think or be effective in any way.

Do Equestrians Know How Their Horses Learn?

Updated:

May 27, 2021

how do horses learn? stop a horse testing you, horse welfare, horse misbehaving, horse abuse

Why is it so important for equestrians to become educated about learning theory and its practical application? Knowingly or not, in each single encounter with horses we use learning theory tools from our training toolbox. Sometimes equestrians pick the wrong tools from the toolbox, or do not know how to use the selected tool correctly and, due to this, horses may suffer and may display behaviour considered to be naughty, unwilling, difficult, or even dangerous.