From the movie ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ “The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude toward the problem.” ~ Captain Jack Sparrow ~ How utterly absurd that a fictional character in a movie could possibly offer any enlightenment in the world of horsemanship! And yet, in truth, Captain Jack’s insightfulness is actually […]
Category: Attitude
No Kid Gloves
Might be best for some of you boys to roll up the windows and fasten your seat belts. OK. ‘Short and sweet’ meaning; dealt with very quickly; to the point. Which, (at least to my understanding) is the way any man worth his salt would like it; in your face, point-blank direct, down to-earth, no […]
Second Renaissance
In the last generation, the phenomenal interest expressed by horse owners worldwide has been focused in three basic areas. Acquiring a greater in-depth knowledge and understanding of the Horse in his natural environment and herd dynamics. Searching for more compassionate, humane methods of training. The last, and perhaps most difficult to define, is the feeling […]
‘Natural’ Horsemanship? Maybe, Maybe not….
In the normal intra-herd relationship, herd rank is a survival aspect of herd dynamics. Intimidation, pressure, discomfort, and if needed, physical punishment are used to establish and maintain the highest herd rank possible. Our present day natural horsemanship trainers predicate their basic training format on the documented empirical studies of highly accredited equine research scientists […]
The Search
We would strongly suggest the very FIRST place to start is learning more about the specifics of the animal they are dealing with from the empirical studies of equine ethologists and research scientists. Why? Why learn about the Horse in his natural environment? Why take the time to learn about equine instincts, culture and herd […]
The Importance of Equine Ethology, Equine Etiology & Horsemanship
Countless times we read on the Internet and equine magazines about someone’s ‘bad horse problem.’ To the casual uninitiated observer, this must seem rather illogical if not ridiculous as we have had 6,000 years
Suddenly Temperamental or Bucking
Our principal responsibility as the mentor/caretaker, the one in charge, the one in control and the supposedly more intelligent of the two species must be to always ask WHY before making any judgment of a horse’s actions
Life is a matter of choices
"And living with the rewards and consequences of those choices" – part 1 – The loud yelp of shock and pain exploded, shattering the quiet, early evening air like a china plate smashing on a concrete floor. It was instantly echoed by the crunching snap of fence boards mixed with the dirt-softened thud of a […]
An Open Mind
With so many "new and natural" training formats out there…. And with some of us having experienced various degrees of disillusionment after trying them…. (once burnt, twice shy) Coupled with the expertise of national marketing, sales and public relations exerts…. It is sometimes difficult for the average horse owner to "separate the wheat from the […]
A Dressage Critique
I am the owner and administrator of several equine websites. I am also the author of most of the articles published on these websites. This is the reason why I am publishing information about myself, for which purpose I’ve made this website available. Since many of my articles bring to light various controversial issues in […]