I have been doing FT with my gelding for the last couple of years, we seem to be taking the slow route through the program but on the other hand our relationship has improved tremendously. I was nearly 49 when I started learning to ride, and a couple of months later met him – 8 […]
Category: Training
Stop Training Your Horse!!
I can’t help anyone who ‘wants to train their horse.’ That’s not entirely true. Let me rephrase that. I can help anyone who wants to ‘train their horse,’ but I choose not to. Why? because if I did, I would be sending them down the same pathway that leads to chaos. Let’s start at the […]
The Story of Cowboy
One summer, a new occupant arrived in the empty five acre pasture across the street from our property. He was a 16.2 h, bay Quarter Horse named Cowboy. Day after day I saw him wearing a halter 24/7. Seeing him watching my horses and I interact and play together while wearing it day after day, […]
Going Bitless
So You’re Going Bitless? Finally, at long last the dawn of enlightenment and common sense is reaching the horse world as bitless riding is grudgingly becoming more prominent! For those of us who have been riding without a bit in our horse’s mouth for decades, (or any contraption that may cause possible discomfort or pain) […]
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 […]
Horses aren’t made to be ridden
Before you start sharpening the pitchforks, boiling the tar and collecting feathers, perhaps I should explain. It’s a beautiful cool Spring day and I’m going out riding with a very dear friend as soon as I finish writing this. In fact, we’d be long gone by now except for something that came up a little […]
What does Your Horses Heart Have To Do with Training?
I had an interesting conversation with an FT family member this morning. It brought to mind once again that as a human goes through the program with their horse, it is both a teaching, and equally important, learning experiential. What some may not realize is that the same holds true for me as well. This […]
Why is Friendship Training different
FT does not force a horse into submission. Instead, it uses the horse’s own values and standards of Equine Friendship to create a much different type of relationship. This produces safer and more enjoyable interactions on the ground (as well as mounted interactions) for both horse and human. It also prevents many problems from ever […]
‘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 […]
Critique Natural Horsemanship
In either case, they will test your ability to assimilate contradictory and oppositional beliefs and practices of horse training to its very limits. For never before in the history of mankind, has any method of interaction between human and horse been offered that is more op-positional to the very core beliefs of “horse training” then Friendship Training.