Mick is the sweetest most reliable horse now but several years ago we were sorting things out! He would try to bite me (that is why I am carrying a whip) and I was trying to train him to the point we could catch him. I wanted him to learn that touch was safe. If you have an aggressive animal,… Read more →
This is my rescued thoroughbred Charlie. He and I have been together for 23 years. He is the happiest guy! And I can still ride him up the mountain with no lameness or soreness. I think part of the reason why are these dry paddocks and every day turnout. Read more →
Another lazy day at the farm after a day of liberty horse training. With this type of training, the horse’s mind gets tired from thinking so much, making decisions, weighing choices in life. Mick, the mustang is 3 years old. He is such a good boy just started riding him. Tino (7 years) and Charlie (20 years) take a nap.… Read more →
My own horse Charlie is a real accident prone fellow. For seventeen years, he has been my faithful companion, not a spiteful bone in his sixteen-hand body but he has had hoof issues, stifle issues, bent gates for fear of the bugs, over-reached and cut his heel bulb, kicked at an annoying horse and caught his leg over a stall… Read more →
So much of being with animals ends up encouraging them to do what we want. In Liberty horse training, sometimes they get to chose what they want. Mick is learning how to smile on command but Tino already knows how to smile, say yes and say no. Being a natural over-achiever, Tino also stands on his pedestal while playing ball. Read more →
Reading to Tino in the Sun. He took almost no interest in “The Tibetan Book of the Dead” although he is a budding Buddhist being vegetarian and working on his walking meditation everyday. Read more →
Why is liberty horse training so amazing? I have to be present, fair, direct and positive or Tino will reject me and go eat his hay. Instead, he canters next to me. We are working on some cool things now where we canter on each lead and halt in between. We will post that on YouTube soon. Liberty training can… Read more →
One more post and I will get off my “horse kick”! Here are Tino and I working together in another video using the techniques I learned at Liberty Horse Training. At the end Tino gives Jeff, who was running the video camera, a little glance as if to say, “Not bad, eh?” In the next few days, I will be… Read more →
Here is a video of Tino and me working together using techniques I learned last June on a trip to Liberty Horse Training at Robin Gates’ beautiful Rising Moon Ranch in Sonoma, California, about an hour north of San Francisco. Liberty Horse Training provides a truly revolutionary, entirely positive approach to working with horses. (By the way, can you believe… Read more →
Looking at him today, it is hard for me to believe that my horse Tino was ever in this bad of shape. Tino was seized, along with a number of other badly neglected horses, by Skagit County animal control officers. After being in foster care for three weeks, I welcomed him into our family. The lesson I’ve learned from Tino… Read more →
Holistic vet Dr. Karen Mueller recently showed me how to adjust a horse’s sternum. This is particularly useful in a horse that pins his ears angrily when you tighten his girth. Here are three pictures of the same horse as he is standing with his legs in the same position (square under him). His legs did not move during time… Read more →