Freezing rain and ice-slick roads confine us to the farm tonight… and there is no place we’d rather be! Mark and I play with the horses well after dark. I trim Grace’s hooves and start teaching her a new trick, and we all marvel at how well Dolly’s hoof is healing. I flash between enjoying [...]

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You remember the story of belling the cat.  We were handed a similar scenario… The challenge: To put a flymask on a horse who is not halter-trained and is known to be headshy. The solution: Clicker Training to the rescue! Crockett is an Appy gelding, part of the PMU rescue herd we are currently helping [...]

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Luna the spotted draft mare delivered a spirited, strapping colt in the wee hours of the morning.  Both mama and baby are doing great! The colt’s daddy is Jack Flash, a Gypsy cob stallion imported from the UK. This particular cross gave a 2% chance of producing a chestnut tobiano, yet that describes him!  He [...]

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Luna and her soon-to-be-born Gypsy Sport Horse foal joined our family on winter solstice this year. Luna had been through four owners since April, through no fault of her own. Luna is a 4 year-old Spotted Draft mare, small despite her Shire blood. She’s sweet, sound and healthy, like so many equine victims of today’s [...]

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We tackled Luna’s hooves today, beginning what we hope will be an uneventful recovery process.  When we first looked at her, her owner told her reluctance to move forward was due to the added weight of pregnancy.  Forget the foal, her feet were a mess!  Every step must feel like walking on glass shards! Flares [...]

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Kathy made my day today!  During a break in her lesson she told me she’s taken up walking at the mall.  Today she walked two miles.  More importantly, she confided, “I kept thinking about what we’ve been practicing in our riding lessons.  I keep reminding myself to breathe, and put on my cloak!” For people [...]

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Breakthrough day for June!  This formerly stiff-as-a-board but quick-as-a-whip little mare learned to release to the pressure of the bit.  We’re not talking turn or tuck her head.  We are talking release negative tension throughout her entire body. This elementary lesson is June’s first step towards losgelassenheit. …Before you say “gesundheit” let’s pull our dictionary! [...]

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“Horse Training Success” is running a training tips contest.  We just submitted this entry: I love all the posts that include training with treats! Do you know they actually funded a study in France which “scientifically proved” that horses learn faster when they receive food rewards? Hahaha, horsemen since the dawn of time could have [...]

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Our horse family has grown by one! We welcome Diego to the farm. Diego (until he reveals his REAL name) is a 16 month old Friesian Percheron Paint cross.  He was raised by a small breeder in upstate New York. Her care for her horses shines through in his amazing disposition. That alone gives him [...]

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Nothing beats trailering to off-the-farm field trips for increasing a horse’s confidence and competencies… and nothing is more fun! We just discovered this trip cost calculator.  How cool!  Our F350 didn’t show up in their automatic fields, but they allow you to enter your own information. Before you hitch up your horse trailer and load [...]

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