Why on earth would I want to teach my horse to stand on a mat? At first glance, it seems like an easy enough thing to do, and perhaps it is, if you only look at the “big picture” and you have a quiet, non-spooky horse. But if you look closer at the skills needed to do this precisely, or the skills needed if your horse thinks it is like one of those “horse-swallowing puddles” you find on the trail, then it might not be so easy. Even so, you could still ask why? Why stand on a

This week’s blog should be on the next foundation lesson; mat work. Instead after struggling with whether to write about a recent clinic I went to or not here, I felt I must deviate from our foundation lessons for a more important lesson. My goal as a trainer, teacher and human being is to keep evolving. As a trainer and teacher I continually work on improving my skills and my understanding of just how training works (by looking at learning theory and all those out of the box

I like to relate grown-ups and duration by suggesting you look at it this way. You and I are having a great conversation, you have my attention and I have yours. We are responding to each other’s emotional bids. Now along comes a friend of mine. I now ignore you and talk to my other friend. How would you feel? Left out, upset, wondering why you aren’t being included in this conversation? Part of how you feel will depend on your understanding of what is going on. If you are yo