Somtimes horses are just plain crazy

Sneak Peak excerpt from Turning Challenging Horses into Willing Partners. Due for public release in 2010. Red Red came to us after having been “broke” by a girl who had little experience and less heart. She gave up after this four-year-old filly began flipping immediately following her hopping in the saddle. Apparently this went on […]

Turning Challenging Horses into Willing Partners sneak peak

Turning Challenging Horses into Willing Partners due for public release in 2010. Discounted bulk pre-publication orders now being taken.     Chapter Eight Sometimes they’re just plain crazy On occasion, you really do find yourself burdened with a nut. While preliminary bad breaking definitely exacerbates problems, when you strip it all down and finally get […]

Turning Challening Horses into Willing Partners sneak peak book excerpt

Sneak Peak excerpt from Turning Challenging Horses into Willing Partners. Due for public release in 2010. Horse Sense for sour equines • Rule out physical issues that may be causing pain and the horse’s associated frustration in his failure to communicate. • Do not continue to push a sore horse, or you will only make […]

Horse Sense for encouraging a timid equine

Sneak Peak excerpt from Turning Challenging Horses into Willing Partners, due for official publication in spring, 2010 • The round pen provides the close quarters to begin to develop a rapport and trust with a timid horse. Here, you can establish some basic body language cues supported with voice commands to present yourself as a […]

Sour horse approaches

Chapter Seven Turning a sour mount There are a number of circumstances that can make a mount sour. One who has been drilled too hard in the arena and given little opportunity to relax in different surroundings can often be transformed by backing off of the flatwork and jumping. Simply choosing a varied routine that […]

Encouraging a timid equine

Sneak peak excerpt from Chapter Six of Turning Challenging Horses into Willing Partners (due for release in winter, 2010). Timid horses are very different than those that have been conditioned to be scared. Usually, they’ve been rushed and overwhelmed. Consequently, a timid horse is generally insecure about surroundings and new experiences but not terrified about […]

Alpha sneak peak excerpt from Chapter Five

Overwhelmed and cagey Rosie spent two days at the racetrack after being “broke” at a distant farm. She wheeled about thirty times in a single trip jogging around a half-mile training track, terrified of oncoming traffic and the scene that presented itself to this unprepared, frenzied baby. At Thoroughbred racetracks, generally jogging (or trotting) horses […]

Athlete baby of the decade returns as bronc champ re-break

Jay merits mention in both our Turning Challenging Horses and Don’t Get Thrown Starting Horses Under Saddle books because she was a dual challenge that came to Halcyon Acres for initial starting (which wasn’t completed) and then back to fix her subsequent, learned talent for unloading riders at another farm that tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to […]

Alphas provide the biggest challenge and greatest joy

Some of the toughest fought battles are the most rewarding. Interestingly, it seems the most determined cases, able and willing to wear you out to the point of giving up, acquiesce right about the time you’re ready to walk away. These are almost always Alphas and will make you earn their respect — with the bruises to prove it.

Turning mean to green

Most mean horses are smart. They’ve learned, through ongoing

provocation, to terrorize human counterparts who have

taught them to resent training.