Kandoo-Kansay

Wow, welcome to Day 100!

I really hope you've enjoyed the 100 Day Email Series. I've loved hearing about your horses and your experiences, so thanks to all of you that have left comments and the hundreds of emails I've received.

Many of the emails have included really interesting questions and...

"I couldn't possibly do that!"

"I don't have enough experience"

"I wouldn't know where to start"

"I've never been any good at that"

"I should do it but I don't have time"

"I could do it but I'm too old (young, fat, thin ....you get the idea)"

These are a few examples of the sorts of erroneous...

Last time we talked about the RSPCA's 5 freedoms, focusing on the first four. I'd like to look at the final Freedom now:

"Freedom from fear and distress: by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering".

As horse owners, or simply riders, we have a moral responsibility to...

When we buy a horse, we all know what our responsibilities are (well, I'm sure those of you that have made it to #97 in this series are the type of owners that take this very seriously), we know we must provide food, shelter and fresh water. We're aware of the need to keep the horse healthy...

Last time we talked about bringing a horse back to work after a break and I told you I'd give you a quick checklist of things to go through to make sure everything was in place for your first ride.

Here's the checklist:

If you'd like more detail on how to go through this list (in addition to...

While we all try to be consistent with our riding and training, life gets in the way, which can result in our horses having extended periods of time off work. The question is - how do we bring them back to work and how do we know when they are ready to ride?

I used to always say that a horse...

I'm often asked what my PhD project is about and what a research project in equine training and welfare looks like.

My project is a survey designed to collect data on how we manage and train our horses and how these practices affect behaviour.

If you'd like to learn more about the project and...

People often say to me, "you're so patient" but I'm really not any more patient than anyone else and I've always been so interested in the differences between how individual horses learn that finding the right approach for each one has been a fascination.

I was reading a book about Tom Roberts...

As we discussed in the previous post, not all horses absorb information in the same way or at the same speed and it's our job, as trainers (and, yes, you're a trainer if you are interacting with your horse) to make sure that the horse's learning experiences are, not only not stressful but also...

I'm lucky enough to be starting two horses under saddle right now and each morning I go out, to the field next to the house, and work with them.

One is a Friesian gelding, the other a Quarter Horse X Thoroughbred (yes, perhaps a topic for another discussion...).

They couldn't be more different -...

I just wanted to pop in today and say a huge thank you to the Kandoo Equine Online Community.

Every morning, the first thing I do is answer comments and questions on the blog, website and email and, I must say, it fills me with gratitude for each of you and the Kandoo community as a whole.

This...

The final training principle tells us to use minimal levels of arousal when training. Of course, we need to horse to be sufficiently aroused and engaged in the lesson but not so emotional as to be afraid.

A frightened horse is not learning (well, probably not anything we want it to know). A bored...