more freedom * more joy * more horse
Montaro (2-year-old Belgian/Fjord stallion) works off his energy while Zorra (Andalusian mare) grazes in the yard. Canter, trot, poles, cornering, Montaro does it all! All at liberty, all of his own free will… JiniJini Patel Thompson is a natural healthRead more
Those of you who read this blog, know that we often talk about our conversations with our horses. If you’d like to experience more of this with your own horse, then world-renowned animal communicator, Anna Breytenbach is a great teacherRead more
Two days after arriving from the rescue farm, Montaro is settling in well and very connected and responsive. We have also been for a walk outside of the fences on the lead line, exploring the house, garden, woods, cars, kidsRead more
So I’m in the paddock with my Andalusian horse Zorra and it’s a beautiful sunny day. She’s all brushed and nicely clean, so I hop on. And she pretty much immediately asks me to get off I say, “Are youRead more
Many people talk about their horse going lame as being an unexpected gift; one that forced them to stop doing things to and with their horse, and experience just being with their horse instead. The interconnectedness of LIFE, the stateRead more
Did you know that unless you live in the Southern USA, or some other hot, sunny locale, your horse is likely Vitamin D deficient! Yes, just like humans, horses can only make Vitamin D from the sun. Or they canRead more
Most natural horsemanship advocates use a flag (or a swinging rope) to apply pressure to the horse, and this pressure is applied at varying levels of intensity. When the horse does what you want, the pressure is removed – that’sRead more
The other pony (Syrup) who is in with my horse Zorra, used to be a bully. My daughter Zara is free leasing him from his owner, Cheri, and every other free lease he’s been on has returned him within 3Read more
I walked into the dining room at the oceanfront resort in Akumal, Mexico and my brother’s girlfriend rushed over, gave me a big hug and said, “Jini, I found your horse!” “Whaaaat???” Justine proceeded to tell me about a friendRead more
My soulmate horse, Zorra, arrived from New Jersey two months ago. I have yet to sit on her back. Why? Well, first I’ve been getting her chiropractic treatments, then we’ve been healing emotional traumas from past experiences using EFT tappingRead more
When I first saw this story on Facebook, I traced it back to Andy Andrews site: This may be a first… A couple from Montana were out riding on the range, he with his rifle and she (fortunately) with herRead more
I’m pretty sure Klaus Hempfling is also a martial artist – you can tell by the way he uses his BODY in conjunction with energy. In fact, let me google that right now and then report back… okay, so heRead more
In my work as Horse Specialist in a local equine therapy program, I see transformation, both momentary and life-changing, in every client. The more I watch, the more I’m convinced that simply being in the presence of horses is healing,Read more
I’m glad somebody out there is willing to pose the awkward questions. Julie Taylor writes for Epona.tv, and clearly outlines how and why we may be objectifying our horses, both consciously and unconsciously. From Part 1: “…objectification as in ”meantRead more
I have always been curious about this particular phenomenon: when training virtually any animal other than the horse, our first instinct is to use positive reinforcement (that is, in the most vague of explanations, to reward desired behaviour by addingRead more
Monty Roberts is famed for popularizing the method he copyrighted “Join-Up”, a method by which a human trainer can take a horse, often frightened, wild or aggressive, and have them following them quietly and submissively in a relatively short periodRead more
The following is, basically, the thesis of my current direction with horses. I thought I’d have to go and write it myself, but luckily Andy Beck, founder of the White Horse Equine Ethology Project, long ago saved me the effort!Read more
Recent research challenges our current perception of wild horse herd dynamics; though rankings and hierarchies are still apparent, the understanding that a lead mare determines the movement of a group may be up for questioning. If true, some of ourRead more
A properly fitted saddle, it probably goes without saying, is absolutely necessary for the comfort and mobility of your ridden horse. This video illustrates many of the considerations required whenRead more
While intelligence can be a subjective concept, studies on types of intelligence or learning can nonetheless help us understand how another thinks or experiences the world. “Social learning” is the ability to learn a task or behaviour by watching someoneRead more
Here’s a stellar five-minute daily stretching routine to keep your horse limber and balanced. I like to incorporate these stretches quietly into the flow of grooming, and my horses have come toRead more
As someone who’s written internationally bestselling books on natural healing methods for Inflammatory Bowel Disease – and I have an entire book just on probiotics – I come to the topic of probiotic supplementation with a bit more specialized knowledgeRead more
We’ve got a two-week trip to Mexico coming up and my biggest concern is making sure my horse, two cats and guinea pig are looked after well while we’re away. But taking care of my animals while I’m away, doesn’tRead more
Those of you who have read any of Linda Kohanov’s books, like Riding Between the Worlds: Expanding Our Potential Through the Way of the Horse or Margrit Coates’ Connecting With Horses will already be familiar with various methods used toRead more
Want to learn more about your favourite animal? Here’s my suggestion: learn from the masters themselves. The Cloud series, aired on PBS’ Nature program, is a detailed and breathtaking account of theRead more
Singer-songwriter-guitarist Mike Beck has two obvious passions: music, and horses. To this, I can certainly relate! In fact, his website, mikebeck.com, is aptly titled “Mike Beck Music and Horses”. As a performing artist and working cowboy, he can’t seem toRead more
Linda Guanti from Yoga With Horses shows us how to perform a few simple stretches to relax our horses and keep them a bit more limber! Tip: The easiest one to start with is the tail/spine stretch. As long asRead more
Okay, so here we go with the serendipity of the Universe – LOVE IT!! I’m working with a gorgeous horse, Fire – the picture here is of my daughter leading him. But when you take this purebred Arabian horse toRead more
Great advice from veteran Canadian horse trainer, Daryl Gibb, at a Wild colt-breaking clinic I attended at Silver Star Stables in BC, Canada. Daryl shares stories from his career, of various horse problems and how they were solved, and fromRead more
