Listening to your horse means being able to read what he’s saying through his body language. Horses express fear, joy, confidence, anxiety, confusion and frustration through movements and actions – when you watch for these behavioural signs and respond to them, you start to open up the conversation between you and your horse. Even though […]
Horses Saying “Yes” and “No” – How to Read Your Horse’s Emotions Read More »
Today I’m talking about willies and training… If you have a horse who drops, you’ll know what I’m talking about! If not, you can probably skip this one 🙂 However, it is about emotions and over-arousal so it’s also relevant if you have a horse who gets: > Over-excited > Grabby > Too focused on
Why Do Some Horses Drop Their Penis in Training? Read More »
BLOG OF THE YEAR To finish off 2016, we’re all looking back at the year and choosing our favourite CT blog to watch again! I’ve chosen Rachel’s video about the SEEKING system – the emotional system in the brain which we trigger when training our horses. I really enjoyed the whole series on the emotional brain
Blog of the Year – Emotions and Training Read More »
This video concludes the series exploring Panksepp’s emotional brain systems in horses. These brain systems are found in all mammals and are at the core of how we understand and train our horses. The systems are: SEEKING, CARE, PLAY, FEAR, PANIC, RAGE and LUST. To view the whole series from the start click HERE. You
Panksepp’s Emotional Systems in Horses: Conclusion Read More »
The job of the LUST System is pretty obvious; it drives animals to mate and reproduce. But what does it mean for our domestic horses? And what does it mean for us in terms of training? If you’ve ever dealt with the variability of a hormonal mare or trained a stallion to be calm and
Getting It On! – 7. The LUST System Read More »
Horses are naturally peaceable animals in the wild. So why do we see so many aggressive behaviours in domesticity? In this video, I explore many facets of the RAGE system – does dominance exist in the brain? Why do horses resource-guard? What elements of the RAGE system are triggered through training? The wonderful clips in
From Frustration to Fury – 6. The RAGE System Read More »
So far, I’ve looked at the feel-good brain systems of SEEKING, CARE and PLAY. Now it’s time to delve into the more aversive brain systems, starting with FEAR. Horses, as flight animals, have strong FEAR systems. This comes out in training as anxiety, spooking, bolting and more. So, what’s actually going on and how can
Run For it! – 4. The FEAR System Read More »
In this video, I look at the PLAY system, what play is to horses and how you can use it in your training sessions to make your training more effective and joyful for both of you. This builds on the SEEKING and CARE systems covered in previous videos. You can watch all the videos in
Having Fun – 3. The PLAY System Read More »
This video is all about understanding what goes on in the brain when your horse is building relationships, both with you and his pasture mates. How can you use this to strengthen your connection and build your relationship together? Watch this video to find out… (If you haven’t watched the first in this series, yet,
Making Connections – 2. The CARE System Read More »
Ever wondered how your horse’s emotions affect your training? In this video, Rachel explains what makes horses curious, enthusiastic and happy to learn. This is the first in a series of 7 in which Rachel will explore the full range of your horse’s core emotions. Find out how a great emotional connection is the key
The Way Horses Feel: 1. Living the Good Life – The SEEKING System Read More »
In a previous blog I developed the traditional behavioural consequences model (aka the “learning quadrant”) to include my ideas of how Panksepp’s emotional systems may be considered in that framework. In this blog I want to take this further to look at the next consideration: arousal and threshold. Arousal levels have a massive effect on
The New Emotional Learning Quadrant: Adding in Arousal Read More »
Did you see this good article, Positive Reinforcement: Where Does It Fit in Equine Training? about learning theory and horsemanship (with great comments on our own Shawna)? I particularly like the graphic that Henderson used to illustrate the four quadrants of operant conditioning: The Original Learning Quadrant This is often known as the “learning quadrant”
The Emotional Learning Quadrant Read More »
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