If you’ve heard of positive reinforcement (also called R+ or clicker training), you might associate it with tricks, liberty work, or building trust on the ground.
And while it does support all of those things— its true power lies in how it supports the whole horse, especially in physical therapy and movement work.
Read MoreYou love your horse. You want to keep them healthy, moving well, and feeling their best. But when something’s off—maybe they're stiff, short-striding, or just “not quite right”—where do you turn?
That’s where equine physical therapy comes in. But what is physical therapy for horses? And how does it compare to other modalities like massage or chiropractic?
Let’s break it down.
Read MoreIf you’ve ever watched your horse move and thought,
“Something’s just a little… off,”
you’re not alone.
Maybe they’re not lame, but they’ve started resisting the saddle.
Or they pin their ears during grooming, or just don’t seem quite like themselves anymore.
You check the tack. You rest them. You second-guess everything.
And still—something doesn’t feel right.
Read MoreHow can I tell if the back is lifting or core is engaging when I'm riding?
Or when I'm looking at horses being ridden and there's a saddle in the way?
This is a very common question and it's an important question! So I'm glad you asked :)
There are two really clear things you can look for that I've marked in these photos.
Read MoreIf you’re anything like me….
You have a list a mile long of unstarted or half-finished online courses.
It was the next thing guaranteed to change your life, but now its just sitting there…
As both a seller and avid consumer of online education I’ve thought about this a lot.
Read MoreLet’s talk timing for a moment -
Do I click when she touches my hand?
or do I click for the step?
The answer is BOTH because it really depends on what you’re trying to achieve.
This, my friends, is the beauty and the art side of R+ training.
Read MoreI’ve been sitting on something BIG for a while….
And the time has finally come to say it out loud.
I’ve spent a lot of time asking myself - how can I help people at a distance while facilitating *real change* in my clients?
When I talk to you guys some big things come up over and over again…
You want to feel confident that you can pick up on subtle lamenesses, soreness, or unbalanced movement EARLY...
It’s been the month of stiff low backs so I figured it’s time for a little movement analysis before and after to help train your eyes!
This little mare is a really great example because of her dorsal stripe! It makes it really easy to see what’s going on.
Read MoreCalling All Barrel Racers
Meet your new best friends!
Together we’ve created Next Level Barrel Racing, a 12-week online program designed to teach you everything you need to know to optimize your performance in the arena and keep your horses sound for years to come!
Read MoreI originally wrote this post for our crew over at Next Level Barrel Racing but I thought it might be useful to the masses, too!
I preach a lot about teaching the horse to move with his head down - withers height or lower is usually my recommendation. This helps the horse naturally activate the “right” muscles - the ones that create the type of supportive spine we can sit on without damaging the horse over time.
And the question I got was:
When does the head come back up? Nose in the dirt won’t work for a race.
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