#learning to clicker train your horse

[rival-the-rose]

Ok I wanna be a lil bit of a smug dick for a second.

So I started leasing this horse in July, I didn't meet her owner for several weeks but a mutual friend showed me out to the barn. The horse was easy to catch but not stoked to see us, but every time I went out she got more and more friendly and will now even walk up to me in the paddock instead of making me walk all the way to her.

Fast forward a few weeks tho and I went out with her owner and she RAN AWAY from us in the field! She really clearly did not like her owner (who seems fine but treats her like a toy poodle rather than a horse with autonomy) and was standoffish the whole time she was there.

The horse does have a habit of bolting right when you take off her halter which I've been working on, and last week she really didn't seem to want me to leave at all 🩵 she came up to the gate after I closed it and nickered for more scritches 🩵

And everyone at the barn keeps telling me how much happier she seems now I'm riding her, like an actual difference in her daily attitude, and being shocked at how affectionate she is with me, and how much she's learned since I started working with her... It's really sweet how much everyone cares about her even though she's not theirs.

What's wild is that I've only even been clicker training her for two weeks, all of these changes were happening before I started giving her snacks all the time and I also know that her mom gives her treats all the time. Turns out respecting a horse's body language, petting "consensually", and training in a consistent and predictable way does more for your relationship than just infinite cookies!

[painterontheblood]

dog training: Charging the Clicker

Instructions

Have the clicker in one hand—either behind your back, wrapped in a scarf, or deep in a pocket. Some dogs are startled by the sharp sound of the clicker at first. Muffle the sound until you see how your dog reacts to it. Click! the click er and pop a treat into your dog’s mouth. He may look at the ground—some dogs think the click! is the sound of something dropping on the floor. If he doesn’t appear frightened by the sound, repeat the click! and treat several times. Then bring the clicker out from behind your back or from your pocket or scarf and continue with clicks and treats.

Every click! gets a treat. You will know that your dog is “getting it” when his eyes light up at the sound of the clicker—he knows a treat is coming! This can take anywhere from a half-dozen to a couple of dozen repetitions. You won’t be asking your dog to do anything to earn these clicks and treats—they are freebies. You do want to be sure, however, that he isn’t doing a behavior you don’t want to reinforce, such as jumping up. If he does jump, wait until he has all four on the floor, then click! and treat.

My dog is afraid of the clicker. If your dog is afraid of the clicker, you can do one of two things. You can use a different reward marker—a softer clicker, the click of a ballpoint pen, a mouth click, a finger snap, or a verbal marker such as “Yes!” Or you can desensitize your dog to the clicker by muffling the sound, either by wrapping it in soft cloth or by putting short strips of adhesive tape over the dot on the underside of the clicker box. The more strips you put on, the more the sound will be muffled. Keep putting strips on until you find the level of sound that doesn’t frighten him, and work with it at this level until he decides that the clicker is wonderful.

Then, very gradually over a period of several weeks, remove one strip at a time until the clicker is working at full sound. If at anytime your dog appears frightened again, you have removed strips too quickly. Replace several strips and keep working. The muffled clicker works well with many dogs, but not all. If yours finds even the muffled clicker to be aversive rather than rewarding, switch to a different marker before he makes a negative association with the whole training game.

My dog isn’t interested in eating the treats. You may need to use better treats or work in a location with fewer distractions. If you free-feed your dog (keep food in his bowl all the time), try feeding him regular meals instead. Then be sure to schedule his training sessions prior to mealtime—not after.

My dog is too interested in the treats—my fingers are bleeding. With some young puppies, you can yelp, saying “Ouch!” or “Yipe!” in a high-pitched voice. Then go away for a minute or two. This mimics what a puppy’s litter mates would do if he bit them too hard in play. Be sure to leave your puppy in a puppy-proofed place.

If that doesn’t work, or if you are dealing with an older dog, you can toss the treats on the floor or spit them from your mouth, instead of feeding them from your hand. Or feed the dog like you would feed a horse, from the palm of your hand instead of from your fingers. Still another alternative is to use a food tube, available from camping supply outlets. Find a treat that is soft enough to easily squeeze through the tube opening. Use this to deliver treats, and your dog’s teeth come nowhere near your fingers! The food tube doesn’t, however, teach your dog to be soft with his mouth—an important skill for him to learn.

To get your dog to be softer with his mouth, put the treats in your closed fist and let him gnaw at your hand, only opening your hand to give him the treat when his bite softens. You can gradually reward only for softer and softer bites, until he learns not to put his teeth on your hand at all. Say “Gentle” when his bite softens, not before. If he’s really a shark, do this with gloves on and use a low-value treat until he learns to be gentle. You can also use metal finger splints to protect your fingers from your dog’s shark bite. Most dogs don’t much care for the feel or taste of metal in their mouths.

--Pat Miller en "The power of positive dog training"

[freenewsreport]

National Dog Survey 2024: Unleashing the Stats, Facts, and Furry Insights!

Dog lovers, listen up!  The National Dog Survey 2024 is here, and it's tail- waggingly exciting! Whether you're a seasoned dog owner or dreaming about adopting your first fur baby, this survey reveals eye-opening trends, favorite breeds, quirky behaviors, and even what makes our furry friends happiest. So, what’s new in the canine world for 2024? Let's dig into the details and see what our four-legged pals are up to this year. Ready to uncover some pawsome facts?

What Is the National Dog Survey 2024?

You might be wondering, “What’s the big deal about the National Dog Survey 2024?” Well, it's the ultimate annual report that tracks the evolving relationship between humans and their beloved canines. The survey gathers data from thousands of dog owners nationwide, capturing everything from breed preferences to the latest trends in dog care.

Why Should Dog Owners Care?

If you’re a proud dog parent, this survey gives you a peek into what others in the dog community are up to. Are you ahead of the curve, or is there something new you can learn? From dog food choices to popular training methods, the National Dog Survey 2024 dishes out all the canine info you need to keep your pup happy and healthy.

Top Dog Breeds of 2024: Who’s Leading the Pack?

Every year, the survey highlights the most popular dog breeds, and 2024 is no different! If you're thinking of adopting a new best friend, these breeds are stealing the spotlight:

Labrador Retrievers – These classic companions never go out of style!

French Bulldogs – Compact, cute, and full of personality.

Golden Retrievers – Friendly, loyal, and always ready for playtime.

German Shepherds – Intelligent and protective, perfect for active families.

Dachshunds – Small size, big heart!

Are any of these breeds on your radar? 🤔

Rising Stars in the Canine World

But hold your horses! Some lesser-known breeds are gaining attention in the National Dog Survey 2024. Dogs like the Cavapoo, a delightful mix of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle, are stealing hearts with their hypoallergenic coats and affectionate nature. You might want to keep an eye on these rising stars if you're considering bringing a new pup home.

Doggie Diet Trends: What’s in the Bowl?

Just like human food trends, dog diets are evolving, too. The National Dog Survey 2024 uncovered some interesting tidbits on how pet parents are feeding their dogs. From raw diets to grain-free kibble, it’s clear that owners are paying more attention to what goes into their dogs' bowls.

Raw Diets: More owners are opting for raw, unprocessed food, aiming to mimic what dogs would naturally eat in the wild. Sounds primal, right?

Organic Options: Organic dog food is booming, as owners are becoming more cautious about preservatives and artificial additives.

Plant-Based Diets: Believe it or not, there’s a growing trend of plant-based dog diets. Some argue it’s better for the environment and can even benefit certain dog health conditions.

But Is It Right for Your Dog?

Choosing the best diet for your furry friend can feel like a balancing act. So, if you’re scratching your head, remember to consult your vet! The National Dog Survey 2024 reminds us that while trends come and go, your dog’s individual needs should always be the top priority.

Training Techniques: From Classic to Cutting Edge

The way we train our dogs has come a long way from simple sit-and-stay commands. The National Dog Survey 2024 shines a light on the most effective and popular training techniques of the year.

Positive Reinforcement: Still the gold standard, rewarding good behavior with treats, toys, or affection is the go-to for most owners.

Clicker Training: This technique uses a small device to make a clicking sound, marking the exact moment your dog does something right. It’s all about timing!

Balanced Training: A blend of positive reinforcement with corrections when necessary—though some dog experts still debate its merits.

Curious about whether your training methods are in line with the trends? 🐶

The Well-Being of Our Canine Companions

When it comes to keeping our dogs happy, it’s not all about food and toys (though they certainly help!). The National Dog Survey 2024 revealed that mental and emotional well-being is taking center stage in 2024. Owners are increasingly mindful of their dogs' stress levels, anxiety, and overall happiness.

How Can You Boost Your Dog’s Mood?

Daily Walks: Unsurprisingly, daily walks topped the list as the best way to keep a dog’s tail wagging. Fresh air, new smells, and a little exercise go a long way.

Mental Stimulation: Puzzle toys, treat dispensers, and obedience training keep your dog's brain engaged and sharp. Bored dogs are unhappy dogs!

Companionship: Dogs are pack animals, and they thrive on human interaction. Whether it's playtime, cuddles, or just hanging out, your dog wants to be around you.

Surprising Findings: Dogs and Social Media

In this digital age, it’s not just humans who are becoming social media stars—dogs are, too! The National Dog Survey 2024 found that a surprising number of dogs have their own social media accounts, with many even surpassing their owners in followers. Imagine that!

Does Your Dog Have an Instagram?

Instagram-famous dogs are often decked out in stylish outfits, showing off their tricks, or simply being their adorable selves. And let's be honest, who doesn’t love a daily dose of cute dog content?

The Future of the National Dog Survey

What does the future hold for the National Dog Survey? With technology advancing, we may see even more innovative ways to care for and connect with our furry companions. From pet-friendly smart homes to AI-powered dog toys, the possibilities are endless! But one thing’s for sure: our bond with dogs will only grow stronger with each passing year.

Conclusion

The National Dog Survey 2024 offers more than just cute facts and figures—it gives us an in-depth look into the evolving world of dog ownership. Whether it’s picking the right breed, choosing the healthiest food, or keeping your dog happy and well-trained, this year’s survey is packed with insights for every dog lover. So, what have you learned from the latest canine trends? Maybe it's time to treat your dog to something new or share their antics on Instagram. After all, they deserve it!

[huntmark]

Clicker Training: What it is and How to do it?

Clicker training is a positive reinforcement-based training method that has become increasingly popular among pet owners and animal trainers. This method involves using a clicker, a small handheld device that makes a distinctive clicking sound, to mark desirable behavior in animals. Clicker training can be used to teach a wide range of behaviors, from basic obedience commands to complex tricks and even some advanced behaviors such as agility and sports training.

What is Clicker Training?

Clicker training is based on the principles of operant conditioning, which involves using rewards and punishments to modify behavior. Unlike traditional training methods that rely on punishment or negative reinforcement to correct undesirable behavior, clicker training uses positive reinforcement to encourage desired behavior.

In clicker training, the clicker is used as a signal to let the animal know that they have done something correctly. The sound of the clicker is associated with a treat or reward, which reinforces the behavior and encourages the animal to repeat it.

How to Do Clicker Training?

Clicker training can be used to teach a wide range of behaviors to any kind of animal, including gundogs, cats, horses, birds, and even some exotic animals. Here are the basic steps to start clicker training your pet:

Get a Clicker and Treats

To start clicker training, you will need a clicker and some treats that your pet likes. You can buy clickers at most pet stores or online. Choose small, soft treats that your pet can easily swallow and digest.

Get Your Pet's Attention

Before you start training, make sure your pet is in a calm and focused state. Call your pet's name or use a treat to get their attention.

Mark and Reward Good Behavior

The key to clicker training is to mark and reward good behavior immediately. Click the clicker at the exact moment your pet does something good, and then give them a treat. This will help your pet associate the sound of the clicker with the reward.

Repeat and Build Up

Repeat the process several times, gradually building up the behavior you want your pet to learn. For example, if you are teaching your dog to sit, start by clicking and rewarding them for simply looking at you, then for standing still, then for putting their weight on their back legs, and finally for sitting.

Add Verbal Commands

Once your pet has learned the behavior, you can add a verbal command to signal the behavior. For example, say "sit" just before your dog sits down, and then click and reward them. Eventually, your pet will learn to associate the verbal command with the behavior, and you can phase out the clicker.

Practice Regularly

To reinforce the behavior, practice regularly with your pet. Make sure to keep training sessions short and fun, and always end on a positive note. With regular practice, your pet will learn the behavior and be able to perform it on command.

Benefits of Clicker Training

Clicker training is a gentle, positive, and effective method of training that can be used to teach a wide range of behaviors to any kind of animal. It has several benefits over traditional training methods, including:

Builds Trust and Bond

Clicker training builds trust and strengthens the bond between you and your pet. By using positive reinforcement, you are rewarding your pet for good behavior rather than punishing them for bad behavior, which creates a more positive and enjoyable training experience.

Increases Focus and Attention

Clicker training helps to increase your pet's focus and attention, as they learn to associate the sound of the clicker with a reward. This can be particularly helpful for pets who are easily distracted or have difficulty concentrating.

Encourages Creativity

Clicker training encourages creativity and problem-solving, as you and your pet work together

[horsesarecreatures]

Hi ok so this may be a stupid question bc I know maybe like a whole two things about horses but how similar/different is clicker training in horses compared to like dogs?

Oh great question! I'm just going to speak from my own personal experience rather than generally because I haven't clicker trained many animals that aren't my own and have only read like a book per animal on the subject, but I would say horses are far more likely to get overwhelmed or frustrated during clicker training sessions if they don't understand something. I've found that it's really important to keep sessions short with them, especially in the beginning, because if they don't understand something or feel like they are not being awarded quickly enough for their efforts they will put their ears back and might nip or try to grab the treat. With dogs, the sessions should still be kept short because they learn better that way, but I’ve never had a terrible consequence for starting with 20 minutes as opposed to 10 minutes when working with them.

If my dogs don't understand something, they might get fidgety and break their focus by spinning or yapping at me. But their tails will always still be wagging. I don't think I've ever clicker trained a dog and had the dog get upset. But with horses, especially when I was starting out and just assumed that they would love it, I've actually gotten some very explosive reactions. For example, when I was teaching my old horse Chip to do some stuff at liberty like back up, I got an angry rear once when I delayed rewarding because he had gotten the basic concept and I wanted him to do it a bit faster. It's very, very important to make the sessions short with horses and quit while you're ahead. Here is a link to one of sdequus' videos where she was doing liberty work with her colt; she does a great job of explaining how to keep their energy level low. Sometimes you have to quit training whatever you intended to teach them for the session and just reward them for exhibiting relaxed behavior when they're prone to getting overexcited or frustrated.

With dogs, the first thing you do with clicker training is get them to make eye contact with you then reward. But with horses, the first thing you teach them is not to mug treats from you and respect your space, because most will become pushy and even dangerous if you skip this step.

I would say horses are also more likely than dogs not to be food motivated, and you may have to find some other way to reward them like massage.

I tend to research the best way to train a particular trick with horses a lot more than I do with dogs because with dogs I’ve always gotten away with winging it while with horses I haven’t.  

[faereth]

List of Ideas for 1st class triggers and suggestions in Hypno-play because I keep forgetting a lot of ideas.

Trigger :

-Visual trigger

Seeing an animal

Seeing a person

Seeing a color

Seeing a number

Seeing a vehicle (train, boat, plane)

Seeing a specific object

Seeing a hypno-themed object (pendulum, spiral, shiny object, light pen, metronome)

Seeing someone hypnotized / hypnotize

Seeing someone naked / clothed

Seeing themselves through a mirror or a camera

Seeing a body part

Specific movement (- eyes : wink, blink, circle, fixation

- lips : biting lip, licking chops

- breasts : groping, swaying, bouncing

- hands & fingers : a lot of things

- hips : swaying

- ass : groping, wiggling, swaying, bouncing

- feet : swaying)

Seeing someone dancing

Seeing a certain piece of clothing

Seeing someone in costume (firefighter, magician, tuxedo, clown, military, waiter(tress), swimsuit, gymclothes)

Watching a movie or a specific scene / TV show / anime

Seeing a painting

Being on a website

Specific ways of writing (formating, using spaces, ..., ~,

using

lign

return,

using bold / italic / CAPITAL, msseing wtih the odrer of the ltetres)

brackets [ ]

double brackets [[ ]]

quotation mark " "

Seeing a date on the calendar

Having an alarm on the phone

-Auditory trigger

Hearing someone's voice

Hearing someone singing

Hearing a good joke

Hearing a bad joke

Hearing a certain topic (weather, date, video games, chess, traveling, work

Hearing an instrument

Hearing a specific music

Hearing a specific sound (bell, cowbell, ringtone, tone, metronome, snap, clicker)

Hearing an animal 'speak' (bark, meow, growl, roar, purr, moo, howl, neigh)

Hearing a movie line

Hearing nicknames (sweety, honey, babe, love, beautiful, sunshine)

Hearing hypno-words and sentences (good boy / girl / toy / doll / puppet / thrall, sleep, drop, sink, deep, blank, empty, pause, play, freeze, unfreeze, obey)

wake up, up up !

-Kinesthetic trigger

Feeling cold / hot

Wearing a specific accessorry (glasses, cloth, headphones, collar, kilt, head cover (hat, cap, wig, top hat, beret) plug, dildo, ring, gloves)

Using an accessorry (ray gun, finger gun, TV remote, dial, ball, jar, glowing ball, rope, mirror, screen, feather, chest, key, pillow, ice, water)

Taking the bus or subway (perhaps fractionation with each stop (but careful with your belongings))

Spanking

Brushing hair

Brushing skin

Kiss (on the body, on the lips)

Eating specific food / drinking specific liquid

Blowing their nose

Yawning

Sucking / licking on something

Thinking of specific memory

Taking a shower

Going to sleep / waking up

Smelling a flower / a perfume

Feeling a taste

Being naked or in underwear

Suggestions

-Wholesome

Eat less / more / healthier

Spend less / be less miser

Less procrastination

Be more productive

Be happier / at peace

Smile

Laugh

Better sleep schedule

Exercice

Learn the thing you want to learn for so long

Suppress / tame bad habits, reinforce good habits

Less swear words

Be kinder / less naïve

Control their own emotions

Be an awesome person

Be an awesomer person

Be loved and cared

Feel pretty

-Recreational

Act like an animal (chicken, puppy, cat, snake, cow, sloth, horse, pig, bee, dinosaur, Pokemon)

Be an animal (act and think)

Shout or say something random and crazy ("The monkeys ate my bread !")

Say something embarrassing ("I love penis")

Can't stop telling the truth

Can't stop lying

Wanting to high-five

Positive and negative hallucinations

Feel a taste / spiciness / sweetness / sourness

Feel hot / cold

Body / body part (usually hands or eyes) heavy / light / impossible to lift / impossible to put down

Body part (usually hands) having a mind on their own

Feel an unsatisfying itch

Roleplay and changes of behavior (Won the lottery, become the hypnotist, a movie star, a dancer / professional dancer, stripteaser, soldier, clown, mime, TV journalist, newcaster, cartoon villain, child behavior, teen behavior, Scooby-Doo)

Speak with an accent

Mirror the hypnotist's movements

Body / body part bound

Body / body part frozen

Body and mind freeze / time stops

Constantly walking / talking / moving / touching / chewing / sucking / licking

Everything is the funniest / least funny thing ever

Write something

Forget a number, name, person, situation, location, concept (how to dress up, how to tie shoelaces, how to speak)

Only able to say yes / no

Only able to make one word / short sentences

Feel what you watch / read (movies or books)

Be blank for 5 seconds and resume as if nothing has happened

Boomerang trigger / suggestion (the subject tries to trigger the hypnotist but it boomerang back and stuns them)

Be jealous / possessive

Losing on purpose every game they play

Mindlessly pose

Be very ticklish

Drooling and / or unable to close mouth

Snore

Intelligence is reduced / increased

Focus is reduced / increased

Can't speak their native language (usually English)

No sound comes from their mouth

-Erotic & sexual

Experience arousal

Experience sexual pleasure

Experience an orgasm

Undress / dress

Be attracted to someone or something

Masturbate / urge to masturbate

Edge / urge to edge

Impossible to explode / explode without permission

Urge to have sex

For men : Be limp, be erect

For women : Be wet, play with nipples / breasts

-Control

Think of a person

Call the hypnotist by a nickname (Sir, Miss, Master, Mistress, Chief, chef, Lord Farquad, Optimus Prime)

The hypnotist's words are their thoughts

Unable to think

Feel pleasure

Write an email / a post on social medias

Transformation (doll, fuckdoll, slave, puppet, robot, tree, object)

Urge to satisfy the needs of the hypnotist

Urge to obey the hypnotist

Repeat a mantra in their head or out loud

Kneel

-Flavours

Aware / unaware

Able / unable to resist the suggestion

Wanting / not wanting (with consent. always.)

Resisting / not resisting / resistance fading

Forget / remember the trigger or/and the suggestion

Believing they were / were not hypnotized or given the suggestion

Thinking the suggestion was their idea

Dial from 0 to 10 to control the intensity of the suggestion

Sources and inspirations : BigTriggerList (3) by Leeallure

Suggestions List by Lex

Lydia Salia's stories

It is my current view on hypno-play from what I've experienced and what I can think of. I chose not to follow exactly the already existing lists even if the methodology and content are great, in order to bring a different point of view to hypno-play. Perhaps it is too reducing to simple concepts and actions that one can fit together. It is made to help people try complex things from these basic ideas and tools.

Feel free to suggest some !

[enbeemagical]

Any hc about our sparkly elf, Aaravos?

If not him, Runaan and Ethari?

OHHHH YES

OH YES INDEEDY

you see, I rp Aaravos, which means he likes to talk in my head even when I would rather he shut up so I can go to sleep. And he has Lots Of Opinions. Occasionally I learn things he’d rather I not know, and that’s where I build from.

okay! Headcanons!!

Due to his experiences, Aaravos doesn’t just hate Avizandum, he’s actually dracophobic. 

He’s aroallo-- aromantic and allosexual (pan, usually). (I’m not entirely certain if I show that well in my rp, since Aaravos is so different from me. We’re both arospec, so that probably helps, but he’s allo and I’m ace and the blog is SFW, so idk anything lmao)

Yeah, Aaravos is good at flirting, but it’s never anything serious, you know? Flirting =/= attraction, and in fact flirting = no attraction. He’ll flirt with anything and anyone, but when he flusters and doesn’t quite know what to say, when he cuts the nicknames and teasing? That’s when you know he’s fallen.

Nicknames are just how he talks. He doesn’t bother remembering names unless they’re important to him. He’s sort of like Diana Wynne Jones’s Chrestomanci/Christopher Chant in that, except instead of calling Mr. Baslam “Mr. Bislow” he’d call him “dark mage.” He’ll use nicknames anytime on anyone, but name-names are only for people he respects/cares about. So he might call the dragon king “Avizandum,” because as much as he hates him, Avizandum imprisoned him, and  Aaravos can’t help but respect the power it took to imprison him, an Archmage. (I still haven’t convinced him to call Amaya by her name, even though he says he respects her. Wait a sec--)

Revised nickname headcanon: He uses names when he feels close to someone. Not just respect, though that has something to do with it. Names aren’t something he takes lightly. 

Okay, this got long, so there are two dozen more headcanons under the cut. They’re just in the order I thought of them, so they kind of jump around a bit, sorry. Angst and fluff.

Aaravos is basically a faerie. Not fairy like Tinkerbell; faerie like the high fae, like Oberon, Titania, and Puck. He’s extremely powerful, ethereally beautiful (though not all fae are), and he’s very careful with his wording.

Either Aaravos can lie and simply doesn’t, or he cannot lie and doesn’t want that to be known. (I choose to ignore the option of “he was lying when he said he never lies” because that hurts my brain.) “I’m not lying. I never lie.” Never, not cannot, which. Details, details.

He was betrayed. He ended up in the mirror because he was betrayed. They drugged him to seal away his magic so Avizandum could imprison him. I have several scenes of this in my head, but @alls-fair-in-pride-and-prejudice and I are using this is TSATS so I don’t want to give too much more away.

Ziard was Aaravos’s apprentice. They were kind of like Halt and Will in Ranger’s Apprentice. Only they invented dark magic together and Halt and Will didn’t use magic.

Dark magic causes nightmares until you learn it, if you don’t have training. Aaravos’s nightmares? The other Startouch elves leaving.

He’s afraid of being alone. He used to like it, spending hours and days and weeks alone with his books quite happily. But after he literally could not interact with anyone for three hundred years, he’d break if he had to be alone again.

He actually did break during those centuries. Multiple times. Screaming, crying, throwing things, trying to break things, windows, the mirror, anything. Even himself.

They’re antlers, not horns. Horns are one point, you get one (1) set for life, like adult teeth. Antlers have branches, and you get a new set every year. Aaravos... has feelings about this. 

Startouch elves spoke like a Shakespeare play. This one’s kind of silly, and entirely based around the line, “Yes, it’s well appointed, but make no mistake, this has been my prison these past few centuries!” and me thinking that “well appointed” sounded very Shakespearean and he could just as well have said “Yes, it’s quite nice, but make no mistake” etcetera (and a bit that I keep wanting to write “thou” when writing him lately). Anyway. Moving on.

Aaravos is a good animal trainer. He’s got the patience for it, and he’s smart. He’s probably trained lots of animals, of many different species. Clicker training, probably; definitely primarily positive reinforcement.

The horse? Is not a horse. It’s a couch. (I only go in for this one because I love the image of Aaravos jumping around on his couch like a little kid, draping himself all over the room. Funnily enough, how he rides is entirely plausible, given that I’m not even drinking age and I can ride my horse very similarly to how Aaravos rides. He’s millennia older than me; he could absolutely ride like that.)

Aaravos killed Queen Aditi and Queen Luna Tenebris. That’s a big reason why he was imprisoned. Yeah, the dark magic was part of it, but Ziard lived 1,000 years ago and Aaravos was only imprisoned 300 years ago. Either he managed to evade the authorities for 700 years, or something else was the tipping point. Maybe a bit of both.

Aaravos has killed a lot of people, for various reasons. Sometimes for revenge (I’d like to think Aditi killed Ziard, which is why Aaravos went after her), sometimes just for being in his way (he discarded the poor Sunfire priest way too casually).

If he really cares about someone, he will kill for them? Die for them? Nah, not really, he’d have to be absolutely crazily stupid with love for that. Kill for them? Absolutely, any day.

Oh and he does the murderously protective thing where he’s like, “Oh, and if anyone hurts you do let me know. I will be happy to talk to them about that. 💖🔪😇 ”

He doesn’t like children. Like, there are a few he cares about, but by and large he’s like “children? ugh, no, yuck.”

He doesn’t fall in love easily, but when he does, he is in love. Period, fullstop.

For all his flirting and teasing, he knows how to respect no. I mean. Look at Xadia’s culture. Being queer is a total nonissue, women are actually treated as equal to men. Sure, it’s not perfect, but it’s hella better than here. Aaravos grew up in Xadia. He’s gonna respect people as people. Will he flirt insanely with everyone, whether they’re into him or not? Yeah. If he talks, he flirts. Will he make a move on someone who doesn’t want him to? No.

He loves cats. Need I say more?

He didn’t get any kind of trial, no chance to defend himself, to tell his side of the story. He was just betrayed and imprisoned.

Aaravos’s arrogance and vanity is a cover over some major self-esteem issues. Maybe he didn’t always have those, but during his imprisonment there were times he believed that he deserved it. That he was a monster, a soulless demon (like they said he was), and he didn’t deserve freedom. That he had no heart, that all he could do was hurt people, and anytime he tried to help he only ended up hurting more. Destruction and tragedy was all he could bring. He’d try not to believe that, forcing himself to remember good things he’d done, telling himself over and over again that he can help people he’s not a monster he’s not-- and he just. can’t. because he’s tried to help, yes, he saved Elarion and he killed for those he loved, but he killed, and not always to protect, and he even enjoyed it. He knows he’s done bad things, but he enjoyed them. Maybe he did deserve to be put in here, alone. Because if he deserved it, maybe when he’s suffered enough to atone he can be free, but if he was truly unjustly imprisoned then there will be no freedom. And this doesn’t make sense, and he knows it’s illogical, so he pulls on a mask of pride and confidence, hoping ‘fake it til you make it’ will work eventually, but underneath. Aaravos. Is. Broken.

Aaravos likes humans in general more than elves in general. They tend to be less judgey at him and they look up to him. Nice ego boost there, the admiration.

He also likes animals, especially now. They don’t judge him based on any criteria a human, elf, or dragon might use. They just care how he personally treats them specifically, and he’s good to them so they love him. They don’t ask anything more of him than that, no relentless demands on his time, and they can just happily coexist in companionable silence. Humans tend to be less good at that.

His favorite fiction books are romance novels. He does like the different ones, the cliche-benders that turn tropes on their heads, but sometimes there’s nothing like curling up with a cheesy, predictable, well-loved story and a cup of hot chocolate.

So, anon, this live up to your expectations?

[madrivervalleyicelandics]

Seeking 2021 intern(s)

Hi, everyone!

I’ve been holding off on making this post until I was 100% sure what I could offer this year. Covid has had things a little up in the air and last year I was unable to host one of the interns we had been excited to work with due to travel restrictions and other unexpected changes of circumstance, so I did not want that to happen again!

This year we are able to host interns for spring and summer, holding off on planning for Fall for the moment.

This position includes a fair amount of saddle time - You can expect to ride more than one horse per day.

Normally I encourage my interns to compete - this year that is less certain because of Covid. There may be opportunities for virtual Icelandic sport shows, we may be able to do some competitive distance riding, we will just have to see how that all shakes out. Regardless, you will be riding regularly, even if competitions don’t happen this year.

Previous experience with Icelandic horses is not necessary. I will teach you how to ride the gaits 😉

The position also involves a couple of hours of barn chores per day.

You’ll be able to learn about how we apply clicker training, classical dressage, conditioning on the roads and trails for distance fitness, breeding (as it will be our first year standing our new stallion!), hoofcare, and our natural horsecare management style.

We can provide housing off-property this year, so it is best for you to have your own vehicle. Also, we are only able to host folks who are 18+.

We work hard to make this a supportive and fun environment, and we’ve had a solid track record with all of our previous interns staying closely in touch, coming back to visit, and coming back to work with us again. If you get in touch and are interested in coming to work with us, I’ll give you a list of their contact info so you can reach out to those who have worked with us previously to see if this would be a good fit for you.

Reach out to me via email at madrivervalleyicelandics@gmail.com and I can answer your questions!

Jess

[suffering-and-happy-about-it]

Favored Ones, Part 2. (Joel Miller x Fem!reader)

Description: When you spend every evening with someone who's deeply under your skin, a certain relationship can be developed. So it's crushing for Joel when Y/N suddenly disappears. But there's way more to the relationship that one would've guessed.

A/N: AM I STARTING TO FALL FOR THIS FIC? OMG STOP ME? SEND HELP.

Warnings: Ain’t much, but it is honest work.

Word count: 2.1 K

Tagging: @nemodoren @xxgoldenhour @missdictatorme​ 

If you like this story, please, more parts can be found here! :): H E R E

Six months prior events of the hunt, April 2038:

You never thought of an ideal man or that ideal life, having some children of your own or whatever. You never thought of that American dream, if you want to address it like that. The new American dream, most likely the global dream when you think about it, was to survive all of the bullshit that keeps coming.

But sometimes, you start to be curious about someone without you even noticing your behavior. You try to have much longer eye contact with them, laughing at those pretty dumb jokes and sayings they used. You tried to be in their presence every time you possibly could.

Sometimes it gets pretty crazy as you start to understand your behavior and your feelings - and the worse it actually is when you feel soft for is a complete moron.

And so, that's how your terrible crush on Joel Miller, local old jackass, started.

You could exactly name the year, month, day and hour when he and his daughter of some sort, now your best friend Ellie, came into your life. The first time you saw him, you thought to yourself that he is just a typical cynical old moron - and that you had already enough of these in your town.

Something moved inside of you when you took Sadie for a short walk around Jackson - and he was sitting on the terrace, smiling at Ellie and playing a slow song on some old guitar the others gave him.

Ellie just sat there, curled into a tight ball with a bar of beer in her hand, as soon as she saw you, she jumped on her feet and joined you on your walk - that was a year ago. And since that, you watched his face intensely during every tactical meeting about visiting a city, you smirked when he said something which was ironical and whenever there was an option to go out with his little kindergarten, you were there on your horse with your knife behind your belt. 

Did he even know who you were except that you were going out to the forests with him? Oh, dear, that is a story worth telling.

Joel didn't let you know, but he remembered your face really well - you were, of course, Y/N, Ellie’s' loudest and most impulsive friend she had until that day. You were a pain in his ass every time he was scheduled to go out with you. No matter how good you were with a knife (and let me say that you saved his ass a few times when Clicker was about to crack his head up), you still acted like an annoying little brat. 

He would never say that he hates you, no. But he would never say that he likes you. You just existed by his side in the city he was living in, that was all that he cared about. 

And you were sure that the feelings will disappear sooner or later, it was just a dumb guy and that situation was ridiculous. But as January and February passed away, nothing changed. 

So there you were, sitting next to Sadie in the grass, eating an apple, chatting with Ellie and watching after Joel’s kindergarten of the young people he was teaching about surviving. There were a few boys around sixteen, which was almost ten years younger than you, who were just dicks. 

The only thing they were doing there was trying to get your attention because you were indeed an interesting girl, and to annoy the old man. You were there to enjoy the feeling of freedom and nature around you.

“And what about Y/N?” - One boy turned his face to look at you. They were talking about bows, how to catch the chord the best way, the angles of shooting and the power needed. They completely threw you off rails, because you sat next to Ellie in the back, talking about how much you are looking forward to the sweet potatoes which should be ready to be reaped next month. 

“I bet she could show us some of that bow shooting, couldn't she?” - Another one said and you felt on your tongue as you wanted to tell them to shut the fuck up. 

“Leave her be. She cant shoot from a bow. But if you will shut your mouth and watch, maybe you'll be able to shoot yourself, son.” - Joel mumbled in his deep voice, not even looking up to you. 

Your cheeks went red as you furrowed at that man. What a rude jackass move. Yeah, maybe you weren’t able to shoot from a bow, nobody had ever taught you how to, but you were a fucking psycho with a knife. And Joel knew it. 

“Jesus Christ, fuck him. That wasn't polite to me at all.” - You said to Ellie when you rode on Sadie’s back at the end of your small caravan. - “And I should be practically bowing in front of that guy? Fuck that too.” - You spoke fast and quietly so Joel couldn’t understand you. 

“Come on, baby. You know that Joel didn’t mean that you’re not good enough. You know he’s not good with his words.” - Ellie rolled her eyes to the back of her head, only laughing at your situation.

“Maybe. But this is the third time something like that happened - and third time’s the charm. I will need someone who will teach me, how to shoot from a bow.” - You rose your eyebrows. That was the most devilish plan ever. - “And then I will have a competition with Joel. We will see who is the worse one.” 

“Good luck then. The only people who can shoot from a bow is me, Joel and Jesse.” - Ellie looking behind her and chuckled again. - “Like... More people can do something with a bow, but I would definitely not call that shooting.” 

Well, fuck you then. You couldn’t stand when Jesse was trying to teach you something because he spoke to you like you were fucking five - so every time he started with THAT tone of his voice, you were ready to explode. Ellie could teach you some things, maybe, but she would make a pure comedy out of that. Your tummy would constantly hurt from laughter. So the only rational option at the moment was Joel. 

And you didn't fucking know if that’s the worst thing that could happen or if it is the best thing ever. You couldn’t but smile at the thought of Joel teaching you how to shoot, so the student could overcome its professor in the end.

So you were trying to raise the courage in you for the next two days and let me say that it wasn’t anything easy. Only after a shot of vodka which Jesse had hidden under his bed you could just come up to Joel’s door and knock on it. Ellie wasn’t at home that day - you were about to meet up with her that evening to have a watch on the city’s walls.

Right now, she went for her newly sewed, repaired pants to Mrs. Jefferson to the end of the town, which should take her something about half an hour. Enough time for you to ask Joel the information needed.

“What the hell are you doing at my doorstep?” - Joel asked even before he opened the door and watched you down with a silent stare. - “Something happened? You won’t make it in the next session in the forest?” - He was asking you, but he only did that for decency’s sake; he did not care at all.

“No, I was thinking about the bows.” - You said in the same tone of voice. You were staring each other down like the looks could kill. This was clearly competition for you - and you didn't mean to lose. You had to show Joel that you weren’t weak at all. 

“Oh. The bows.” - Joel furrowed you like you were a fucking psycho. He was fucking lost when it came to you - your run of thoughts was a mystery to Joel. - “What about the bows? What’s wrong with them?”

Damn, you two were acting like children. You spoke in weird sentences and you felt like nothing was making too much sense when you spoke with Joel. 

“I can’t shoot from it. That’s what’s wrong with them.” 

“Oh. Okay. Why should I care?” - Joel raised his eyebrows. You nodded and raised your eyebrows, making a thoughtful face at him. 

“You should care because I need a teacher.”  - That was when you smiled at him. You didn't drink so often, so the vodka made you hella loose. Maybe it was way more than one shot, you didn't have a single idea how stupid are you going to behave. So far so good, you thought to yourself.

“So that is what you came here to tell me?” - Joel hugged the doorframe with one of his huge palms and looked you in the face. - “I should find you a teacher? Girl, I think that you’re a bit confused because I’m hella sure that finding you a teacher isn’t my job at all.” 

“Oh, I did not mean that you should find me someone who will be teaching me, hot to shoot an arrow.” - You giggled and shoved a trickle of your hair behind your each. - “I want you to be my teacher.” - That’s what made Joel sincerely laugh.

You silently prepared yourself for Joel saying you to fuck off. He was so close to it, yet it seemed that you really are into learning about bows. 

“Yeah. Fine. Tomorrow, seven in the morning, the gates. Be there on time, young blood.” - Joel smiled and closed the door, leaving you there. But you started to smile when you realized that you will have scheduled alone time with Joel himself. Even though he was a total asshole at times, it made your day. 

The next morning, you were there even ten minutes sooner - and Joel came ten minutes later. He just let you sit there for twenty minutes. Motherfucker. Maybe he hoped that you will change your mind - but you had your goals set straight.

You could see that he’s still a bit sleepy, but his beard was cut short again - it was there, but it was way shorter. People with crushes notice such bullshits, that’s normal, don’t worry. 

“I got a present for you.” - Joel said in a cold, raspy voice and you excitedly opened your eyes. - “It ain't much, but at least it’s something.” 

With that, he gave you a completely normal, training bow. Everybody always only borrowed them, but he was giving you one of your own. - “But if you will not take the training seriously, I will take it away from you.” 

With that, you just left Jackson. He took you on nearby training grounds - the first day you ever tried it was terrible. You basically didn't shoot once from that bad boy - arrows just fell down from your palms and Joel knew that he’s going to need a lot of patience with you.

The first weeks were not that enjoyable as well - he had such a jackass rude commentary to your actions and you just tried to murder him with your stares, still thinking that he is sexy as fucking hell.

But one day, the fall was just about to start, it somehow broke down and you started to joke around. Your skills were getting better faster and faster - soon enough, you could shoot from fairly far away and you didn’t miss most of the time, which made Joel enjoy your lessons even more. 

As another month passed, he decided that it is the right time to start hunting with you in the forest. These ones were moving, but you adjust over time. And sometimes, you even hunted something down - like a squirrel, a hare or a rabbit. 

You weren't that bad after all - he pretty much liked talking to you most of the time. And even if you were sometimes loud and impulsive, you could be smart when the situation needed it. But you weren't exactly his most favorite person on the planet still. 

And you were slowly realizing that this surreal crush isn’t going away anytime soon because you made it just worse for your own fucking sake.

[deadinsidedressage]

What is wrong with clicker training?

It’s something that’s really difficult to enact correctly, safely, and productively with horses. Effectively training horses is reliant on being fair, clear, and consistent. For many people, the way they implement the method often generally lacks 2 of those 3 things. If you just parse it down purely to classic conditioning (Pavlov rings bell until dog drools because of bell ringing) versus operant conditioning (Say you see Pavlov’s dog drooling so THEN you ring a bell), it’s just a really blurry line for someone not very well-experienced in animal behavioral science and deeply educated in whatever the ins & outs of theory/methodology they’re then trying to train the horse in.

With horses, timing is everything and beyond that consistency is even more valuable. Building on behaviors is hard enough with an animal you can’t just talk to. That’s why for the majority of training horses a new concept there’s a refinement of cues, not an addition of behavior to cues.

 Ex. fairly common practice for many people training horses the difference in w/t/c under-saddle will originally use vocal cues with physical ones; then they remove the vocal aid and just use the physical, and dependent on how far horse & rider go as a combo the physical cue becomes a lot less “loud”.With the clicker training method though, there’s a lot of raising the stakes in stead of removing the stakes (that’s a bad analogy, but don’t think about it too hard). There’s a reliance on the horse being able to divine without confusion the building of behaviors based on the same stimuli. Whereas the “common” practice isn’t to change what’s being asked for, but to go from “shouting” the ask to “whispering” the ask. De-escalation of cue versus escalation of expectation. You often end up with a lot of reward for incorrect “correct” behavior by someone who is still learning what they’re actually wanting from their horse. Say the horse is being trained for dressage--- maybe this person is implementing clicker + reward for the horse curling their neck in on the lunge because they think that’s indicative of correct usage of the topline. However, if the horse is still on the forehand, or merely tightening and not using their back... well, the horse is being rewarded and conditioned for a “desired” behavior that’s incorrect. Sure, you can make a claim that plenty of people who are working with their horses in a non-clicker training atmosphere tend to do the same thing at points but the difference in a classic usage of +/-R training is that it’s a lot easier and less confusing for the horse to have corrections made to incorrect training. Again, let’s say the horse was incorrectly rewarded for a long time by someone who thinks a horse working on the bit and collected is a horse “in-frame” with a pulled in and curled neck. In a +/-R training situation you have when re-training to having the horse correctly work into the bit is to ask for the desired thing (most simply put ever: leg added into a stable rein). If the horse does it correctly, there’s praise. If the horse does it incorrectly, there’s a correction, a new ask, and praise once it is done correctly.There is a way to train with aversions or corrections when doing clicker training--- but as it stands in the at-large-condemned-with-being-bad-at-it internet community that’s not their understanding of how to clicker training. Purely +R with horses is difficult. Purely +R while RIDING the horse is difficult. Purely +R while riding the horse & using a clicker is... I’m just going to come out and say it--- fucking impossible to ever accomplish much with. 

Going back to this theoretical dressage clicker trained horse who has been conditioned to do something incorrect--- when the rider recognizes their folly because they’ve gained more education about what they’re really looking for but isn’t going to adjust their methods; what do you get? You get repetition of a stimulus without reward and a horse who is unsure as to why the fuck they’re not getting rewarded even though they’re doing the same thing they’ve always done to earn that cookie. It’s frustrating for the horse. Sure, say the horse does the thing incorrectly 9 times in a row and doesn’t get the reward but on the 10th time the horse suddenly divines from the stars what they’ve been doing incorrectly (because again, this is a poor application of the method in which no correction is being applied) and does the thing right, earns the reward, and... then what? While not scientifically based, the sort of running wisdom I’ve always heard is that for every one time your horse does something wrong, it’ll take seven times of doing it correctly for the correction to stick. So in this usage where there is no correction, just attempts at rewarding a “correct” behavior you’re still not really ingraining what you’re asking for if you’re creating a scenario that enables the horse to continually do the thing you’re not asking of them. 

It’s not that it isn’t something that can be useful, well-done, or shit even kind of fun but rather that it is something that can very, very easily be poorly adapted by someone who doesn’t know exactly what they’re doing. The same of course can be said for any training style--- poor horsemanship is poor horsemanship regardless of it being based on +R, -R, or the more thing most people are actually doing +/-R. I’ve dealt with the ramifications of a horse with very grossly misapplied +R only training and it was frustrating for me and deeply unfair to the horse. I’ve also seen in person a lot of horses who’re giving a behavior they’ve been taught under clicker training but in a way that’s dangerous “out of context” (horses taught to rear on the ground with a clicker rearing under saddle, horses taught to strike objects striking out at horses/people/things). Plus, there’s just a lot of really bad clicker training all over social media. Plenty of horses out there being lead into dangerous (for the rider) situations purely because of an aversion to any form of -R and effectively being ruined. 

[phoenixfire-thewizardgoddess]

we’ve had foster pupper harvey for like, a week, and so far:

-i have endured more dog spit than three humans should ever deal with, i am lubricated enough to become a giant slug at all times

-covered in the bruises and scratches one associates with very stressed, hostile cats seeing the giant barking baby for the first time he couldn’t get to them, there’s an aviary door, but apparently that doesn’t mean they can’t lose their shit and climb you like a tree... three separate times

-has somehow wiggled his giant fucking body through the dog fence, in what family has referred to as ‘the closest thing you’ll ever see to birth, head first, one shoulder, the other and he slides on out’, which is a phrase i never wanted to hear... 

-just fucking took off like a racecar after the nearest wallabies once outside the fence, requiring everyone to fucking run through ass-deep grass squeaking toys in order to find him, he thought it was HILARIOUS... sibling caught him eventually

-once caught, offered pure Passive Resistance by flopping to the ground and requiring himself to be half-carried, half-dragged back up the hill to home, then had a massive nap after his cuts and scratches were dealt with

-has adopted a not-so-helpful stalking walk when he sights a cat, thinks this will make him less spooky so he can talk to them... does not work; still not allowed near them

-can no longer go out into the yard without someone with him, has to go out on a lunge lead, specially bought in a huge hurry from local horse store... 

-refuses to do certain bathroom activities whilst on the lunge lead, waits until no one is looking, has gone through an obscene amount of puppy pads in the last few days... literally, 110 pack, 5 left...

had to buy more. like, they’re $25 for a big pack (puppy pads are just blueys, like in hospitals, let’s be real) so some of us are very poor

-cannot be allowed to be alone in the house... will eat literally anything.  fucking ANYTHING, has chewed no less than three shaving razors to shreds, somehow avoiding causing any damage to his mouth??? also took out several dolls, a pumice stone, a plate, and several mad magazines... he’s a whirlwind

-has a cute little dance he doesw when excited, even when sitting his two front legs seem to tap out this pattern that always makes me think if the opening notes to Africa by toto

-still jumps up all the time, working on ‘down’, he gets it mostly. sometimes thwarts the rule by jumping up on the wall or nearby furniture, and falling back, into your arms. like some romance novel damsel in distress... who licks your face. lmao.

-have had to order a bunch of specialised items to work with him... so what we know about him after observing his behaviours over the last week is: -definitely ~8months, just very large -was a christmas puppy, who was originally very loved and always playing! -got too big, had no training or manners or boundaries -was clearly left outside, chained in a backyard for a significant length of time -his reactions when dealing with other animals, with people and how he responds on a lead have informed this analysis. whoever threw this boy away failed him, but at least he won’t spend his life tied up in a backyard desperate for love.

+he’ll need a ‘halti’ or however you say it. Special harness that allows you to control a large, powerful dog without having your arm wrenched from its socket... +getting a clicker, to reinforce training (has ‘sit’ and ‘down’ and ‘come’; about half the time. his emergency carers taught him ‘sit’ in a week, and we’re following on with more intense work) +special teeth-cleaning treat ball... for one, he’s a smart boy who would love a treat ball, but also it’ll be a good challenge + good for his mouth. +slow-feeder bowl. Harvey eats like the offspring of a vacuum cleaner and a leafblower, desperate and exploding it everywhere. He is under the impression it will disappear if he doesn’t get it immediately... (Harvey requires puppy food, but given how small the puppy food kibbles are, and how he eats at current, we have to give him regular optimum, just because the kibbles are larger... also they absorb water a little easier, which is how we slow his feeding down at current)

+a screaming chicken toy, he loves anything that squeaks, and will come immediately 

+stronger dog seatbelt

we already had a bed, bowl, blanket, handful of toys, harness, collar, etc. waiting for him, but it tends to amass to more once we meet the new doggos, and learn their specific needs.

-he is desexed, so that’s one less thing to worry about. 

-he is not currently adoptable, and likw Willow before him, will be with us for some time, just to learn how to calm down and accept affection without being so anxious. he’s a lovely boy, who is also a little shit, but we love him.

-he’s going to get bigger. Harvey has no fucking clue how big he is, or that suddenly licking someone up the leg/on the butt is not ‘cute’ and rather ‘sweet motherfucking christ what was that?!’  but he’s only 8 months and we think he’ll grow larger soon enough. he was a surprise when we got him/we were told ‘puppy’ and got a 26kg animal who could put his front paws on your shoulders and lick you on the forehead

-likes to chew on electrical cords, has given me a heart attack more than once

-can crawl through or over any barrier, #demon

-likes to fall asleep with his head on your feet/resting against your ankle, or with a paw touching you. very affectionate.

-can be supremely frustrating, but then, so are kids

-has to be reassured when put in bed/crate for night, or in the bathroom (bc it’s easier than trying to move another dog outside with him free)

-ww’ll have to create a run and reinforce the fences before he can run free

-has been known to pull clothes off the line, for fun. doesn’t ruin them, just... takes them off. has no concept of ‘games’. will chase a thrown ball, but does not think to retrieve it. willow had the same issue, she learned to play when socialised with the other dogs living in the household, but he’s not ready for that yet. soon.

-loves all the other dogs 100% does not understand jumping on them (esp. blind foster doggo Debbie) does not gain their love (he is pure puppy, no training, no manners, nothing but continuous frantic need for approval... working on calming him down, he has done really well since arriving, able to sit and have little naps, and one-on-one training/affection)

-he will be the perfect addition to a family soon enough, he’s soft and loving, very energetic, playful and fun. just needs to stabilise, grow reassured that he doesn’t need to be so desperate for affection and anxious, and learn to sit/stay/play. etc.

it’s been a big week and money should grow on trees, gdi

[thequeerblackequestrian]

Hey, so, I have a question that you may or may not be able to answer. I’m in college rn but I’ve been riding since I was about five and I’d love someday to be able to own a horse, train it myself, etc. unfortunately, though I can ride, my only experience with clicker training etc is what I’ve seen on horseblr so my question is: where do y’all learn this stuff? Are there barns that offer lessons, or maybe colleges that do the same? Thanks for your time and I love your blog!

Yo I learned all this shit online, mostly tumblr tbh. It’s just about finding resources; studies, articles, blog posts, etc. and digesting objectively. Literature is also great, but costs money so I prefer reliable internet sources. I definitely recommend watching a lot of different approaches so you can truly understand why you decide to use the methods you use. (If you don’t know why x causes y, there’s too much room for harmful error and you need to do more homework). I’d be happy to answer any questions, and there’s a few other blogs that I’ll tag that are good resources.

@themotherfuckingclickerkid @clickerpunk @clickercake @theclassicalhorse and @mooseings has great non-horsey-but-sometimes-horsey stuff.

[horsblr]

I have an orphaned horse I have raised since he was five days old. He is now around ten and mouthy as hell. Advice on how to get him to knock it off?

[I know a horse from this exact same situation and behavior “issues”]

Ignoring the behavior is important, as well as teaching him the appropriate times to express it. Foals are always mouthy, it’s how they explore the world. Usually, they learn to tone it down from their mother and other horses that tell them to Knock That Shit Off. 

THIS DOESN’T MEAN YOU GET TO BEAT YOUR LIL PONY UP

If he’s ten and still mouthy, chances are he’ll always have that little quirk, but you can help him restrain it during human interactions. 

1) Keep him stimulated. He may appreciate different chew toys in his stall/paddock. Large ropes with knots (make sure to periodically cut off fraying ends) hanging from the ceiling, milk jugs with or without rocks or treats, other free hanging treat toys, jolly ball, etc. Large dog toys that you can tie with twine to free hang are great (and you know they’ll be safe to be in his mouth). 

Giving him outlets to express his mouthiness will help him feel less needy to do it with his hoomans. A lack of activity/stimulation is an easy way to aggravate the mouthiness. 

2) Teach him appropriate times/levels to express the behavior. If his “mouthiness” resembles that of mutual grooming, he might just want some social interaction. Orphan horses can be shit at hanging out with others, and I’ve seen one royally piss off every mare AND gelding he ever met (give or take about ten minutes, usually). 

You can just as easily help them fulfill their lil need to be a good Social Being. When grooming, scratching, etc allow him to groom back to an extent. The minute he gets too mouthy, walk away. The absence of your presence helps him figure out “oh, hoomans like nose wiggles and licks not teeth I guess they don’t want to shed or get rid of a scratch what stupid creatures.” 

I’m being anthropomorphic as shit but you get the idea. Be consistent and you’ll help him catch onto the wanted behavior. 

3) Clicker training, the holy grail. The very first lesson in clicker training is to teach anti-mugging behavior, which is exactly what you want from him. No head near you = no chance to get mouthy. There’s plenty of resources online and here ( @themotherfuckingclickerkid, @clickerhorse, @clickerpunk, etc) but the basic idea is you reward him when he keeps his head in his space and waits for you to deliver the treat. 

[madrivervalleyicelandics]

Summer / fall plans?

I spent some time last night hammering out the 2020 competition schedule and it is going to be.... very full. Now that we are competing in distance rides as well there is something almost every weekend from June through October 🙈

If anyone is interested in coming to work with us, we will be offering internship positions again. Summer as usual, but also we will definitely be looking for another Fall intern, especially as that was such a positive experience this past Autumn. It’s likely that we will have more than one intern this summer, whereas the fall intern would probably be working more solo.

I make sure that interns get to ride every day, barring weird circumstances like thunderstorms. Beyond that, a lot of what the day-to-day looks like is dependent on what we have in for training at the moment, what the competition schedule looks like, and who else is around. For example, if I’m starting young horses under saddle, you’ll learn a lot about clicker training. If I’m working with horses that are rehabbing old physical issues or injuries, you’ll see more of the classical dressage exercises and bodywork we use for rehab. Etc.

I can pretty much guarantee that you will learn more about:

- biologically appropriate equine husbandry / “natural horsecare”

- hoofcare, including trimming, composite shoes, glue, etc., and using these tools to improve / modify conformation or balance issues to improve soundness and longevity

- training using the French classical system and clicker training

- conditioning for distance riding

Ideally the best match would be over 18 and able to drive, and in my opinion it’s a big plus if you have your own car - no problem if you don’t, but it just gives you a lot more freedom and I think that’s a very good thing when you’re working in close quarters with people for an extended period of time.

If you are interested or curious at all, just get in touch and we can chat about what it all looks like and see if it would be a good fit. I’ll be honest with you if I don’t think it will be a good match, and I can put you in touch with a bunch of previous interns as well and you can pick their brains.

You can email me at madrivervalleyicelandics@gmail.com or direct message our Facebook business page, those are probably the best ways to reach me.

[sandra-hippologic]

Deworming Rita the (still) Unapproachable Mule

Husbandry skills with an unapproachable mule: training for deworming

Rita, the Unapproachable Mule that I’m working with in the Donkey Refuge is making progress! I still can’t approach her so close that I can touch her, but she comes pretty close to me now. Husbandry skill: deworming The herd she’s in (all donkeys, she’s the only mule) needed their deworming done. Rita hasn’t been dewormed in 6 years because there is NO WAY you can approach her. They have tried…

[freddie-dressage]

name 10 of your fave (or the cutest) horses on horsblr and your top ten fave blogs challenge

I almost forgot about this in my box oops!

Well here we go, in no particular order my 10 fave horsblr horses

1.) @theclassicalhorse ‘s bubs, how could you not love that droopy lip??

2.) @themotherfuckingclickerkid Zeke he is grumpy and perfect

3.) ^ Toto as well because who doesn’t like dinosaurs?

4.) @sdequus Milo, cute, spunky, chestnut. what’s not to love?

5.) ^ and Archie, he’s already made such amazing progress coming off the track. he’s such a good baby!

6.) @myfairjoy Joy, another cute, spunky chestnut. love love love seeing her pop up on my insta and watching her upper level dressage progress

7.) ^ Apple! who doesn’t love a little spotted pony!?!

8.) @thequeerblackequestrian (wont let me tag :( ) new baby Bijou. really excited to see this babies progress, she’s adorable.

9.) @equiviance  Boomer, he’s got such a cute face and he does reining! which is very cool!

10.) @dreamsofdressage ‘s Rue, he’s an adorable baby! how could i not include him?!

now the second part, which im not really sure if its suppose to just be horseblr blogs or any blog but i’ll stick with horses for the sake of theme.

again, no order (wont tag who’s already tagged)

1.) themotherfuckingclickerkid, incredibly helpful info on tack and clicker training. probably single handedly changed me over to trying more +R with horses and dogs.

2.) theclassicalhorse, again really great info on clicker training. really fun to watch their in-hand work, inspired me to maybe try that one day.

3.) sdequus, a really positive person despite the crap from people they have to put up with. Love her gentleness when working with young horses and also ability to ride like 5 million horses in one day?? like damn i was winded after one half lap of canter on our barns track tf

4.) myfairjoy, i see a lot of her on insta and her tags kill every time, very funny very positive, very hardworking! definitely inspired me to take time to just be with my horse and enjoy our progress together.

5.) thequeerblackequestrian, another person for +R again im super excited to see their new babies progress and how it’ll go as far as building a foundation with +R. also im in love with their hair color and it lowkey makes me want to dye my hair again

6.) @clickerhorse they’re doing scent training with one of their horses which is super cool to watch and learn about and definitely never something i would’ve thought to ever experiment with

7.) @horsblr lil’ drama n discourse never hurt anybody

8.) @donnerhall-darling I feel like i know so much and yet so little about soccer/football after following them. also keeps my dash full of art and ponies which i greatly appreciate

9.) @dreamsofdressage love seeing Rue progress and turn into such a nice young horse produced with a lot of care and happy training.

10.) @mievzar posts a lot of art which keeps my dash from over flowing with constant horsey stuff. great taste in said art, much appreciated