Category Archives: Behavior

Baby season is upon us, so I thought a post about the mare-foal bond would be suitable. The first thing we need to understand about the relationship between a mare...

Recognizing signs of stress in our horses is important for both their welfare and our safety. Unfortunately, this can be a tricky task, because their behavior doesn’t always match their...

Question: What areas of horse behavior would you personally like to see studied to a greater extent and why? Renate Larssen: I am personally very excited about the prospect of...

Intrinsic motivation is an ongoing discussion within the horse training community, particularly among positive reinforcement-based trainers. The idea that horses can experience intrinsic motivations and flow states similar to humans...

You’ve probably heard the phrases: “she’s just being moody,” “that’s classic mare behavior,” “you caught her on one of those days.” They’re typically used to explain unwanted behaviors in mares,...

Question: I read in one of your interviews that horses don’t have the capacity to show off. But they do have a capacity for fear. Can you talk a little...

Question: Top riders often say they can feel when a horse “tries” extra hard for them in a class (i.e. puts in extra effort to jump clear at a wide...

What makes a good leader? Traditionally, leadership in horses has been understood as a function of dominance, embodied in the myth of the “lead mare”: the highest-ranking individual in a...

Question: I know a horse that I would typically call brave. The mare is excellent at horse shows, on roads, in parades, and most other settings. However, she is petrified...

More than a hundred horses have died in international eventing competitions in the last two decades, according to a compilation by Horse Sport NZ. Many more have been injured. Horses frequently crash...

Last week, we posted a 45-second video of Karl Cook talking about his 5* Grand Prix winning mount Kalinka van’t Zorgvleit. Maybe you saw it on TikTok, Facebook or Instagram....

A friend told me about an experience she shared with a lanky six-year-old Holsteiner. The story is enlightening, surprising and perhaps a little sad but has stuck with me for...

Most equestrians have suffered through an incessantly pawing horse in the crossties. Frustration often gets the best of us and it can be tempting to resort to scolding, yanking on...

Understanding a few basics about horse type helps you connect the temperament traits your horse displays most frequently to how he might respond to circumstances. This can help you make...

Look, your horse is a terror. He kicks the walls, bangs on his door, and paws incessantly in the cross ties. If you so much as hold out your hand...

You have exactly one hour to groom, saddle, and ride your horse before you need to get back to other life duties. Only when you call your horse up from...

If there is one simple change to your horsey routine that doesn’t get mentioned much but would really make your farrier’s (actually, everyone’s) life easier, it would be these three...

When I first moved to Texas, my dog, Jackson, was behaving strangely a few hours after going to a dog park, so I took him to see the vet. No...

"I wish my horse could just tell me what the problem is!" Have you ever uttered this phrase? If so, you’re not alone. So many times, we wish our horses...