Tips for Backing a Smooth Circle by Marilyn Pineda A couple of gals recently brought their horses to the trail course at Fire Mountain. Bonnie had been here previously as a participant in the Obstacle Challenge Play Day we held in October, but was still interested in listening in … Read More
How to Deal with the Unexpected by Daniel Stewart The way we respond to delays, mistakes, missed opportunities and unexpected changes is called our challenge response and how we react to them often determines how successful we’ll be. While we can’t always plan for these challenges, we can certainly … Read More
Regaining Confidence After a Fall by Daniel Stewart Christina asks: “I had a pretty bad fall recently and I can’t stop thinking about it. Is there anything I can do to get my confidence back?” This is one of the most common questions I receive and chances are … Read More
How Horses Helped Heal a Catastrophic Brain Injury by Mauri Clarke and Christine Fitzgerald In January 2011, Talbot Clarke was enjoying her sophomore year at Santa Clara University in California when life changed in an instant. The 20-year-old was struck by a car and thrown more than 30 … Read More
How to Tell if Your Horse’s Coughing is Normal by Eleanor Blazer Coughing is a symptom. It can be caused by something as trivial as a little dust or as serious as an underlying medical condition. Regardless of the cause, a coughing horse stops time. Activity ceases as … Read More
The Importance of Perfect Timing by Marilyn Pineda You’ve heard the phrase, “timing is everything!” One of my students, Cecelia Hagland, had a great illustration of timing recently with her gelding, Waylon. They had been having wonderful experiences developing a foundation of communication together when everything golden suddenly turned … Read More
Two Things that Set Great Trainer’s Apart by Don Blazer, Horse Courses Online Some trainers are simply gifted athletes with a natural feel for a horse. Some are great communicators. Still others just have a flare for presentation and showmanship. There are okay trainers and good trainers, but certain … Read More
Dealing with Distractions by Daniel Stewart Losing focus is one of the most common mental challenges you can face. The average time an untrained mind can remain focused on a specific task is as little as 5 seconds so learning to improve your concentration is well worth the effort … Read More
Why You Shouldn’t Feed Your Horse Like a Cow by Eleanor Blazer It’s a common rural sight: horses and cattle pastured together and serenely grazing. Sharing grass may be fine, but what about grain? The goal when feeding cattle is to maximize rate of gain and keep … Read More
Steady Your Horse’s Emotions with Calm Energy by Marilyn Pineda, Fire Mountain Trail Course I recently went out on a trail ride with one of my visitors here at Fire Mountain Trail Course and we stopped for a rest in the shade by the creek on our … Read More
