Caring Cadence Horse Services

02/20/2022

Tina Mincy

05/22/2021

12/18/2020

Why is my mustang calm when I'm standing on the left side and jumpy when I'm standing on the right side??? 🤔

Horses learn unilaterally.... Meaning they have to learn everything twice, once on each side of their body. Basically, they do not generalize learning that happens in one eye is also true in the other. We have to teach them twice.... Once in the left eye and once on the right.

This is why a horse may only mount from one one side... because they haven't been taught on both sides. When applied to mustangs. A horse can be gentled on the left side and not on the right. In which case we have to spend extra time on the weak side to help them "catch up."

12/10/2020

Amen!

With illuminating insights and fascinating stories, The Journey On Podcast is a conversation about the horse training jounrey and life experiences of Warwick and guests.

12/05/2020

Hahaha horse riding is really relaxing activity :D
credits: shatequestrians

11/29/2020

Un peu de poésie :)

11/29/2020

Pretty much sums it up!

11/22/2020

💖💪💖

10/24/2020

So something special happened today... Sky was a rockstar! Many thanks to Cadence Manno for her help (and her repeatedly saying..I don’t like you doing this lol” and our fabulous videographer and photographer Emma Love

10/23/2020

Throwback Thursday but hecka relevant.

10/21/2020

10/20/2020

She's thrilled I tell ya. Such an exciting time for her 🤣

10/20/2020

She is always so OFFENDED when we introduce her to new stuff. I can just imagine her sitting in the pasture tonight telling Wrangler, "Then they put these stupid boots on my legs. Why? No idea! So dumb! The stuff I put up with 🤣"

10/10/2020

This is for the Mustang family.

Two days ago, someone brought me two semi feral kittens. They will be introduced to the cat colony at the feedlot once they have been spayed and vaccinated. I am keeping them at my house for now until their surgery on Tuesday and I figured I would try to tame them down a little to make this process easier for them. They are coming around really fast thanks to Churu, a sqeeuzeable cat treat, and a feather wand cat toy.

While working with them, I started thinking that mustangs are no different than kittens.

And some people will laugh or roll their eyes, but it's true.

Wild is wild. Feline or equine. And the science of learning works just the same regardless of species. Regardless of whether the species is predator or prey.

If I chased these kittens around the room until they stood and faced me and allowed me to touch them or threw a slip leash around their neck and forced them to stand still, I would be condemned as an animal abuser and rightfully so.

How could I traumatize an animal like that who is already so frightened?

It would be wrong.

And how much sense would it make to frighten these cats while trying to win their trust?

So, I use food and toys to show them that being close to me is a good thing. And we all agree that is a much more humane way.

But in some twisted way, traumatizing a wild horse in the ways I have described is generally accepted. When they are dripping with sweat, sides heaving to drag in huge lungfuls of air, eyes white with fear, trembling and wanting to run, but knowing that won't get them anywhere, and finally let us approach and brush a finger down their nose, we've had a breakthrough. How amazing. When they hit the end of that rope and it cinches down around their neck, causing them to panic and rear and paw and thrash, it's normal. Entertaining at most.

It's not ok. It's no more ok than if I used the same techniques with these kittens.

It's normalized. It's traditional. And some of the most experienced, "knowledgeable", trainers do it this way. So, it can't be wrong. It can't be inhumane.

I am challenging that.

The people I respect the most in the mustang family are the ones who sit outside the pen reading a book while their mustang becomes acclimate to their new surroundings and people being around. The ones who bring them their feed and sit nearby with them while they eat. Slowly, the horse comes to trust them and it almost seems easy. And the funny part is more often than not, these people aren't the professional trainers with lots of years and horses under their belts. It's the first time mustang owners. And I applaud you.

I'm tired of seeing abuse applauded. No more.

And when someone has the balls to say, hey there's a better way, they're shut down, attacked, belittled. Gaslit. That reaction is largely due to cognitive dissonance. Look it up.

There is a better way.

I've tamed mustangs just like I'm taming these kittens.

It's not a bragging point that the mustang you're working with blew up on you like a fire breathing dragon. I'd much rather liken the mustangs I tame to kittens. And I know they appreciate that too.

If you want to learn how you can tame mustangs like kittens, I will link my favorite resources in the comments for you that promote evidence based training uses the principles of LIMA/least invasive, minimally aversive.

Mustang family, it's time to evolve. For the wild ones we love.

10/08/2020

10/04/2020

Love the brain on her. I hear this often about the Adobe Town's they tend to think things through. Sky is such a Rockstar 🤣

09/27/2020

❤️🐴❤️

09/27/2020

What an athlete 💓

09/27/2020

09/26/2020

Cady and I working with the stangs' this evening

09/26/2020

For more doodles, visit www.danasdoodles.com

09/26/2020

We finally have real movement 🤣. She is finally starting to relax and move out with the saddle 💓

09/25/2020

She learned I can itch in more places from above 🤣

09/25/2020

09/25/2020

She was not amused but she put up with it 🤣