Greenwalt Equine

04/23/2025

Young stallions 🙄
The rough housing and testosterone is at an all time high over here in this bachelor house I seem to be running.
The good news is everyone has lost weight and gained muscle 💪🏼 and everyone's ego has been checked

The time young stallions spend in bachelor groups is critically important for their social, emotional, and behavioral development. In natural feral or semi-feral horse populations, bachelor bands—groups of non-breeding males, usually between the ages of 2 and 5—serve a vital role in shaping adult stallion behavior. Here’s why that time matters:

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1. Social Skill Development

Young stallions in bachelor bands learn how to communicate, negotiate, and resolve conflict with their peers. Through play and sparring, they:

Practice and refine ritualized dominance behaviors (e.g., posturing, chasing, mock fights)

Learn appropriate boundaries and how to de-escalate tension

Gain experience in reading body language and signals, which is crucial for future interactions with mares and other stallions

These experiences contribute to more stable, socially fluent adult stallions.

Supporting research:

Rutberg & Greenberg (1990) studied feral horses and found that play fighting among bachelor stallions is essential for learning social dynamics and establishing future hierarchies.

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2. Emotional Regulation

Living in a bachelor group helps stallions regulate arousal and frustration. In these groups, there’s space to blow off steam, but also to learn how to calm down after high-arousal play. This translates into:

Reduced reactivity and impulsivity

Improved emotional self-regulation in adult roles, especially as breeding stallions

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3. Avoidance of Early Breeding Stress

Stallions who remain in bachelor groups are delayed from entering the high-stress role of a breeding stallion too early. This matters because:

Early introduction to breeding can lead to hypersexual behavior, stress, and aggression

Stallions who mature in a peer group without breeding pressures tend to be more balanced and less reactive

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4. Cognitive Growth through Play

Play is not just fun—it’s serious brain work. Stallions in bachelor bands engage in high levels of locomotor and social play, which supports:

Problem-solving skills

Body awareness and coordination

Adaptability in novel situations

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5. Natural Weaning and Independence

In the wild, young c**ts are often driven off by the lead stallion or drift away from the natal band around age 2. Bachelor groups offer a social safety net where they can:

Form bonds after separation

Gain independence while still benefiting from group living

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In Summary:

Bachelor groups are a developmental necessity, not a luxury. They serve as a transitional stage where young stallions can grow up emotionally, socially, and behaviorally before taking on the responsibilities of herd life.

04/21/2025

Decided to remove the post about a certain supplement company to protect those on the receiving end of their cyber-bullying. I will be sending out the email with alternatives tomorrow though! So make sure you get on my email list!

Learn more about positive reinforcement horse training and how to schedule a virtual session with Abigail!

04/21/2025

Your Horse Isn’t a Robot—And Neither Are You 🤖

One of my favorite parts of behavior consulting is the problem solving. Give me the “mystery cases”—the ones where no one quite knows what’s going on—and I’m in. Not because I have all the answers, but because I love finding them with the caregiver, the horse, and the whole care team. 🐴💡

But let’s be real… most horse owners aren’t feeling the excitement in those moments. They’re overwhelmed, stressed, and worried. And I get it. I feel that way with my own horses sometimes too. That’s why I call in support—because when you’re in it, it’s hard to see clearly.

That emotional connection? 💞That history and hope and love? It makes us human. And being human means we’ll never be perfect—no matter how much we want to be the Zen master of horse training. 😅

And our horses? They’re not here to be perfectly happy, forward-eared, always-nickering Barbie robot horses either. They’re emotional beings. They have highs and lows. They get worried. They get frustrated. They have their own complex emotional experience, just like us!

✨ Good training isn’t about erasing those emotions. It’s about recognizing them, validating them, and helping our horses move through them.

Sometimes that means pausing. Sometimes it means trying again tomorrow. Sometimes it means saying, “I see you. Let’s just be here together right now.”

👂Your horse doesn’t need you to be perfect. They need you to listen.

Let’s stop chasing perfection and start embracing the reality of emotional, thinking, feeling beings—on both ends of the lead rope.

Looking for some in-depth guidance in supporting your horse (and yourself) through complex emotions? Behavior consulting is available exclusively to Academy members who have completed Foundations of Harmony & beyond. Click the link in my bio to learn more! 🔗

04/07/2025

This cutie stud muffin joined me this weekend for board and train! Triton, aka Wittle Man, starts kindergarten today!
He is an excellent Morgan yearling stud c**t, carefully bred and raised by Brea at Compass Equestrian. He has an exceptional personality and has a bright future ahead as a competitive show horse and maybe even a breeding stud 🤞
That's far away though, and he is mostly here to get away from mom, and have some fun bachelor time with my boys. Him and my young mini stallion can't stop rough-housing!
You'll be seeing plenty more of him on my feed in the future!

04/02/2025

Thankful to have my dad (and uncle) as my hay guy! Especially as an equine nutritionist! 🌱🌱🌱💚💚💚

04/02/2025

Not too long ago, this guy was untouchable. Soooo excited to watch him become a solid citizen.
Working with ferals or mustangs is by far my favorite. I just love watching them begin to trust humans and normally get the medical care they have been needing. Soo satisfying.
And it makes me feel right at home, coming from the zoo world. 💓
If I could just work with untouchables, I would do it!

04/01/2025

Hello! I am looking for a positive reinforcement trainer in the St. Louis area. I know there is someone, but can't think of the name to contact her. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

03/31/2025

I just love the big black beauties. Doesn't everyone? Excited to start helping another wonderful professional trainer add R+ to their toolbox (and watch is slowly become the most used tool 😉) ! Which also means I get to take some driving lessons with her fancy FEI Friesians 💅

03/30/2025

I’m so excited to announce that my R+ apparel now has its own Instagram page! 🎉 If you believe in ethical training and management for horses (and all species!), this is the place to be.

We should wear our R+ pride loud and proud—even when the neigh-sayers (😉) doubt us. Every design I create is meant to be cute, comfortable, and meaningful—a way to share what we stand for without saying a word. 💛

And if you love nerdy behavior sayings, you’re in the right place! From consent cues to reinforcement schedules, I'm bringing the science of behavior into everyday wear—because training should be smart AND stylish. 🧠✨

Follow along for exclusive coupon codes, sales, and new drops—you won’t want to miss them! Let’s make the world a more compassionate place, one comfy tee, tote, or sticker at a time. 🐎💡

📲 Follow now:

03/28/2025

I challenge you to listen to this episode with an open mind. I was honored to steal some of David's time this week to talk about bridging the gap between R- trainers and R+ trainers. David has learned from some of the very best on both the R+ side and the R- side and he currently is one of the few (in my opinion) that mixes R+ and R- really well. Even if you don't believe in mixing, I think these conversations are necessary if we are ever going to make progress in the equine industry.

If you aren't familiar with David, let me introduce you!

David Lichman is a 5-Star Master Parelli Professional from California, who has been combining R- and R+ training for 30 years, as influenced by Kayce Cover (Synalia Training) and Dr. Jenifer Zeligs (Animal Training 101 & Mindful Partners). He has collaborated with Dr. Zeligs on multiple learning opportunities for horse owners all over the world, including the United States, Costa Rica & Australia. In 2005 they won the prestigious Sharing the Knowledge award for their presentation of a horse & sea lion training video to the Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA). In 2016 they collaborated to present at the “Giving Animals Purpose” conference sponsored by the Rockhampton Zoo in Australia.

David has traveled all over the world helping thousands of horses and horse owners find better relationships. From Austria to Australia, and British Columbia to Brazil, he uses music to shape the courses and workshops, which focus on relaxation and connection. He has appeared in three television shows and one, yet-to-be-released movie.

David won the 1991 World Grand Championship, Pleasure Division, on his horse “The Artful Dodger”. Prior to that he had careers in music as a bass player, and as a software engineer.

He lives in Sacramento with his wife, 7 horses, 4 dogs, 3 cats, countless chickens and a couple of tame pigeons.

Have a listen to the podcast episode and let me know what you think!
You can find it on Spotify, "Happy Horse, Happy Human: Positive Training Connections"

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ykP0Zlm4YI97AdLB0Zn23?si=AFGhdaxuSPKPWJRV0WelIA

03/26/2025

Very interesting podcast episode dropping tomorrow! Can't wait to share it with you and hear what you think!

03/26/2025

👋 I use negative reinforcement (R-)!
But probably not how you would think!

When a horse avoids or escapes something, they’re communicating discomfort. If we respect their “no” by backing away, we reinforce their ability to communicate safely. But we also need to shape the “yes” by building confidence and positive associations.

How to Ethically Reinforce the No in Training

🔹 Observe the early signs of discomfort. The best way to prevent a big reaction is to recognize the small signals—tension in the face, pinned ears, shifting weight, or a slight hesitation.

🔹 Reinforce the no by moving away. When a horse says “no” (even subtly), respond by removing the stimulus or stepping back. This teaches them that their signals are respected, reducing the need for escalation.

🔹 Use strategic negative reinforcement techniques to keep the horse in control:

✅ Sub-threshold Approach: Never push a horse to the point of saying "no." Instead, approach only as close as they are comfortable, then step back before any signs of discomfort appear. Over time, their comfort zone expands without force.

✅ Joe Lang’s Time-Based Procedure: Move forward to a safe distance, pause for 3 seconds, and then back away. Repeat while gradually decreasing the distance—but never triggering a stress response. This allows the horse to process the situation and develop confidence.

✅ Contingency-Based Approach: Move forward only to the point where the horse remains calm, then wait for an active sign of relaxation (soft eyes, deep breath, lowered head). Reinforce this state by stepping back, reinforcing the association between relaxation and control.

🚫 Avoid Over-Threshold Training: Pushing a horse into a big reaction and waiting for them to calm down before removing pressure can cause fear, stress, or even learned helplessness. Instead, work in a way that prevents a full “no” from ever occurring. In this video, I accidentally went over this horse's comfort level and caused a big no. I backed up my criteria and approximations on the next repetition. This horse was successfully retrained using the above strategies, from killer to gentleman.

Why This Matters:

When we train with choice and control, we build trust. If a horse knows they can say "no" safely, they will be more willing to say "yes" when they feel ready.

🌟 Stay tuned for our next post on shaping the yes with positive reinforcement! 🌟

03/21/2025

1.) I have been adding a ton to my membership and will continue to do so this year.

2.) I will be changing my business model from one-on-one lessons and coaching to a membership model.
‼️ 📢 By October 1st, I will ONLY be doing one-on-one lessons for my members 📢 ‼️

3.) My members are my favorites and I am giving my membership all of my time and attention. And our live group lessons are my favorite part of the week 🫶

03/20/2025

Officially official!
Adding Certified Equine Nutritionist to my resume!
🌱🌱🌱
💚💚💚

03/17/2025

Why Teach Targeting? 🐴🐶🐦

Targeting is one of the first behaviors we teach in positive reinforcement training—and for good reason! It’s simple, powerful, and incredibly useful. Here’s why:

✨ Clear Communication – Teaching an animal to touch or follow a target gives us an easy way to guide movement without pressure or force.

🔄 Versatile & Practical – From trailer loading to medical care to agility training, targeting helps in countless situations. Want your horse to step onto a mat? Your dog to move away from the door? Your bird to shift between perches? Targeting makes it happen!

🧠 Boosts Confidence – When animals understand they can earn reinforcement by engaging with a target, they become more eager to participate and problem-solve. It’s a great way to empower nervous or hesitant learners.

❤️ Choice & Control – Target training gives animals an active role in training, allowing them to opt in and build trust. Instead of forcing movement, we invite it!

🎉 Fun & Engaging – It’s an easy win! Animals pick it up quickly, making training sessions rewarding for both them and us.

03/14/2025

They're going to be best buds. Praise the Lord for this confident little guy.

03/07/2025

I highly encourage you to train a new species this week. It really improves your training skills!
I am so blessed to have trained a very wide variety of species with positive reinforcement during my zoo career. Now, I train a new species every chance I get, because I miss the variety, and it does really help get you out of your box.
Train whatever you can!