Meet The Charge Horsemanship

06/17/2025

If it works for dragons, it’ll work for horses!

Why is the dragon training world so much further ahead in training?

Seriously though, did you know dragons are trained with Positive Reinforcement and Fear- Free Training? Hiccup Horrendous Haddock lll, the dragon master, is a Positive Reinforcement trainer / Dragon Behaviourist.

Want to be like the dragon master himself?
Here’s how:

Hiccup spends a large amount of time doing a behavioural assessment of Toothless. Here are some of Hiccups techniques:

Systematic Desensitization:

Hiccup uses systematic desensitization (combined with some counterconditioning) to touch toothless for the first time. Hiccup begins to get Toothless habituated to his presence and slowly moves closer and closer until he can touch Toothless for the first time. Being sure not to use flooding or push him over threshold.

Finding the right reinforcement (reinforcement assessment):

Hiccup spends a lot of time trying to sort out what Toothless finds reinforcing. During this process he learns that:

•Toothless’ favourite fish, noting which ones he likes the best and which ones he hates (eels)
•Where he prefers to be scratched (behind the ears then under the chin)
•Learns he loves “Dragon Nip” (cat nip for dragons)

Counterconditioning:

Hiccup uses counterconditioning to train Toothless to wear a saddle and gear for flying. Eventually resulting in him being able to ride and fly with Toothless.

No punishment or force is involved with the training of Toothless despite the fact that it’s against viking tradition (sound familiar?). Not only is Toothless trained with Positive Reinforcement, Hiccup is able to generalize what he has gained from training Toothless and applied that knowledge across the many subspecies of dragons. In the end Hiccup shows his entire village that their previous methods, which had been used for centuries, is unneeded and the village becomes a Dragon Utopia.

We should take note from the Dragon Training world. In fact, dragons are arguably more dangerous than anything we could possibly train so if Dragons can be trained with Force Free Methods, so can your animals!

** I should remind everyone that this is a CHILDREN’S movie and this post is made in good fun.. please don’t take training advice from random cartoon characters**

04/17/2025

Alpha theory is outdated. Period. Whether it be wolves or horses, it has no practical application in social relationships.

The concept of a fixed "alpha" horse leading a herd through dominance has evolved significantly in recent years.

The term "alpha" is increasingly seen as misused and outdated when describing horse behaviour (similar to its decline in wolf science).

Historically, the "alpha" horse was perceived as holding a permanent top rank, claiming priority access to resources like food, water, and preferred locations, and asserting dominance by chasing subordinate horses.

This belief extended into human-horse interactions, with some training philosophies advocating that handlers must establish themselves as the "alpha" to gain the horse's respect and obedience and methods interpreted as the horse 'accepting' the human trainer as its leader.

Contrary to traditional beliefs that only the highest-ranked or oldest horses in a group lead, research demonstrates that any horse can initiate movement.

As for the concept of humans as alpha leaders - this brings its own set of problems. This approach relies on anthropomorphism, transferring human concepts like authority onto horses, which can lead to training techniques that elicit fear, over clear, consistent communication.

Adapted from: Equitation Science, 2nd edition - written by Andrew McLean, Paul McGreevy, Janne Whinther Christensen & Uta König von Borstel

Available for purchase on our website!

03/30/2025

The equine brain is a remarkable organ weighing around 0.6 kg. or 0.1% of the horse's body weight. Despite its relatively small size, the brain is highly capable of processing information and adapting to new situations.

Horses exhibit strong abilities in four cognitive areas:

1. Memory: Horses have excellent 'photographic-like' memory, capable of remembering experiences, people, and places for extended periods.

2. Social Intelligence: Horses are adept at reading body language and emotions, both of other horses and humans.

3. Problem-solving: Horses can learn through trial and error and are particularly good at solving problems related to safety and finding food.

4. Learning: Horses learn quickly through repetition and rewards, associating actions with outcomes.

By understanding the unique aspects of equine cognition and brain function, we can work in harmony with the horse's natural learning abilities.

03/11/2025

Thanks for sharing this wisdom, Milestone Equestrian! Every step of the training process should be about the individual horse’s needs, learning process, and ability. All of which stem from healthy, positive relationships.

Far too many regard “ good horse training” as the ability to achieve obedience at any cost.

Many people don’t factor in whether or not the trainer is actually being considerate of the feelings of the horse and training in an ethical manner.

Being a good horse trainer should involve considering the unique needs of horses as a species and training in accordance with those needs.

Being able to train horses to stand for hours a day without any hay doesn’t make someone a good trainer, they are setting horses up to be ulcerated and uncomfortable in the stomach due to going without forage for hours at a time

Similarly, being able to train young horses to do incredible athletic feats very quickly doesn’t make someone a better horse trainer, because they aren’t factoring in the wear and tear it takes on the body for a horse to be brought along so quickly.

While these things may make things easier and more profitable for humans, they don’t factor in whether or not it is fair to the Horse.

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

Horses are living beings, and if we are going to partake in a sport where we have to operate alongside another living being, we need to consider how our actions make them feel.

For anyone who doesn’t wanna have to consider how their training methods impact the Horse: consider getting a dirtbike or joining another sport where you are working as an individual.

It isn’t good training to seek results at any cost, and to expect obedience to the point where the horse has to pretend to not be impacted by having a lack of met needs.

Far too much of what many regard as “good “training results in a shut down Horse.

What is the point in being involved in a sport where we are supposed to be enjoying the time we share with horses if we don’t actually want them to behave like horses?

If someone is just looking to work with obedient little robots, do they even like horses?

And this isn’t to say that you can’t create obedience ethically, but the extent of obedience that some expect is reliance on a lack of personality and the horse succumb to unfair working conditions.

The fact of the matter is this: truly good horse training needs to involve actually being good to the horse. Not just what we are able to make the horse do for people. 

01/27/2025

Good thing we are both!

𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝘁

𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝘀 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲?

I am a qualified horse behaviourist and a Provisional member of the APBC . Behaviourist is NOT a protected title unlike veterinary surgeon which is.This means literally anyone can say they are a behaviourist regardless of qualifications or experience unlike your vet who is highly regulated. However, a qualified behaviourist is bound by a code of ethics and a code of conduct. Their knowledge and understanding and practical skills have been rigorously assessed.

They support horses and people by taking a thorough history and background of how the behaviour developed but do not need to see the horse display the behaviour. We believe you and your description. Then support caregivers to understand horse ethology ( the natural behaviour of horses ) and how this applies to our domesticated horses as well as helping you to manage and resolve any difficulties you are having using evidence-based psychological approaches such as systematic desensitisation and/or counter -conditioning and positive reinforcement as well as enrichment etc as well as being part of your vet-led team . This is because many challenging behaviours horses show are linked to pain or medical cause. A recent study by Dr Sue Dyson found that as many as 47% of ridden horses showing unwanted behaviours were experiencing pain and in another study by Professor Daniel Mills showed that approximately 75% of dogs and cats presenting with a behaviour issue were in pain or suffering from a medical issue of some form.

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗨𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁 ! 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆?

I have thought long and hard about sharing this here, but I will because access to good information and where to find it is more challenging to come by than I realised. The goal should always be when we know better we do better.



The journal articles below is old but still highlights a lot of the issues around join-up and similar practices. It doesn’t matter that supposedly MR and other NH proponents paved the way for awareness of behaviour or a “kinder way “ ( this is not a kinder way it is aggressively applied negative reinforcement and/or punishment).

These methods are now out of date and do more harm than they ever do good. Before someone jumps on me I’m not referring to well-timed correctly applied negative reinforcement ( well timed minimally escalating negative reinforcement) but more specifically to join-up type exercises.

They are also frequently used in Equine Assisted Services to teach “leadership”

and compassion often to people with trauma histories, which is problematic in itself and does not represent how to build healthy relationships with others. It could be re-traumatising. They certainly do not teach empathy for a horse or other animals or even other people !

Just because it works ( or appears to but again only by suppressing the behaviour or shutting down the horse) doesn’t mean it should be used.

If a method has been known to cause harm we have no business using it and why would we want to if there was a kinder and more ethical way? It is also not the round pen that is the problem, that is just an object which has no meaning to the horse unless we give it one, the same applies to whips or any equipment.

The animal behaviour industry is entirely unregulated ANYBODY with zero qualifications or experience can call themselves a behaviourist ) and therein lies the issue many people who want nothing but the very best for their horses are misled and hell, trainers are also misled because they love horses and want to help them and are then provided with incorrect at best and harmful at worst information.

Often flowery language is used like connection or bond or authentic connection but these methods have absolutely nothing to do with affiliative behaviour and everything to do with agonistic behaviour but marketing machines are clever. I also will never understand how in the dog world people readily stand against the use of outdated practices and abusive equipment like e-collars, prongs and dominance theory but the horse world appears to continue to just accept these practices as normal or even to be worshipped and celebrated.

I will put some more recent references below and a list of organisations that offer qualified behavioural support. All of these practitioners are bound by a code of ethics, have a level of academic AND practical experience ( because both matter) and work under veterinary referral to ensure there is no underlying medical cause. They also take a holistic biopsychosocial approach to meeting your horse’s needs and addressing the behaviour.

References

Campbell, A. (2022). An Evaluation of Parelli’s Training Methods. The IAABC JOURNAL. Retrieved January, 25, 2022.

DANIŞAN, S., & ÖZBEYAZ, C. (2021). The effect of the combination of various training methodologies in horse training on the learning performances of Arabian horses. Livestock Studies, 61(2), 66-76.

Fenner, K., Mclean, A. N., & McGreevy, P. D. (2019). Cutting to the chase: how round-pen, lunging, and high-speed liberty work may compromise horse welfare. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 29, 88-94.

Fureix, C., Pagès, M., Bon, R., Lassalle, J. M., K***z, P., & Gonzalez, G. (2009). A preliminary study of the effects of handling type on horses’ emotional reactivity and the human-horse relationship. Behavioural processes, 82(2), 202-210.

Hartmann, E., Christensen, J. W., & McGreevy, P. D. (2017). Dominance and leadership: useful concepts in human–horse interactions?. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 52, 1-9.

Henshall, C., & McGreevy, P. D. (2014). The role of ethology in round pen horse training—A review. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 155, 1-11.

Henshall, C., Padalino, B., & McGreevy, P. (2012, July). The radio-controlled car as a herd leader? A preliminary study of escape and avoidance learning in a round pen. In Proceedings of the 8th International Equitation Science Conference, Edinburgh, UK (pp. 18-20).

Resources

APBC: https://www.apbc.org.uk/

Equine Behaviour Affiliation (EBA) : https://equinebehaviouraffiliation.org/

FABC: Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians

https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=65467

The graphic below is applicable to horses
Graphic by COAPE

01/20/2025

In the wake of the tragic LA fires, this study by Copelin et al. (2024) on blindfolding horses raises important considerations for handling horses in emergency situations.

While blindfolding has been traditionally suggested as a technique for handling horses in emergencies, this study challenges that assumption.

The study found that blindfolded horses generally required more time and greater lead rope pressure for handling, and displayed higher frequencies of avoidant and active refusal behaviors compared to unblindfolded horses.

From a welfare perspective, these findings suggest that blindfolding may increase stress and anxiety in horses during handling, potentially compromising their well-being.

The increased heart rates observed in blindfolded horses further supports this concern.

However, the study also noted that blindfolding could be beneficial when navigating visually frightening stimuli, indicating that the technique may have situational benefits.

The research highlights that in time-sensitive emergency scenarios, such as barn fire evacuations, blindfolding is likely to increase lead time and difficulty of handling. This could not only impede rescue efforts but also put both human and animal lives at greater risk, raising significant welfare and safety concerns.

The study emphasises the need for more research into emergency horse handling protocols and suggests that alternative methods, such as regular practice of evacuation procedures, may be more effective in ensuring horse welfare during crisis situations.

Copelin, C, Hayman, B, Bergeron, R, Merkies, K,. Compliance or confusion? The usefulness of blindfolding horses as a handling technique,

Applied Animal Behaviour Science, (2024) Vol 271,106180

01/05/2025

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 2025

Something that is really important when supporting horses and dogs is that we prioritise their emotional state over the behaviour we want them to do. Doing so is a key part of good welfare. This to me is one of the most important features of care based, animal led approach.It is all too easy to train animals to DO behaviours when the priority must be How does the horse or dog feel? What is their emotional experience?

• How do they feel about their environment?

• How do they feel about us?

• How do they feel about the activities we do?

• How do they feel about the other, horses, dogs and other animals in their lives?

• Are their species specific needs met?

• Can they meet their own needs?

That behaviour that you can't stand like jumping up, diving for grass, crib- biting or breaking down the fence, think about what emotional need that meets?

If we really need to change a behaviour (and sometimes we don't!) we must first consider:

• WHAT need is my horse or dog trying to fulfil?

• WHAT relief are they getting from performing the behaviour?

• WHAT alternative can we offer them that meets their need and is safer?

For example if they become anxious when we go out of sight can we teach a back in a minute hand signal to offer reassurance or if the horse or dog is able to cope train a deep breath or simply give them time to process the environment or what we are asking. If a horse or dog has not had their needs met or even opportunities to do so for themselves it can also make it harder for them to focus on any tasks we might be training.

While we may not know for certain we can infer what they may be feeling by observing their body language and demeanour while keeping in mind that behaviour is contextual and needs also change. What means one thing at one time or in one situation may mean something else in another: This where it gets complicated just because a horse or a dog performs a behaviour reliably ( every time you cue the behaviour) does not always mean they find it pleasurable or if they did enjoy it at one time that they continue to do so even if the behaviour was trained with positive reinforcement using food or play or something else the animal enjoys (Everitt & Robbins,2005, Mills,2022).

For example ball chasing in dogs, the dog might be highly motivated to chase the ball even though they are in pain with arthritis. A horse example might be training a horse to touch an object they are wary of in this instance they might take themselves over threshold to gain the tasty treat. so they touch they scary thing even though they are not comfortable doing so. Similar to the ball chasing dog example some behaviours such as Spanish walk may require physical effort that exceeds a horses capacity potentially leading them to perform a behavior that causes discomfort in order to obtain food. Some alternatives to these might include hiding the ball for your dog to find or keeping ball throwing resions what and mixing them with other activities such as a snuffle mat. For scary objects allowing your horse to explore an object in their own time with you or there friends there fir social support . For the Spanish walk keeping sessions short and breaking it up with other activities like walking in sync.

To ensure positive welfare lets keep meeting emotional needs over the behaviours we want to see .

References

Everitt, B. J., & Robbins, T. W. (2005). Neural systems of reinforcement for drug addiction: from actions to habits to compulsion. Nature neuroscience, 8(11), 1481-1489.

Mills, D. S. (2022). Clinical Animal Behaviour: Paradigms, Problems and Practice. Animals 2022, 12, 3103.

©️ Jessie Sams (2025) Animal Behaviour and Trauma Recovery Service

11/27/2024

Turnout time isn’t just about fun—it’s essential for a horse’s physical and mental well-being. Regular turnout promotes joint health, prevents stiffness, and supports natural behaviors like running and playing. It also helps reduce stress and prevents the development of unwanted habits like stall vices.

For those of us passionate about horsemanship, providing ample turnout fosters happier, healthier, and more willing partners. A playful snow day like this is a reminder of how important it is to let horses be horses!

11/03/2024

Before the horsemanship clinic even started, I could see the bad dynamic between the horse and his owner. The big brown gelding was agitated and acting aggr ...

10/27/2024