Partner with a rescue horse to bring out the best in YOU! Equine assisted learning sessions at ECC can support you or your child in achieving personal goals and developing new skills that will expand horizons in your life. Message us or email [email protected] to set up an Introductory Session today!
#equineassistedlearning #mentalwellness #PersonalGrowth #horsemanship #getoutside #nokesvilleva #gainesvilleva
#princewilliamcountyva #activitiesforkids #womenswellness #selfcare
I don’t know about you, but this is how I feel in 90% of my photos!! Oh to be a little pony when even if you look silly, you’re cute 🤣
When people see this pony in person, it’s all “oh he’d make the perfect unicorn!!” 🤩🦄 Yes, except he is basically the least photogenic creature I have ever encountered. He doesn’t care though. This little pony has enough confidence in himself to share with us all. That’s one of the wonderful things about animals - small, funny looking, old, young - the only thing that matters to them is mindset! And he is EXCELLENT at being himself ❤️
#funnyhorse #unicorn #expectationvsreality #unphotogenic #minihorsesofinstagram #horselove #notamodel #selflove #strikeapose #souglyitscute #beyourself #equestrian #horsegirl #ownit
Guess the three different kind of animals in this little equine crew! ✨🐴❤️
Equine herd dynamics are extremely complex and we as humans are only beginning to understand the interpersonal relationships of equine species. There is a movement gaining traction that really challenges our general conception that equine herds follow a strict hierarchy or pecking order. To observe a horse herd, you’ll notice dominance and submission, relationships that seem warm or cold, etc. But it’s becoming more and more apparent that these dynamics are fluid and nonlinear.
Within a larger group, you often will see “micro herds”, especially trios, of horses that tend to group together. Sullivan, Dylan, and Otis here are an example of this. From a human perspective, Sullivan is dominant and Otis is submissive. But is he? Sullivan fiercely protects Otis and allows him access to resources before himself. Dylan is an awkward sidekick. He’s not permitted to get away with the same things that Otis is, but he’s still part of the crew. It is incredibly interesting to watch them interact with each other and other animals in the larger herd…they’re teaching me every day.
#horselove #horseherd #herddynamics #horsebehaviour #equine #horsesanctuary #donkey #mule #cutefarmanimals #horsesaremylife #diversityisbeautiful #animalfriends #onthefarm #farmlife
Did you know horses can use their upper lip almost like a “hand”?
Horses have “prehensile lips”, demonstrated here so masterfully by River. Their upper lips can be used for grasping and touching, which is a very useful adaption for an animal that has no hands!
Our equine friends will often take care to only use their lips to retrieve treats from people’s hands. But their dexterous lip is useful in a number of other practical ways as well, including attempts to open latches and other manmade contraptions. Donkeys are especially skilled with their prehensile lips!
You can also train your equine friend to do fun lip trickle “smile” and “kiss” 💋 We’ll have to work on that with River!
#funnyhorse #goodboi #allthetreats #minihorsesofinstagram #horselife #horselove #horsefacts #funnyface #horsesarelife #cuteanimals #rescuehorse #lips #lookmanohands
Do you want compliance or willingness? Maybe it’s a bit of both here. Let me explain!
Cyrus is a killpen rescue from late March 2023. He arrived very fearful of situations where he needed to give up control. This included being tied, taking meds, standing for the farrier, etc. For some things, we were able to modify his environment to meet him where he was at, for others…we needed a bit of prescription assistance.
Although my goal is willingness, we needed to start with compliance. I don’t want to MAKE my equine partners do anything and learned helplessness is a real thing. But to properly care for him, we needed to be able to do some things he wasn’t on board with right away.
A light sedation for the farrier allows Cyrus to get a good trim and for all people involved to stay safe (and to prevent my farrier from firing me lol). We keep it light so that hopefully he’ll remember that we don’t hurt him, and with time he’ll need less and less.
But what about willingness? For Cyrus, it’s by way of baby steps and positive reinforcement. He didn’t really like syringe meds either (backing away, fast and then hard to catch). Cue the applesauce. We probably only did applesauce three times over a few weeks. Very quickly he became curious about any syringe and then easier to dose regardless of what was in it! He is now willing to take his meds, which not only makes the farrier events less of a big deal but also prepares him for deworming or other medications.
There’s so many approaches out there, the key is…doing what works for the horse in hand.
#horsetraining #horsecare #positivereinforcement #babysteps #equinepartner #farrier #rescuehorse #horserescue #horsesanctuary #overcomingfear #fearfree #killpenrescue
Our website is now live!
Please check out equineconnectioncenter.com to learn more about who we are and what we do!
Grand opening in Spring 2024!
Educational equine sanctuary offering you the opportunity to get up close & personal with horses, rather than just up onto their backs!
