Ahimsa Equine

10/01/2025

Great video!!

Train your eye (:

09/29/2025

Is the idea that a licking & chewing horse is ‘relaxed’ or ‘thinking’ supported by evidence?

Great article below on the topic!

“However, this study does highlight that licking and chewing likely occurs after a stressful situation and may be used as a behavioural indicator that the previous situation was perceived as stressful by the horse.”

Is this contradictory to the idea that horses often lick and chew during bodywork, chiro and massage? 🧐

Probably not! Think about your own experience of stress-release during bodywork and how this might be related…

Horses sometimes lick and chew during training and this has often been interpreted as a sign that the horse is learning or showing ‘submission’ to the trainer. However, a new study suggests that this non-nutritive licking and chewing behaviour is a natural behaviour that is shown after a stressf...

09/17/2025

being a responsible caretaker means preparing your learner physically and mentally to perform as the athlete you expect them to be

I see many riders who think they are being good horsewomen because they "love their horse." They pat him, tell him constantly "What a good boy!" he is, feed him treats, buy him all kinds of supplements, blankets, boots, and gear.

The way to be a really good horsewoman? Ride him systematically, 5-6 days a week, calmly, quietly, and turn him into a fit, sound, prepared athlete who is well prepared to handle the work he`s asked to perform.

Don`t just tell him you love him. Make him strong enough to deal with being ridden so that the things you ask him to do are not causing him stress and discomfort.

08/18/2025

The echoes are familiar.

💛 When she flinches, I remember.

A hand reaches for her mouth.
She tilts her head away —
but the bit is slid in anyway.
Her body is no longer hers.

I know that feeling.
The air shifts.
The body remembers before the mind can speak.

They call her willing when she obeys.
Difficult when she resists.
I have worn those words too.

They speak over her as though she isn’t there —
as though her breath doesn’t matter,
as though the tension in her body is just “resistance to be broken.”

“She just needs to learn who’s boss.”
“She has to respect you.”
I’ve heard those words,
with different nouns, in different rooms.

She has been taught that safety lies in compliance.
So have I.

When she freezes under a touch she cannot escape,
I feel the tightness in my own chest.
When she tests the rope and finds no slack,
I feel the limits I’ve been told not to push.

Her story and mine are not the same —
but the echoes are familiar.

And when I fight for her right to move without fear,
to speak without punishment,
I am also fighting for my own.

08/02/2025

A great opportunity for anyone looking for classical dressage training board in NC.

07/29/2025

07/19/2025

Check out this horse’s topline to train your eye — the proof is in the pudding!

07/19/2025

A circle is a lateral movement!

06/16/2025

02/02/2025

Learn from Susan & Ken — how to joyfully and eagerly disagree with your colleagues.

Disagreement is an opportunity for connection and learning among colleagues who share your values!

01/26/2025

Neoprene: “easy to clean, sticky and grippy, heat resistant, and shock-absorbing.” Translation: “rips your horse’s hair out, traps heat and non-wicking, if you need it to stop your saddle slipping…your saddle doesn’t fit.”

01/26/2025

“So again, why use force?”