If you can't find horse forums that suit the natural world? Ask Me!

Horse Training Methods  I have a New Forest Pony that I love. He is 3 and is broke to ride. He has had a couple of months off and now we are going to bring him slowly back into ...

Horse pins ears with aggression  My mare was emaciated when i got her. So she never showed her true colors until about a year after her arrival. The people at the barn she was at said ...

Horses Fighting  I have a 3 year old Standardbred filly that recently got through a fence and got "beaten up" by an older mare in the other field. I found the filly stood ...

Can Horses Be Jealous?  Brought a 16 month filly home, 5 year old gelding is aggressively trying to get at her, This gelding is "the man of the yard" and has issues (non-aggressive ...

Why do horses hate horse trailers?   I'm a Product Design student at Staffordshire University and researching into why horses do not like horse trailers and what they do not like about them....

Cannot separate my horses  I have two retired thoroughbred racehorses that I've had for a year. They are both geldings and are 4 and 5 years old. They came from different owners ...

My girlfriend's horse behaves dangerously in the company of one particular horse  Hi,

I'm Geoff Marshall and I know little about horses but...

Here is the story of Karan and Spider.

Spider is a young male horse and his owner,...

My horse fights with other horses in the herd  I purchased a 6 year old Arab x QH. I transported him together with a rescue TB mare of approximately 13 years for 400km to our farm. He stayed in a stable ...

Why do horses lay down?  Hi,
When I met the horse for the first time in the indoor exercise arena and was walking beside him, he decided to lay down beside me, he let me stoke ...

Why do horses behave so differently with some people?  Many people have witnessed their horse behave very differently with a child, or a person who is suffering from an emotional or mental challenge. Some want ...

Equine Assisted Learning Certification  Hi Elaine,
It was super to actually meet you and the horses last week. Thank you so much for your time and advice. I have been watching my Clicker Training ...

Separation Anxiety-Jigging-Trailer Sour  Our history to present:

I have an 11 yr TB Mare, Jabez, never raced. Bought from a horse trader to save her about 5 years ago. I have grown up on ...

HELP for My Horse & Me!!!  I have put everything I have into my horse. I bought her under the assumption she was, "a 3 year old in foal that is nice, sweet and was in the process ...

Lonely Pregnant Mare  I know very little about horses. I have had my first horse now for 3 weeks. I live in a remote area - do not have much advice close by. My horse came from ...

New Mare with Trust Issues  Hi,

3 weeks ago my husband bought me a 5year old mare, she had an Arabian mother and Boerperd father, at first we got along nicely, now she doesn't ...

My gelding is a spoiled dominant teenager!  I purchased a 5.5 yr old Quarter Horse Paint gelding in Dec 2010. His previous owners unfortunately didn't tell me the whole truth.. and the first time ...

Clicker Steps & Bits  Once you get your horse to touch the cone, what do you do to get them to accept a bit by using a clicker? I am really encouraged to find a way to use of ...

Snorting Horse and Short Attention Span  I am adopting an OTTB that has been off the track for 30 days and taken off the racehorse diet by a nutritionist.

I have had 3 visits with him. He ...

My horse has no socialization skills  I live on the Island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. I bought a horse 15 months ago from a horse dealer, the horse was extremely thin and in very poor ...

How does Clicker Training relate to Horse Behavior and Instinct  Hi
I was wondering if you could email me some information on how clicker training relates to the horses natural behaviour?
Thank you
Heather Humphreys
...

How to Help a Herd Bound Horse  I was watching a video by a person who considers themselves to be a "natural horsemanship" trainer trying to explain what they do to help the herd bound ...

Anxiety in Horses  So many people have been asking me about the anxiety in horses that it beckons to answer the question why. What causes anxiety in horses? And what can ...

A horse that doesn't like me  Hello,
My name is Amy and I live in Greece.
Near my house there is a farm with horses which I go very often.
I have met a horse which I like but I think ...

Dangerous Filly!  My 1 1/2 filly has no manners!

I've been riding since I was 2 years old, and have faced horses like this, she pins her ears at me, attempts to bite ...

Calm and collected in the field, hot, hyper, spooky and nervous on a ride.  I bought my TB paint mare - Allie - last January. She stands 17 hands, will be 9 in April and is an absolute BEAUTY! Allie had been used in the jumper/...

Stallions Behaving Badly  I'm a beginner both in handling and riding a horse (started 3 months ago, no previous experience). The horse I work with is an 8yo stallion, quarter horse,...

Separation Anxiety URGENT HELP NEEDED  I have just gotten a new horse, I have had her now for a month... she is very big and strong headed, with no ground manners etc.... she was in a herd with ...

Are all the vaccinations and teeth floating necessary?  Firstly, thank you for that wonderful article on de-worming. I feel vindicated!
Well, I have a similar gut feeling about being told I have to vaccinate ...

Deworming...how often?  I have 2 rescue TB's, right off TO racetrack, had them 3yrs, one 13yr, one 8yrs both geldings. Also one , new this year, 15yr old QH mare. I was deworming ...

6 month old filly behaving badly   I just bought a 6 month old filly, with no training to speak of. She tries to bite me, kick me, bucks and has reared up while I am trying to lead her. I ...

Icicles On My Horse  I fell in love with a Spotted Saddle Horse! He's the sweetest gentle soul... He's with us now for about half a year. His name is Rumi, after a Persian ...

My horse panics inside trailer  She loads quietly and she unloads quietly but when I shut the door (stock trailer) she spins out of control and seems to shut down until I open the door....

A Horse Lover: Just Advice!  I had 2 horses when I was 35 yrs. younger!
I now would like to volunteer my time and love to a horse rescue here in Arizona. I did some research for one ...

My stud horse will drool and lower his penis after I have pushed him away from his food.  I have a horse that were not sure is a stud or gelding. He was cut, but still mounts everything and acts like a stud. We have been trying to catch him ...

Horse Afraid of Water  Hello! (and thanks in advance).

I am writing you from Madrid, I am Spanish and apologize in advance for my orthographic mistakes...

I have two cases ...

Horse Yawning,Licking and Nudging  What does it mean when my horse yawns, licks and pushes me over?

My Boyfriend and I just moved into my grandmothers farmhouse, no one has lived there ...

Fear of Horses  I have 4 horses and I love all four but I am scared of two of them. Spirit is a 4 year old gelding who is scared of his own shadow and has some separation ...

Please Help to Reunite A Race Horse  I am interested in any information anyone can give me about a Ontario Bred Race Horse, Kromium Kop (On), who I believe my be at he end of his racing...I ...

What does Head Nodding mean?  What is a horse telling me when he nods his head up and down when he sees me?

Answer:

We would need to take into account the specifics of what’...

Do you Ride?.  Hi Elaine!
I'm such a big fan of yours and I really want to be an apprentice someday. My only question is that I distinctly remember you writing that ...

How to Train a Horse  Answer:

The best way to discover how to train a horse is by identifying the true intentions of the goals in mind.

At Horses by Nature we do not ...

My horse gets dangerously over excited  After doing ground work in a yard where he can't see his paddock mate as we start to head down the track toward the paddock he will almost trample whoever ...

Beginning Riding an Off the Track Thoroughbred  Hi Elaine-
I am beginning to ride my 6 yr old OTTB mare, and I don't think she really understands what I want. I'm just trying to teach her to "go". I ...

My horse food guards!  I have a ten year old gelding thoroughbred,
(Lyric) about a month ago. He's turned out 24/7 with a probably mid 20s mare on family property. They get ...

Homeopathic Remedy - Ledum for Itching  I have been told that using Ledum in the horses drinking water will help with the itch and swelling from bug bites.

Do you know this to be true?

Thank ...

Chewing on the bit  We are looking at buying a very sweet horse. Her only problem is she chews like crazy on her bit. She is a jumper and we want to do shows but this behavior ...

Trust Issue?  Hello, at our horse farm, we have trained many horses, but this one is different. Her name is Athena. She was a boarder at our barn. She is a tall slim ...

What does it mean when horses yawn?  The University of Guelph conducted a study a few years back to determine if horses yawn for the same reason as people, turns out the answer is No! And ...

3 yeard old QH/TB afraid of dogs in our area  Our 3 year old (not broke yet but smart and sweet) QH/TB cross is afraid of the dogs that run around in our area. They are sweet "neighborhood" dogs, but ...

How to Help Horses Overcome the Death of a Companion  Last week I had to have the older of my 2 horses put to sleep. He was l8, arthritic. stiff, and ready to go. My five year old mare is so bereaved that ...

Head Shy Fearful Horses  My mare is extremely head shy, she would never let me touch her face and ears. I've been building her trust and she now allows me to do anything around ...

My Horse is scared of the sound of the clicker  I would love to use clicker training to help my very abused mini horse to positively deal with some of his major fear issues like being afraid of the lead ...

Horse Feeding  I am often asked what I feed my horses and the answer is "it depends". Not very helpful huh!:0)

That's because so often for me the amount of information ...

Horses Bones Making A Cracking Noise.....!  I live in Mount Vernon Ohio..last year after the winter, in early spring i noticed that everybody was cracking all five of our horses bones(joints were ...

Stall Anxiety  My 38 year old mare would always kick the stalls. We thought she just didn't like other horses but she kicks without even another horse in there with her....

Heaves  How should you treat heaves and should you compete with it in barrels or jumping? It is only a five year old appendix.




Has this horse been diagnosed ...

Trainer made my quiet 3 year old spooky and jumpy.  This horse was already started. I rode her around bareback. She didn't know much other than walk, trot lope. She was quite lazy. She was so quiet that ...

Horse Rubbing His Head On Me!  I ride at a local stable (English saddle) and ride the same horse all the time. Every time we finish the lesson and are walking out of the ring, my horse ...

ANXIETY IN BOERPERD  MY DAUGHTER HAS A 5-6 YEAR OLD MARE BOERPERD WHO SUFFERS FROM ANXIETY. EVERY TIME SHE IS TAKEN AWAY FROM THE RIDING SCHOOL ( ENDURANCE RIDING OR TAKEN ...

Falling Off Horses  Hi. I have been on a journey (mental and physical!) with my lovely 17 year old welsh/arab gelding, who has played up increasingly on a previously loved ...

U.S.A. Barefoot Dealers  I would like more info on this bridle. Does it come in black? Does it come with reins? Cost? Do you ship to the U.S? Thanks, I am seriously considering ...

adopting a cribbing thoroughbred  I was looking in a popular online site with horses for sale. And something really bothered me I guess it was the sadness in the eyes of an ex racehorse ...

Horse nodding  Our mare was abused and we took her in about a year and a half ago. Slowly but surely, she began to trust us, and my boyfriend decided to bring her to ...

My gelding is biting my mare  I bought two horses and I'm boarding them in the same pasture and when my mare gets close to my gelding he bites her and runs her off, what do I do to ...

Problems With Tacking Up  A friend has had problems tacking up her thorough bred mare... she is extremely sensitive around the girth and around her chest. On tacking her up she ...

How to get a horse to go turn and stop  I have a horse that I don't think was broke right and was abused by the first owner ,she had a T-post run into her chest by him jumping her off into the ...

Horse panics on the Trailer  Hi,

One month ago I purchased a two year old Lipizzan gelding. He is very awake, gets upset with just about everything. I have been lead training him ...

Horse Dominance and Aggression  Hi I have a 14 yr old quarter horse gelding. I Had him since he was 2, He was cut shortly after.
(not proud cut) Anyway he has been a perfect horse ...

Play, aggression, or defiance?  When I free this horse that I'm helping to train, if I apply more pressure to go faster or ask for a quick change in direction, she tends to toss her head ...

How To Put Two New Horses Together  I am considering purchasing a 7 year old mare that has never been away from its mother. We will eventually have 2 horses but this is the first one we are ...

When a Bittless Bridle doesn't work!  Hi, if your horse doesn't listen to you when he has a bitless bridle, then what would be the most comfortable bit to use on a horse that doesn't need a ...

How to Separate Two Bonded Horses  I need to separate 2 horses they have only been together for 4 weeks but have bonded strongly, one is my friends and found her own place closer to her ...

Rhythm Beads for Horses  How do we go about creating our custom Reiki Rhythm Beads for you, your horse or a horse gift for a friend?

First we ask you to describe for us your ...

My horse panics when the lead rope is dragging on the ground.  We had the shoer out and he was doing quite a few horses.
My horse was caught up out of pasture and turned loose in the round pen, in the open near the ...

How to Saddle a Horse the First Time For Success  Here is an example of the process we go through to introduce the saddling and girthing process to a young horse.

Please see our page on Young Horse ...

Treeless Saddle Questions and Answers  Here is the list of questions a gal recently asked me to answer because she was doing an article for Horse-Canada magazine. I thought I would share them ...

Buying a Ten year old Recued Horse  Hi,

I found this ten year old Appaloosa at a rescue farm in Edmonton, Ky and he is really pretty! The problem is hes never been handled with for a ...

The first time my horse bolted on me.  I am a new horse owner. My eleven year old Haflinger is still very green. Over the past 4 months that I've had him, we've done some ground work, mostly ...

Why don't horses lay down for long?  Hi, I am 12 and I want to know why horses don't lay down for long, can it make them sick? My mom says it is because if they lay down too long they can ...

90 Days of Horse Training a 3 Year old filly  Hi there!

I have a 3 year old filly that I recently brought home from the trainer after she had been there for about 90 days. When she was there she ...

Introducing new horse to an overprotecive dominant mare!  Hi there-
Just wondered your opinion on introducing a new horse to a herd of two horses(all mares), and a 6mo mini donkey!
I had looked for months and ...

How did my horse know?  Hi Elaine,

My horse, Sierra, continues to amaze me. After what's turned out to be a long cold winter, finally we were having a warm day here in Kentucky....

Still having "issues"...me not the Horse!  Hi Elaine,
I messaged you several months ago about our new horse Baley. We got off to a rough start. He had put he legs through the fence twice where ...

A Horses Perspective on Separation Anxiety  Hi,

My mare over the past few years has been getting anxious when you take her buddy away from her. She tends to cling to any horse and not a particular ...

Training needed for my 6month old Filly....Where to start?  We just purchased a 6moth old filly w/ very little Ground work or even attention...She seems very calm and I lunged her for the first time she did very ...

Bucking When Asked to Canter  We bought the horse in Aug she is 4 and now has developed to buck every time my daughter asks her to canter.

Hi Lori,
There is always a reason why ...

A horse who does not like being out.  I have a 17yr old Mare who is stabled at night and turned out during the day, she has been turned out with a herd and more recently in separate paddocks ...

Bucking Towards Me  My 10 year old horse bucks towards me. Like she's trying to hit me with her back legs. Can this be trained out of her?

Answer:

Yes, this is a ...

Sudden Horse Behavior Changes  I've never had horses but have always wanted one. I am an artist and have several paintings I've done from photos.

Two months ago my husband's sister ...

Aggressive Play Behavior Towards Me  I work at a horse barn and clean the stall and paddock for a 3yr old gelding Quarter Horse. Forgive me if I don't use all the proper terms as I am not ...

New Horse  Hi there. I recently bought a retired barrel racer. He is a paint quarter horse 15 yrs old and I just love him. I have had a horse in the past when I was ...

Hand Feeding Mouthy Horses  I have recently purchased a 3-1/2 yr. old Fjord. She is very sweet, imprinted at birth. The owner told me no hand treats as she is mouthy. She is very ...

Horse Yawning,Licking and Nudging Part 2  (Because my comments will only allow 3000 characters I needed to make a new page to answer your further questions.)

Hi Amanda!
It's a fantastic idea ...

Anxious Horse  My 12 year old gelding has started to be severely anxious.

This lovely Warmblood lost his dam in June, he has since had 2 new field companions. However ...

Horse has seperation anxiety (Herd sour?)  Recently purchased a 10 year old Paint Mare was told she was dead broke. She hadn't been ridden for six months or so. We put her in a pasture with our ...

How to Train Horses  What are the 10 steps to train a full breed horse or any horses?


Answer:

1.) Always remember to put your ego aside and consider the horse’s perspective ...

How to get more Go than Whoa!  I have a delightful 16 year old left brain introverted Icelandic gelding, Galsi. He had been abused and had a huge trust issue with people. With a LOT ...

Separation Anxiety  I have 3 horses that are very well bonded and have been living in one large paddock. We are moving to a new place and I can set it up how I want. To help ...

Horse rescued from slaughter  Hello,

As of this morning at 6am (:D) I have owned my slaughter-bound bay paint gelding for a week. He's a sweet old dude (I named him Indy, short for ...

I can not take my mare out to ride by herself.   I have a four year old Racking Horse mare. I have tried to take her out by herself just for a simple joyride but she does not want to leave the other horse ...

How to "break" a VERY dominant mare?  Hi!

I am a young woman from Finland and I have a major problem with one of our horses. She is a 4 year old Finnish horse and i have owned her almost ...

Rearing isn't funny!  I have a 2 yr old filly she stands at 16hh, I'm having a problem with her rearing when being asked to do something she doesn't want to do or when you're ...

How To Back Up A Young Stallion  It's not easy to get my pony doing a few steps back. I ask this of him because I don't want him in my personal space.

What can I do to back him up without ...

Rocko is a scrambler !  I'm interested in getting a 5yr. gelding Thoroughbred . Apparently he is a scrambler in the float and as I have never had a horse that scrambles in the ...

ALLERGIES\COPD\HEAVES  I have an 11 year old Rocky Mountain horse who suffers from allergies\copd\heaves, whichever we choose to call it.

He is on antihistamine and Herbs ...

Barefoot Saddle Fitting  I have two horses. One has withers like a table top and the other is much more narrow. Does a barefoot saddle fit both? I have a Heather Moffett treeless ...

What Are You Feeding My Horse?  I wish more boarders would pose this question to the barn managers who are taking care of their horses.

Feeding and nutrition are huge and complicated ...

Is it okay to leave a halter on a horse?  Answer:

Have you ever seen a horse scratch behind his ear or jaw with a back hoof? It's a calculated meticulous process and there have been documented ...

How Do Horses See Things?  Humans and horses literally see things differently, and this difference can sometimes lead to problems on the trail. No doubt you've ridden on windy days ...

Bitless Bridles & Clicker Training  Hi Elaine-

Well my first question is about the bitless bridle. I was thinking of trying on both my horses, but I have been riding one in a natural halter,...

Young stallion needs leadership  I own a fantastic young New Forest pony. He's really showing character. Because his character he isn't a pony who will follow easy like a puppy.

There ...

Ears "kinda" layed back while playing with her  Hi there-

I'm not even sure which question to ask first as I have many. I do PNH with both my horses. My question is about my 5yr old OTTB. Your story ...

Re-Training A 10 Year Old Horse  Hi,
I bought a 10 yr old horse in September. I knew he was going to be a big project when I bought him as he was neglected quite severely. He was terribly ...

What are the true facts about horses and horse behavior?  I'm in awe these days having heard so many "crazy" myths about horses that I just had to share with you the facts about horses that will solve many of ...

My new horse is a tyrant!  I just bought a new gelding who will be 4yrs old in a few months. My established herd is 2 horses: lead mare is 25yrs and gelding 34yrs.

The new gelding ...

Horse bites when trained with treats  Hi!

I am a new horse owner and seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot. I have a 1 1/2 year old Miniature filly I am trying to train with treats....

Can horse's feel your heart beat?  The answer may surprise you!

Researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences recently reported that an increase in a human's heart rate ...

What about insurance?  What type do you carry for boarding,leasing,and people being on your property? Thanks Madeleine.

Answer:

Hi Madeleine,

I carry a farm policy ...

Setting Myself Up For Success  I'm a young equestrian who is very interested in alternative therapies and training. Eventually I want to be the editor of Equine Wellness Magazine and ...

Agressive Horse When Brushed or Touched  Hi I have a 5 year old, 16.3hh, chestnut Warmblood. about 2 years ago, he had a severe allergic reaction to a change in feed. (his skin became hot and ...

Are some horses just mean?  I bought a horse last year sight unseen. She is a very difficult quarter-horse. Bucks and rears often. Can't trust her. Last year she went over backwards ...