The Compassionate Cowgirl

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The Compassionate Cowgirl Positive reinforcement science based horse trainer/equine behaviorist. Specializing in problem horses

11/07/2024

It can be interesting as a first evaluation, but then it's always important to consider the whole context too, in order to truly understand each single situation properly đź’™

08/15/2024

How does your horse's welfare add up?
Honestly, in real life most horses aren't going to be full hearts with everything, because reality and budgets make it hard. But we should always be working towards improvements and supporting good welfare.
https://www.empoweredequines.com/blog/welfare-assessment

04/14/2024

“My horse can’t be turned out, he’ll hurt himself!”

Well of course they will get hurt if they aren’t accustomed to being outside, filled with anxiety, and completely unprepared for life as a horse.

Can you imagine how sad it must be to be a horse and not have a clue how to “horse”? To go from stall, to arena, and to be brought in any time you run, play, move around?

I frequently get horses in training who aren’t turned out before coming here. I’ve had horses who can’t manage small hills, are afraid of trees, and panic in a light rain.

It’s quite an adjustment for them, but no horse hates turnout- they hate being unprepared and anxious. Slowly but surely they gain confidence, sure footedness , social skills, and a real, healthy, happy life as a horse.

If they aren’t used to being turned out, it’s likely they WILL hurt themselves or another horse. But keeping them locked up is no life. So what to do? The answer lies in why you have a horse: is it to develop a happy, healthy equine partner, and to help them be their best self? Or as a vehicle for competition only, at their expense? In the case of the latter, I reccomend Motorsports, or some sport where competition doesn’t require wasted horse minds and bodies.

The road to competition is often paved with lame, miserable and used up horses.

04/12/2024

Let horses be horses.

They like to get muddy and roll in the dirt.

They like to run around and play with their friends, sometimes resulting in the occasional scratch or abrasion.

They value socialization with other horses far beyond what any human can provide them, whether we want to admit to that or not.

They are well equipped to live outside and wired to cover a lot of ground each day. They get bored being cooped up without enrichment for most of their lives.

They don’t care about aesthetics like people do. They don’t care if they have a fuzzy winter coat or if they aren’t sparkling clean year round.

They don’t care if they’re not wearing a name brand saddle pad with matching brushing boots.

They don’t care how much money you spend on specialized supplements for them if they’re still going without near constant access to forage even with all of that added nutrition.

They don’t care if they have their own personal masseuse if it means they’re deprived of social interaction and space to move.

They care about having their most basic needs met.

It really doesn’t matter how many fancy and expensive add ons you offer to your horse if at their core they’re missing their basic needs.

It doesn’t matter how much money is spent on them if that money isn’t contributing to fulfilment of their basic needs.

Friends.

Freedom.

Forage. (And water, of course)

It is really that simple.

Provide these 3 crucial needs, then add on whatever else your heart desires, but let’s quit pretending care is sufficient when it doesn’t cover these basics, just because there’s a substantial amount of money put into it.

If money guaranteed basic met needs of horses, there wouldn’t be so many high value horses living lives where they’re utterly deprived of core needs.

Let your horse be a horse.

Horses are outdoor herd animals.

No matter how much our industry tries to convince you of otherwise, they absolutely suffer when kept in isolation, small and unenriching spaces and without constant access to forage.

They aren’t dolls for us to dress up and do with as we please.

They’re living beings with species specific needs that it is our duty to meet if we choose to get one.

LET đź‘Ź HORSES đź‘Ź BE đź‘Ź HORSES đź‘Ź

“The 3Fs” (Friends, Freedom, Forage) concept originally coined by Canadian Equine Behaviourist Lauren Fraser https://www.equinebehaviorist.ca

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4274 State Route 7
Hoosick Falls, NY
12090

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