08/31/2026
As many of you know, Reverie is my yearling that I recently got with my friend, Jen Palmer. I haven’t been posting a lot because there are so many little details that I’m working on every day. Those sessions may seem insignificant in the public realm, but that foundational work is some of the most important.
Our animals are learning every day, every moment. Everything we do with our horses is a teaching moment, and those experiences can stay with them for the rest of their lives.
What I love about these young horses is how curious they are. Quite frankly, they are often so much easier than horses that have, for lack of a better term, had their curiosity diminished as they grew up.
I’ve been exploring more with cooperative care practices, a style of training often used with zoo animals that focuses on teaching animals to voluntarily participate in their own care and giving them opportunities for choice and communication.
Today, I worked on teaching Reverie to wear a fly mask, and her sister watched the entire process and wanted to be a part of it too. The whole process was incredibly easy. Reverie explored the mask and then stuck her head right into it. Before putting it on her, I played with the Velcro and made the ripping sounds so she could experience and become familiar with that sound before I took the mask off and put it back on.
Horses are always learning from their environment, and they can learn from observing their herd mates as well.
I hope the horse industry continues to grow and becomes a place where horses are encouraged to be curious and where learning is something they can enjoy. I have been absolutely loving my time with Reverie.
