Bringing a fresh perspective to the world of horses - In his work with horses and riders, Monty Roberts Certified Instructor Tom Durocher goes far beyond “horse whispering.” He helps people gain a deeper understanding of horses, and reinforces the importance of connection and the relationship with their horse.

Fine horses and Fair-Minded Riders – Modern Vaquero Horsemanship by JuliAnna Ávila is a love letter written to a long-standing tradition of Vaquero horsemanship, as it finds its way through the new world of easy-access information.

When I first began riding lessons over 30 years ago, the horse world that I experienced was staunchly devoted to negative reinforcement training, supported by a limited understanding of equine behaviour and the speed and convenience of force-based forms of horsemanship. I can safely say that the process of shedding those engrained patterns, cemented in my neural pathways by consistent use and a lack of viable alternatives, has been one of the greatest obstacles in my journey with horses. Thankfully, over the last five years, I have been bathing in alternative and less intense waters where horse training is concerned. Positive reinforcement training, known by many as R+ training, has been one of my explorations. This type of training, used commonly with dogs and other animals and now finding its way into more mainstream use with horses, uses clicker training primarily as a means of supporting learning. Clicker training uses a novel noise or word that is easily distinguishable for your horse to mark a desired behaviour, generally followed closely by a reward, typically of food. In this way you are able to shape behaviours and encourage curiousity and creativity in your horse.

Who doesn’t love a horse with a laid-back disposition, the unflappable sort, unfazed by snow skidding off the arena roof? The downside of that laid-back horse is that he’s liable to be laid-back about his rider’s aids, too.