In this episode Sooz Foster (check out previous episodes for her bio) and I dig down into patterns and how they can help us help our horses. Adapted from Leslie McDevitt's pattern games for dogs, these simple devices can ease anxiety for you and your horse especially for horses that struggle to leave home because of separation based anxiety. 

Apologies for some sound issues from Sooz at the start and interruptions from my dogs- real life problems!

You can get in touch via my website https://www.equine.training/equine-training-podcast/ on Facebook or Instagram and you can find my online courses at understandhorses.com, sign up for news of my upcoming interactive online course- six weeks of lectures and feedback on your training!

Find people mentioned in this episode:

Sooz Foster at https://www.facebook.com/sfequine

Leslie McDevitt at http://www.controlunleashed.net/

Touchy about targets? No, really I'm not! I just love good, careful and clean teaching of handheld target behaviours (and all other behaviours of course). Targets are often used to lure forward movement- again I have no issue with this WHEN DONE WELL. Listen while I ramble through my thoughts on the subject and gather your own thoughts too. Who is targeting for? When should handheld target training be part of your plans?  More to come in future episodes: how to train handheld targets, targets as lures, undoing the damage when targets go wrong, cues to help when targeting, mats (and other objects) as a target... Send me your training tips for targeting, share your target pics and video on the Lead a Horse to Water FB page!! My piece on targets written for the IAABC Journal 

Find me at equine.training on Facebook and Instagram

Thank you all for the amazing support and for listening in. Please reinforce me as you see fit by sharing this episode and by getting in touch with any questions, suggestions or just to say you've listened! You can get in touch via my website https://www.equine.training/equine-training-podcast/ on Facebook or Instagram and you can find my online courses at understandhorses.com Email me (contact via my website) or message me - I WILL  get back to you. Fire your suggestions at me for future podcast themes, guests and  questions you'd like answering or just let me know how your training and behaviour change is going. In this episode (7) I was joined by Dr Dorothy Heffernan to talk about improving behaviour issues and welfare through changed management and enrichment. This is a topic close to both Dorothy and my hearts but it is an immense subject so do check out the links below to Dorothy's Facebook page, Horse's Under Our Skin, and to the resources she recommended. Dorothy can be contacted through her Facebook page. Dorothy is a psychologist based in Scotland who applies her knowledge of learning, cognition and neuroscience to help horse guardians improve their horses’ lives through a changed approach to management, training and environment. She uses a force-free approach to training and enjoys making science fun and relatable. Since 2013, she has written a blog about horse behaviour, Horses Under Our Skin, helping people understand why their horses act the way they do. She is an endorsed trainer of the World Bitless Association and helps horse owners transition to bitless riding using positive reinforcement techniques. In addition, she works with horse, pony and donkey owners using an evidence-based approach to resolving behaviour issues from handling, riding, transporting and husbandry problems.  She has been a chartered member of the British Psychological Society for nearly 20 years. In the podcast Dorothy recommended Rachael Draaisma's book Language Signs Calming Signals Horses and The Equicentral System Contact Dorothy via https://www.facebook.com/HorsesUnderOurSkin

In this episode I speak to Andrea Harrison about positive training and adopting a growth mindset. It's a good one! I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it. Andrea is an educator who is passionate about all species, including horses, dogs and humans! She has taken her positive message to the media many times, including appearances on TV shows, print radio, podcasts and more. Andrea has worked with a wide variety of people as an educator for decades. The science of brain research fascinates her. Helping students of all ages be successful, reduce anxiety and stress and manage their time by using her training in counselling, personality typing, and experiences matters to her. Her competitive addictions are now dressage and scent work, though agility and eventing will always have a special place in her heart. Andrea and her animals have earned many ribbons and titles together. Her super star dog Sally was the canine lead in the feature film “Saving Dinah". Andrea attained B level Pony Club before aging out and then completed her Level one coaching certification. A passionate life learner one of her favourite parts of teaching (and coaching) is the learning it allows her to do. You can find out more about Andrea and what she is up to at www.andreaharrison.ca and you can find her on Facebook and check out the Heart Equine Academy and look for her Planning and Organization for Dog and Horse Trainers and Animal Sports People on Facebook too. The Brene Brown short animated video is here The power of empathy I'd highly recommend checking it out, at less than 3 minutes it is a great place to start resetting your growth mindset.

You can get in touch via my website https://www.equine.training/equine-training-podcast/ on Facebook or Instagram and you can find my online courses at understandhorses.com

Give me a clue! Is that a cue? 

In this episode Sooz Foster and I dig deep into the topic of cues. What is a cue? When do we introduce a cue? What does a suitable cue look like? Is the environment a cue? And lots more!

It's rather a long episode as we begin to unravel our thoughts on cues and it might need a couple of listens. 

I mention in the podcast Understand Horses which is a new online equine education platform. You can find my current course here Understand Horses 

Sooz Foster is a BHS stage 4 senior coach and stable manager she is also a ride with your mind accredited level 1 coach and certified Franklin ball coach and is currently studying behaviour with the Natural Animal Centre. She lives and works in North Devon in the South west of England. Find Sooz on Facebook at SF Equine 

Thank you all for the amazing support and for listening in. Please reinforce me as you see fit by sharing this episode and by getting in touch. You can get in touch via my website https://www.equine.training/equine-training-podcast/ on Facebook or Instagram and you can find my online courses at understandhorses.com.  Email me  or message me on Anchor or via the podcast FB page - I will to get back to you. Fire your suggestions at me for future podcast themes, guests and  questions you'd like answering or just let me know how your training and behaviour change is going.

In this episode (episode 4, I'm on a roll)  I answer a listener's question about how to introduce movement behaviour using reward based training. It's a typical scenario where we have trained a good stand calmly behaviour only to find when we want to introduce movement (walk on) our horse is stuck. I talk through some different training protocols to help if you find yourself in the same situation.

Thank you all for the amazing support and for listening in. Please reinforce me as you see fit by sharing this episode and by getting in touch with any questions, suggestions or just to say you've listened!

You can get in touch via my website https://www.equine.training/equine-training-podcast/ on Facebook or Instagram and you can find my online courses at understandhorses.com Email me (contact via my website) or message me - I will get back to you. Fire your suggestions at me for future podcast themes, guests and  questions you'd like answering or just let me know how your training and behaviour change is going.

In this episode of the podcast I'm in conversation with Jenny Eicher from Equine Centred.

Jenny has been involved with horses her whole life. She has a BSc in psychology doing her dissertation on foals understanding of human given cues.

After graduating from university, Jenny went on to train as a Counsellor, Psychotherapist and Equine Therapist. She also studied Applied Equine Behaviour to instructor level in groundwork and qualified as an Equine Behaviourist having completed the  Natural Animal Centre Equine Behaviour Qualification.

A lifetime around horses  and a passion for learning have lead Jenny to study natural horsemanship and most recently positive reinforcement and clicker training.

In addition to her business Equine Centred through which  she teaches and promotes standards of equine management and training in line with LIMA, Jenny has worked in the field of Equine Therapy and Counselling for 10 years as Programme Director for IFEEL  who provide qualifications for Equine Facilitated Human Development and Psychotraumatology, for the Dare to Live Trust Charity as an Equine facilitator working with military veterans and she also runs a human counselling private practice, Integrated Psychotherapeutic Solutions.

Jenny combines all this with caring for her two horses and a busy family life with her young son.

To sign up for the FREE Positive Equine Conference which takes place between 17th and 30th October visit the website and make sure to sign up before October 17th 2020.

I personally look forward to speaking to you at the conference on Sunday 25th October at 7.00pm GMT

LIMA and humane hierarchy as mentioned by Jenny.

You can get in touch via my website https://www.equine.training/equine-training-podcast/ on Facebook or Instagram and you can find my online courses at understandhorses.com

In this episode Sooz Foster and I discuss her crossover from traditional to positive reinforcement trainer and the joy that horses bring us even without the opportunity of riding. We talk about the importance of considering pain and physical issues before putting a training plan in place and Sooz shares her horse, Teddy's, journey. A BHS stage 4 senior coach and stable manager, Sooz is also a ride with your mind accredited level 1 coach and certified Franklin ball coach and is currently studying behaviour with the Natural Animal Centre. She lives and works in North Devon in the South west of England. Find Sooz on Facebook at SF Equine https://www.facebook.com/sfequine/  Check out her video of Teddy and the mounting block that we talked about in this episode https://www.facebook.com/sfequine/videos/604146673601610/ Apologies for some slight sound problems from Sooz's connection.

You can get in touch via my website https://www.equine.training/equine-training-podcast/ on Facebook or Instagram and you can find my online courses at understandhorses.com

Trudi Dempsey introducing myself (with some trepidation) to my potential six guests (OK if it's less than six I promise not to cry). Who am I, where did I come from and where am I going (someone tell me please)? Answering two of my most asked questions regarding positive reinforcement training. I'm a certified horse behaviour consultant with the IAABC offering consultations in the South West of England and evidence based training in person and online.  Fire your suggestions at me for future podcast themes, guests and  questions you'd like answering or just let me know how your training and behaviour change is going. You can get in touch via my website https://www.equine.training/equine-training-podcast/ on Facebook or Instagram and you can find my online courses at understandhorses.com

Mentions in the podcast: Writtle Uni BSc (Hons) Equine Behavioural Science and Natural Animal Centre