Miniature Horsemanship - Kendra Gale

Miniature Horsemanship - Kendra Gale Positive Training for Miniature Horses & Their Humans
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It’s not unusual in the horse world to hear someone say, “the horse doesn’t get to say no” or something about them being...
09/07/2025

It’s not unusual in the horse world to hear someone say, “the horse doesn’t get to say no” or something about them being “disrespectful” if they don’t want to do what they’re asked.

But there is a lot be learned when our horse tells us no.

If your horse says no, think of it as an opportunity to think about WHY they said no, and make a better plan to help them choose to say yes. Horses never say no just to ruin your day. They don’t understand what you’re asking, they’re not able to do what your asking, or something has changed that you aren’t perceiving. Stop, ask why, and make a new plan to move forward.

When your horse says no, and you stop and let them, it’s a great way to tell your horse that they have a voice, and you’re doing your best to hear them.

Horses are experts at telling if something isn’t right in their environment. Most of the time it won’t be anything actually dangerous – but it might be.

Intentionally letting your horse say no will train you to start paying attention to the small signs they’re not willing, instead of missing them and carrying on until your horse is so uncomfortable that they give you a big, explosive dangerous NO. Stay safe, listen to your horse’s no.

Knowing they CAN say no, means they’re much more likely to say YES. At first, when they understand that they can say no, you might find they say it a lot – especially if they’ve previously been in a traditional or natural horsemanship program where they didn’t have a say and had to “obey.” But the more confident they become, the more often you’ll hear yes from them – having choice and control is a powerful reinforcer.

New to giving your horse choice? Try working at liberty! That makes the NO much easier to see.

There are times we can’t let them say no, in an emergency, but most of the time we can take the time to find the yes – and their trust in us on the times we do have to insist will be much greater because of all the times we did let them make the choice.

Learn More: classroom.miniaturehorsemanship.com/ebook

09/06/2025

Frankie entered his first ever Horse Agility competition this month, his Starter Level entry scored 97/100 for 1st place!

And Rocky did great as well, scoring 94/.100 at Advanced Level, which was also good enough for 1st place in his class! I'll put a link to Rocky's entry in the comments.

This was such a fun course! The International Horse Agility Club

3 Common Mistakes People Make Training Their Miniature Horses(And I Know Because I’ve Made Them All) #1 – Asking For Too...
09/06/2025

3 Common Mistakes People Make Training Their Miniature Horses
(And I Know Because I’ve Made Them All)

#1 – Asking For Too Much Too Soon

We know what our ultimate goal is. We understand clearly where we’re going. But our horse doesn’t. When we skip steps, our horse is going to be confused or frightened or frustrated. Whether we’re teaching them a simple skill like backing up on a halter, or a complicated one like driving, we can make it so much easier (and safer) for both horse and human if we make sure to teach it in as small a steps as possible, and be very clear with our horse when we get the response we’re looking for.

As an example, often what happens when we ask our horse to back is we apply pressure to the halter, the horse takes a step back, we think, “Yay, it’s working” and keep applying pressure, but now the horse thinks “I backed up, but she kept pushing on me so I guess that was wrong” and then they go sideways, or quit, or push back, or rear, or crash into you. And then someone says they’re the problem because they don’t have enough “respect” when really they’re just super confused.

And then imagine that compounded many times over when they are introduced to harness, blinders, bit, overcheck, cart and driver all in one go – what a poor choice for the horse, and yet one we see repeated over and over again.

#2 – Using Too Much Pressure

Horses are super sensitive to the world around them. They evolved as a prey animal, they had to be hyper aware to survive. They communicate with each other through tiny changes in body position and breath.

We don’t need to use pressure as our default training approach, and we especially don’t need to use devices or escalating pressure. Anything designed to cause the horse discomfort (rope halters, whips and sticks, chains etc) is unnecessary. And if you apply pressure and don’t get the response you were looking for, that means they didn’t understand, and adding more pressure might get a reaction, but not understanding.

Training that is heavily pressure based will either be unsuccessful or will end up with a horse who does the skill, but like a robot, with no enjoyment or engagement.
Adding more pressure is just more likely to get the horse to brace against it. Work smarter, not harder.

#3 – Getting Frustrated

A frustrated trainer is a bad trainer. I have to be on my guard all the time for this, and I’m not always successful in heading it off, but I do my best.

If it’s not going well, stop! I find it helps if I say, out loud, “Well that didn’t work did it, let’s try something else!” or simply “how interesting!” and then let the horse chill out or snack while I think about a new approach. Because doing the same thing over again isn’t going to work.

“Never let the horse win” is an outdated concept that implies we are in conflict with our horse, when we are supposed to be on the same team. If we get into a fight with them, no one wins.

Try something else, go back to an earlier lesson, end on a good note, or simply walk away, but avoid frustration (both human and horse!) and conflict at all costs.

Learning about horses is a lifelong pursuit, but no matter what methods or skills you’re working on, if you’re breaking things down into baby steps, minimizing your use of pressure, and avoiding frustration, then you’re on the right track.

We, as horse people, do a lot of discussing and problem solving for how to work with fearful horses, and teach them than...
09/02/2025

We, as horse people, do a lot of discussing and problem solving for how to work with fearful horses, and teach them than being around humans is a good thing.

But it’s not uncommon, especially in Miniature Horses and especially when we’re training with positive reinforcement, to have a horse who likes to be with us so much that they prefer to be touching us all the time we’re together, which can make training challenging!

So what can we do with these “velcro horses” to gain enough distance to work together effectively, without damaging their enjoyment of their time with their human? It’s wonderful they like to be close to you so much, the last thing we want to do is chase them off and make them scared.

My favourite way to encourage a horse to be less “cozy” is to work with them through obstacles.

Have the horse weave a line of cones or go between a pair of barrels, while you stay outside. Have them walk over a tarp, or poles, while you go alongside.

This is going to work best if you aren’t micromanaging them – give them a loose leadrope (or even better, work at liberty) and give them a chance to take responsibility for completing the obstacle without you directing their every step.
This makes them think more about what they’re doing and less about keeping contact with you!

Obstacles also naturally help them gain confidence, as long as they are introduced the right way (ie, you never ever push, pull or drag your horse through them), and velcro horses often lack confidence, that’s why they stay so close to their big brave human.

It won’t happen overnight, but the more you can encourage them to step away to work through a fun challenge like an obstacle, the more they’ll realize that you’re still working together, even if you’re not glued together, and that the truth is it’s a lot easier that way too.

If you’re looking for help with obstacle training and many other groundwork skills, check out the Groundwork Masterclass!

https://classroom.miniaturehorsemanship.com/register/groundwork-masterclass/

📷 2 Year Old Sparkle showing how she can negotiate an obstacle without being right next to Kendra - photo by

Miniature foals are small. It’s easy to grab them and get a halter on them. It’s easy to drag them from point a to point...
08/28/2025

Miniature foals are small. It’s easy to grab them and get a halter on them. It’s easy to drag them from point a to point b.

But we can do better than that.

First of all, an approach of “get the halter on and let them figure out they can’t get away” isn’t building very good early experiences with training or with humans. These first skills they learn can impact their willingness to engage and participate in future training for their entire lives.

Second, they CAN get hurt. Many years ago we had a yearling spook while trying to take his halter off, flip over backwards, hit his head, and die. A baby foal flopping around at the end of a lead rope definitely can get injured.

In case it’s helpful, here’s what I do.

First, I don’t start right away. Babies need to learn horse things first. And then they need to learn that I am super fun for scratching and snuggles. Until baby is willing to walk up to me for scratches nearly every time I crouch down in his vicinity, he’s not ready to start halter training.

Second, I make full use of a routine. That is, every day I lead the mare out to the pasture, and every night back to her stall and the baby follows along. If you don’t bring your mare and foal in at night, you could easily create this routine by leading the mare on a daily walk around the pasture. But starting halter training works so much smoother when baby already knows where you’re going and mommy is an active participant. There have been studies that show that foals seeing their dam being calm about routine handling is more effective than actually handling the foal in the first weeks of life. This routine ahead of halter training will make a big difference.

I usually start haltering them to go out to pasture when they turn too independent and no longer follow mommy, and instead go zooming off around the farm and I have to stand there in the gate and wait for 10 minutes til they decide to come back. 😉 This varies depending on the foal, but usually anywhere from 2-6 weeks of age. I see no reason to halter them prior to 2 weeks of age. They need to be babies first before trying to learn anything but “humans aren’t scary”.

I put the halter on in the midst of a snuggle session in the stall. I may have to gently hold them at first, but usually very quickly they figure out that halter on means they’re headed outside for playtime and they stand quietly.

I use a long, 10’ lead. If possible, have one person lead the mare and another the foal, but I am usually on my own with both and it works that way too. The goal is not to LEAD the foal at first, but simply to allow him to follow the mare and get used to the idea that you are now attached to each other. Do your very best to avoid any pressure on the leadrope, unless necessary to keep baby safe. If you do end up in a tug of war (you probably will at some point, despite your best efforts), then as soon as baby is standing safely release the pressure on the lead. We don’t need to WIN the tug of war – in this case, winning means a loose lead rope. We want to avoid teaching baby to pull at all costs. I don’t pull on you, you don’t pull on me, that’s the name of the game.

If baby stops, I stop. Wait a few seconds, he’ll probably start walking again, if not, walk the mare a tiny bit (don’t let her get far away though, we want calm baby, not frantic to get back to mommy baby!) If he doesn’t move, since I already have established “come to me for scratches” I’ll crouch down and call him over for a snuggle and reset.

Gates are a challenge, and where baby is most likely to get hurt bouncing off a fencepost if they do panic and pull back. Be cautious and remember that the more you try to control the baby, the more likely things are to go wrong. Give him space as much as possible, give him time, and offer him lots of scratches when he does come to you and mommy on the other side of the gate.

Getting the halter off without the handy barrier of his bedtime stall can also be a challenge. Again, I do my best to avoid manhandling him to do so. I get down on my knees and scratch my way to the halter buckle, and if he jumps or wiggles I allow him to move away and start over. Initially it can take four or five tries and a lot of patience, but it will get easier and easier, and taking your time in the early stages is definitely worth it!

I love the routine of haltering daily for turnout as halter training, because then it quickly just becomes a thing that happens every day. I do my best to maintain my “don’t pull on the baby” rule, as I never want to teach them to pull against halter pressure, and instead simply learn that we are moving places together as a team.

As they get more confident, I’ll even use this turning out time to start teaching trotting on the halter (much easier with mom still along too!)

With consistent routine, lots of patience and no pressure or pulling, before you know it, you’ll have a baby who leads with you confidently!

It’s a great policy to learn from everyone you can, but you do have to use your critical thinking. I’ve come across a fe...
08/22/2025

It’s a great policy to learn from everyone you can, but you do have to use your critical thinking. I’ve come across a few “red flags” that let me know this instructor isn’t going to be for me:

Dominant - If an instructor or clinician explains a horse’s behaviour by labeling them as dominant, it’s a sure sign that they’re not my kind of horse person. I don’t want to dominate my horse, I want them to be a partner, with a voice and a say in how we move forward. Any time I hear this, or, heaven forbid, the ubiquitous, “Show him who’s boss.” I know it’s not for me.

Gimmicks and Shortcuts - Touting the use of “tools” like draw reins, or saying you need to buy their training stick/long lines/halter that’s actually a nerve line/insert gimmick here. No thanks. Anything that’s going to create an artificial frame or movement, or give me control through pain, is not a shortcut I want to take.

Systems - Horses don’t follow rules, and every horse is an individual – you’ll notice, in my Groundwork Masterclass (link in bio!), the first thing you do is try and figure out your horse’s personality type, to help you see how to approach teaching them. Any trainer who sells a system that is supposed to work on every horse is a huge red flag to me. Some poor horses are going to be in for a very unpleasant situation, as their little square peg self is forced into the same round hole.

Respect - While respect doesn’t sound like a bad thing, in my experience it usually means the same thing as “dominant.” It’s always, “he needs to respect your space” or “your horse has to respect you” – which is all a slippery slope back to, “show him who’s boss.” Unless they’re talking about respecting our horse, and listening to what they tell us, I don’t want to hear about respect.

Why? - If someone suggests a course of action to you, regarding training, or equipment, or feeding, or really any aspect of horsemanship, and can’t tell you WHY then that might be the biggest red flag of all. Understand the why, and you’ll do right by your horse.

Did I miss any? What makes you uncomfortable when you’re listening to a new instructor? What tells you that this approach isn’t going to be right for you?

Make the most of the summer while it lasts with a Miniature Horse Adventure! Join us on the farm just 10 minutes North o...
08/21/2025

Make the most of the summer while it lasts with a Miniature Horse Adventure!

Join us on the farm just 10 minutes North of Cochrane for your very own Miniature Horse Adventure!

We have a herd of over 50 friendly Miniature Horses. Many are current or retired show horses, and they love to meet visitors and show off their special skills!

Here's some of the activities you could participate in as a part of your Adventure!

🐎 Meet the Herd
Start your Adventure by meeting the whole herd - wander through to pet and make friends with everyone, hear all their stories, and decide who you'd like to play with today! You can also visit with our goats, ducks and chickens for a full farm experience.

🐎 Basic Skills & Safety
You don't need any previous horse experience - we'll get you started on the right foot with a brief lesson in communicating with your horse, and how to stay safe.

🐎 Grooming
Brushing is a great way to start bonding with your new friend. Find their favourite brush, and favourite spot to be brushed. And you're welcome to braid their mane and tail too if you'd like - you can even add some sparkle!

🐎 Horse Agility Obstacles
Challenge you and your new Miniature Horse friend with an agility course. Over, under and through, you'll be impressed how brave and surefooted they can be! You'll learn to be a good team mate too, as horse and human need to work together to complete the course.

🐎 Tricks
Many of our herd love to show off their tricks - in fact, you'll probably see quite a few when you Meet The Herd! And if your chosen horse for the Adventure has any special tricks, we'll make sure to teach you how to ask them to perform so you can get photos and videos!

🐎 Jumping
Many of our Miniature Horses love to jump! We'll teach you how to set them up for success and soon you'll have them flying over the jumps - another great photo op, and demonstration of your new partnership!

🐎 Nature Walk
We can each take a horse and go for a walk. Take turns letting your horse decide where to go, or finding the best bits of grass for them to take a snack break! Enjoy the beautiful mountain views and do some birdwatching too - we also regularly spot coyotes, deer, moose, and elk!

Miniature Horse Adventures aren't just for kids! There's no age limit on pony fun!
With so many horses, all of whom can choose whether they want to be involved or not, and each with their own special interests and talents, every Adventure is unique!

What To Bring:

Make sure to wear closed toed shoes (both to prevent squished toes, and because farms aren't the cleanest for bare feet!)

Dress for the weather. If it's going to be too rainy or cold, we're happy to postpone and reschedule to a nicer day!

Whatever you need for an hour of outdoor activity - water, sunscreen, hat.

Your camera or phone - take as many photos of your adventure as you like!


How to Book:

Introductory Price: $60 for a one hour Adventure.

Includes up to four people.

Have a larger group? We can do that too, reach out to the email below for a quote!

Email [email protected] to book your Miniature Horse Adventure!

This weekend Finnegan and Wish got to go to the Priddis & Millarville Fair and teach lots of people how much fun Miniatu...
08/19/2025

This weekend Finnegan and Wish got to go to the Priddis & Millarville Fair and teach lots of people how much fun Miniature Horses are! They made lots of new friends and had a great time!

On Friday we lost our beautiful Toybox Barbie Doll. Barbie was an exceptional broodmare, a larger than life personality,...
08/18/2025

On Friday we lost our beautiful Toybox Barbie Doll.

Barbie was an exceptional broodmare, a larger than life personality, and she's left a big hole in our herd. Barbie was just 19 years old, and had been a member of our family since she was 6 months old.

Our thanks, as always go to the exceptional team at Burwash Equine Services for making sure that Barbie was seen and cared for so quickly. We don't always get to know why when something like this happens, but this time we did; Barbie had lymphoma, and knowing that there was nothing we could've done to save her is a small comfort.

08/14/2025

Here's a short clip from my Improving Your Miniature Driving Horse online course. This is from the module on Transitions. In each module, you'll find one video on theory, with me explaining all the concepts and exercises, and then another like the one in this clip, with a view of the driving horse both from the side, AND the cart, and my commentary of exactly what's happening - when went well, what didn't, and what I'm going to change to see an improvement next time!

All of my teaching videos are "real life" - I don't just show you the perfect moments, because that wouldn't be helpful. Everything is as it happens, no editing.

And if you're like me, and learn best by reading, I also include written instructions, including diagrams of exercises, harness fit checklists, and more.

Let me know if you'd like more information, I'll send you the link!

A few photos from the WCMHC Show last weekend! * Family Showmanship Challenge! 8 family members (some brand new to showm...
08/13/2025

A few photos from the WCMHC Show last weekend!

* Family Showmanship Challenge! 8 family members (some brand new to showmanship, some who hadn't entered in decades), 3 horses, 4 showmanship classes.

* Rocky won Grand Champion Stock Horse!

* Our three pretty show horses: Circle J On The Rocks, Circle J Qatiana, and Circle J Finnegan, who also was awarded Judge's Choice, for being the horse the judge would most like to take home with her.

* Costume Fun

It is always a fun day when Cindy Peacock - Animal Trainer brings her apprentices out to learn about Miniature Horses! A...
08/06/2025

It is always a fun day when Cindy Peacock - Animal Trainer brings her apprentices out to learn about Miniature Horses!

And Stephanie Ivy Photography was there to beautifully capture all the fun too!

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