Miniature Horsemanship - Kendra Gale

06/03/2026

Some fun memories!

06/02/2026

New pasture on a rainy day!

This was before the storm really got going - they've spent the last couple days hiding in their shelters and waiting for the help (aka me) to bring them regular deliveries of hay. Hopefully tomorrow will be nice enough to go back out to the pasture!

06/02/2026

Vodka and Hawk - couple a characters!

05/26/2026

Everybody full of beans this morning!

05/21/2026

Jazz, 31 years young

05/21/2026

Yay grass!

05/20/2026

Have you ever heard anyone say, "You can't let the horse win?"

It's such a prevalent idea in the horse world, that if things aren't going well, you can't quit, or you'll have taught the horse that he can "win" and he'll be worse next time.

But that sort of thinking, along with ideas like "being the alpha" or "showing him who's boss" just set us up to be in conflict with our horse, and that's such a shame.
It shouldn't be "us versus them" - we should always be on the same team as our horse.

If we just change our mindset, and look at our horse as a teammate, someone who's success will further our own success, imagine how much more quickly we can reach our goals.

When it's not going well, instead of getting into conflict with our horse, we could think, "how can I help them understand?" We could change our approach, try something new.

Or, we could recognize that horses are allowed to have bad days just like we are, and if it's not going well, maybe the best thing for everyone is to call it a day and try again tomorrow. Go back to something easy, or give up on formal training entirely and just spend some quite time together hand grazing or grooming or something else your horse enjoys, focusing on the relationship instead of the goals.

I get frustrated easily, so when it's not going well and I can feel a fight coming on, I say out loud, "That's not working is it! What can we do differently?" and it makes me stop thinking emotionally about "winning" and instead gets me back thinking like a teammate.

What tools do you use to make sure you're there to help your horse understand, instead of make them do what you want?

05/18/2026

05/16/2026

Horses can’t learn anything if they’re scared.

Fear prevents them from understanding, learning, remembering. Fear only lets them react. That means you might appear to have gotten what you wanted – the horse went over the tarp, or pulled the cart, or got in the trailer – but if they were reacting out of fear, they didn’t really learn it and understand it.

They could be afraid of the training tools, a new piece of equipment, a new environment, or even of their trainer, but regardless of the source of the fear, their training isn’t going to be as effective as it would be with a calm, comfortable, relaxed horse.

When a horse is afraid, he won’t remember what you were trying to teach him, but he will remember the fear. The next time he’s around that training tool, or that trailer, or that cart, all the fear will be there, but little or nothing of what you were working so hard to teach him.

Take the time to make sure your horse is comfortable and relaxed during any training. Give them time to think, and make sure they know when they’re on the right track. Teach them baby steps towards a skill, instead of jumping in at the deep end.

Go slow, and you’ll get there a whole lot faster.

Looking for help training your horse in groundwork, trick training, liberty work, driving? My online courses are on sale only til tomorrow! Use coupon code SPRUNG for 20% off.

05/14/2026

FAQs about my online courses! Have another question? I'm happy to help, let me know!

❓Do you have coupon code coming up so I can get a discount?

🐴Yes! This week only, use coupon code SPRUNG (because spring has finally sprung!) and get 20% off!

❓Do I need to be available at a certain time?

🐴 Nope! All my online courses are on demand – everything is prerecorded and you can go through the modules whenever is convenient for you.

❓Can I go through the course multiple times?

🐴 Yes, once you register, you will have access forever, so you can return to the content anytime you need to. PLUS you’ll get any future updates to the courses too, at no additional cost!

❓What if I have questions?

🐴 Just send me an email! I am happy to help with questions, clarifications, or challenges specific to your horse. And if you need more intensive help with a particular challenge, I also offer virtual consults.

❓I’m not good at technology, I’m worried I won’t be able to figure it out.

🐴I am happy to help – I’ve walked many people who say they aren’t good at technology through the process of getting registered, or tracking down lost usernames, or generating new passwords. I’m not an expert on technology either, but together we will figure it out and get you started on your course!

❓Which courses are available?

🐴 Get Started Trick Training
🐴 Introduction To Positive Reinforcement
🐴 The Groundwork Masterclass
🐴 Training Your Miniature Horse to Drive
🐴 Improving Your Miniature Driving Horse

Remember to use SPRUNG to get 20% off!