Meet The Charge Horsemanship

04/21/2026

Spring fever around here means that it’s new horse time! 🤭

Welcome home, Mr. Rawhide! What a full circle moment — Dusty Rawhide and Erika spent many hours together in the saddle at Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch nearly ten years ago. When it was time for him to retire from that life, he found his way to Colorado Horse Rescue through the gift of the Annie Project. Now, he’s finally home with his forever herd.

03/30/2026

03/28/2026

Even with winter bellies, this kiddo never ceases to amaze with her willingness to please! She’ll be asking for adventures this summer if we’re not careful!

03/28/2026

The present study shows that maternal presence beyond early life remains crucial for brain, behavioural and physiological development in young horses, highlighting the importance of the mother–offspring relationship during a childhood-like stage.

03/23/2026

There’s recently been some really interesting research on separation anxiety in horses.

There is not a lot of study done about this and it makes sense to be able to observe and describe behaviours and contexts, in order to make a diagnosis and then further, to make a plan to help the horse and their human caretaker.

From the study:

"The term “separation anxiety” would seem to refer to a poorly defined syndrome (presenting complaint) without a single clearly defined mechanistic basis, which makes it of limited diagnostic value if we wish to offer precise interventions to help. Consequently, it is not surprising that horse owners report that they have difficulties managing horses with signs of separation anxiety (Hartmann et al., 2011). Agreeing on and validating definitions of conditions is not only an essential prerequisite to high-quality research but also to practical treatment, management and promoting good welfare."

Separation anxiety is probably one of the most common issues most horse people face.

I literally cut and paste a very long description of what it is and a training/ conditioning approach I recommend, to help people with this issue. Questions around this come up very regularly in horse training groups.

Therefore it’s really fantastic to see this research.

The list of behaviours in this context is also very long and comprehensive.

It’s a very interesting read!

This diagram shows the 8 different contexts that were identified, where we can see behaviours relating to distress from separation.

You can read the research in the comments.

11/06/2025

Let’s learn to listen to the whispers.

Behavior escalates when the horse isn’t feeling ‘heard’.

If you want to get better at noticing subtle indicators 🚩 before they get louder- you need to focus on behavior and observation.

In the Equine Wellness Academy we have lessons dedicated solely to this.

Registration info in the comments👇👇

08/20/2025

ARE YOU OVERFILLING THE CUP?

In animal behavior when referring to a stress threshold it can be compared to the ability of an object to hold something.

A stress threshold is a point at which the animal (or human) can no longer handle a stressor without negative behaviors becoming apparent.

The stressor becomes manageable to unmanageable.

This is why is can seem that a horse “suddenly” has a meltdown or explosion.

Their cup overflowed. It’s not usually that a sudden burst of water enters the cup, a traumatic event would be an example of that.

In everyday life/ training it’s that the water is being added in increments. Sometimes it’s added slower or faster, however, the water is on.

Anything that is a stressor to that specific animal adds to the cup. The cup will either be emptied on purpose through emotional regulation and deescalation OR through a meltdown. The brain can no longer cope and had to release the stress.

Each animal will be able to handle a different amount of stressors. There’s no specific threshold amount. The amount can also be adjusted higher or lower. If a nervous system is constantly safe the bigger the threshold/cup. If their nervous system is constantly in survival mode the smaller the cup.

We can see this in our own lives. That’s why some people are seemingly short tempered, others patient. Or why when life events happen they seem out of character.

This is why utilizing training methods that prioritize the nervous system as well as caring for their environment in ways that help decrease stress levels is so important.

That’s why you often find that just changing the environment for a horse that is used to things like isolation, lack of forage and freedom can make them seem like a whole different horse. Without any training necessary. That’s why it’s important when behavioral specialist/scientists point out a horses care. It’s not just a “different style” it has very real effects.

It’s also why training with stress isn’t beneficial. You’ll often hear the statements- “they need stress to grow”.
When truly it’s not that the stress that allows growth, it’s the ability to handle the stressors in ways that don’t make them erupt to release the pressure.

Staying under threshold doesn’t mean never asking your horse to do challenging things. It means we are asking at times the have the capacity to meet the demands of said challenge. Whether that be in the next training session or months down the line- the only one who can deem themselves ready is the learner.

By working with our horse at their pace we allow them to truly move forwards without the holes we often find in training that come from rushing.

06/17/2025

If it works for dragons, it’ll work for horses!

Why is the dragon training world so much further ahead in training?

Seriously though, did you know dragons are trained with Positive Reinforcement and Fear- Free Training? Hiccup Horrendous Haddock lll, the dragon master, is a Positive Reinforcement trainer / Dragon Behaviourist.

Want to be like the dragon master himself?
Here’s how:

Hiccup spends a large amount of time doing a behavioural assessment of Toothless. Here are some of Hiccups techniques:

Systematic Desensitization:

Hiccup uses systematic desensitization (combined with some counterconditioning) to touch toothless for the first time. Hiccup begins to get Toothless habituated to his presence and slowly moves closer and closer until he can touch Toothless for the first time. Being sure not to use flooding or push him over threshold.

Finding the right reinforcement (reinforcement assessment):

Hiccup spends a lot of time trying to sort out what Toothless finds reinforcing. During this process he learns that:

•Toothless’ favourite fish, noting which ones he likes the best and which ones he hates (eels)
•Where he prefers to be scratched (behind the ears then under the chin)
•Learns he loves “Dragon Nip” (cat nip for dragons)

Counterconditioning:

Hiccup uses counterconditioning to train Toothless to wear a saddle and gear for flying. Eventually resulting in him being able to ride and fly with Toothless.

No punishment or force is involved with the training of Toothless despite the fact that it’s against viking tradition (sound familiar?). Not only is Toothless trained with Positive Reinforcement, Hiccup is able to generalize what he has gained from training Toothless and applied that knowledge across the many subspecies of dragons. In the end Hiccup shows his entire village that their previous methods, which had been used for centuries, is unneeded and the village becomes a Dragon Utopia.

We should take note from the Dragon Training world. In fact, dragons are arguably more dangerous than anything we could possibly train so if Dragons can be trained with Force Free Methods, so can your animals!

** I should remind everyone that this is a CHILDREN’S movie and this post is made in good fun.. please don’t take training advice from random cartoon characters**

04/17/2025

Alpha theory is outdated. Period. Whether it be wolves or horses, it has no practical application in social relationships.

The concept of a fixed "alpha" horse leading a herd through dominance has evolved significantly in recent years.

The term "alpha" is increasingly seen as misused and outdated when describing horse behaviour (similar to its decline in wolf science).

Historically, the "alpha" horse was perceived as holding a permanent top rank, claiming priority access to resources like food, water, and preferred locations, and asserting dominance by chasing subordinate horses.

This belief extended into human-horse interactions, with some training philosophies advocating that handlers must establish themselves as the "alpha" to gain the horse's respect and obedience and methods interpreted as the horse 'accepting' the human trainer as its leader.

Contrary to traditional beliefs that only the highest-ranked or oldest horses in a group lead, research demonstrates that any horse can initiate movement.

As for the concept of humans as alpha leaders - this brings its own set of problems. This approach relies on anthropomorphism, transferring human concepts like authority onto horses, which can lead to training techniques that elicit fear, over clear, consistent communication.

Adapted from: Equitation Science, 2nd edition - written by Andrew McLean, Paul McGreevy, Janne Whinther Christensen & Uta König von Borstel

Available for purchase on our website!

03/30/2025

The equine brain is a remarkable organ weighing around 0.6 kg. or 0.1% of the horse's body weight. Despite its relatively small size, the brain is highly capable of processing information and adapting to new situations.

Horses exhibit strong abilities in four cognitive areas:

1. Memory: Horses have excellent 'photographic-like' memory, capable of remembering experiences, people, and places for extended periods.

2. Social Intelligence: Horses are adept at reading body language and emotions, both of other horses and humans.

3. Problem-solving: Horses can learn through trial and error and are particularly good at solving problems related to safety and finding food.

4. Learning: Horses learn quickly through repetition and rewards, associating actions with outcomes.

By understanding the unique aspects of equine cognition and brain function, we can work in harmony with the horse's natural learning abilities.