Horsin' Around the Northeast

06/07/2025

Hope everyone had a wonderful July 4th Holiday! We have been sooo busy now that the weather is not rainy!
First a Nelson update: Nelson has his own run in and pasture with the little blind mini Bucky. Bucky can't be on the large acreage obviously. With all of the rain this Spring we were unable to put them into there pasture until now. So they have been moved. That said, it kind of messes up my training plan! But the run in has a sliding door on it so I hope to be able to pick up where we left off soon! I will keep you updated with pics in the near future.
We spent 30 years in New England on a dirt road in the woods surrounded by 500 acres of State forest. Loved the area there! However now that we are back in Upstate NY, I think what I missed the most while in MA were all of the farms and sooo much open land and beautiful fields!! It has been a nail biting Spring. Farmers unable to get hay dried or in. Now they struggle with 90 degree heat as they scramble. All of us horse owners are so darn lucky to have people out there still willing to do this job and get us the hay that we need for our animals. I must have past a half dozen farms this week with guys in the boiling sun working the land. They are so appreciated!!

03/07/2025

Finally the rain has stopped long enough to get some work done!
Having a lunch break after picking tractor bucket loads of rocks!

26/06/2025

NELSON'S PLAN!
Love the ideas and comments! It shows me that horse handlers out there are really thinking about "Communicating" with the animal! So if you know Scherri, you know that my passion is Horse Agility and that form of training holds a huge value. You also know that when it comes to communicating with a horse I like to Think Outside of the Box!
Nelson has has little handling and no Horse Agility training at all. That said my Step 1, is to practice some leading exercises. Working with that slack rope with the "Smile" in it. Letting him know that no one is holding or directing his head. He is learning what I want from cues and using voice and body language.
Nelson has done very well. Learning to walk off, keep a pretty darn steady even pace, stop and back when asked without any use of the rope. He isn't quite at my side where he should be yet but is not lagging behind so I am proud of his accomplishment!!
Next we will introduce an obstacle. I am not even concerned with the stall doorway at this point. I have a maze set up. Without Agility training and not directing his head with the lead, this is more of a challenge than it appears. So our next step--Step 2 will be to work on this obstacle by breaking it down in baby steps. See where I'm headed with this?? I want the horse interested in the obstacle and performing the task rather than worrying about the stall doorway. I bet you all can now guess what my Step 3 will be!! But first we work on Step 2 and practice more leading exercises too!
SIDE NOTE- The LITTLE in the pictures is BUCKY. A blind mini with deformities. We will show case and tell more about Bucky in the near future!

15/06/2025

WHAT WOULD SCHERRI DO??
That's what I want you to tell me! In my last video post you met the Hackney pony Nelson. I showed how with consistent cuing during regular barn work, Nelson learned some manners as well as how to Target!
Well Nelson has a bad habit we need to work on. My heart stopped a second the first time I watched my uncle let Nelson out of the stall. His stall opens to a barnyard paddock and when the door opens Nelson shoots out like a bullet! You cant hold on him, you just get out of the way! Unsafe and dangerous behavior!!
So I want to work on that with this farm horse. I have a plan in place. What do you think it is? You know me? Know how I think and train? Watch the 8 second video of Nelson then in the comments, tell me WHAT WOULD SCHERRI DO! Let's have fun and see if anyone can guess my plan or come close. We may need to send a prize if you can figure it out!

10/06/2025

NAH, I'M WAITING UNTIL THE SADDLES COME OUT!! LOL

07/06/2025

TRAINING WITHOUT TRYING---BEING CONSISTENT IS THE SECRET!
Every day you lay eyes on your horse, he is learning from you. If you are mindful of this and consistent with your actions, your horse can learn a great deal of positive things!!--during your barn time and without a lot of effort! I showed how a horse can learn just by being in his environment with my pasture exercises. In this video we head to the barnyard to show how a shy, super reactive horse became calm and mannerly.
I like to train with a clicker and target to start with. But in my every day chores I don't run around with them in my hands. So we improvise. Every time I pass Nelson I say the verbal cue "Touch". I hold out an item-usually one he is shy of (which was everything in the beginning). On every little "try" (a curious nose toward the item) I reward until he gets brave enough to touch the item.
As the daily chores continues the items change. Nelson learns to trust me more and more. He becomes calmer and braver and less crazy reactive! The verbal reward "Good Boy" is combined with the food reward so he learns that those words means he did well. I also start to use touch rewards by rubbing his face. Once he becomes comfortable with his tasks we can wean out the food rewards.
Manners were taught on a daily basis as well. My hand held up and a verbal "Whoa" means you are not allowed any farther into my space. If he moved in, I upped my energy with both cues. To back Nelson out of my space I started by standing tall, verbal cue "Back" and marching forward as I do a swishing back motion with my hands. He now backs respectfully and easily without me ever needing to touch him.
In the video my uncle had put a halter on Nelson but I have never haltered or put a lead on him at this point. My work this winter was all done loose in his environment and the improvement was huge!
P.S. I did not have my tripod for this video so the first part you see my feet a lot while I talk--I'm a tad better with horses than cameras!

21/05/2025

EASY PASTURE EXERCISE #2 I AM YOUR SAFE LEADER!
Every horse wants a safe leader. Their instinct is to trust, be willing and follow that Alpha Mare that will keep them safe no matter what. Your role as the horse's handler is to become that SAFE LEADER. Horse Agility is a sport that instills this routinely. The task asked may be scary or uncomfortable for the horse at first. But with your training the horse learns that you kept them safe! They increase their trust and respect for you.
An abused or neglected horse wants the same exact thing. A strong safe leader. That is their instinct. People say to me "My horse could be a good Agility horse, she isn't afraid of anything" or "I could never do Agility; my horse is a rescue and very fearful." The truth is EVERY HORSE wants that safe leader and can do agility! I took a fearful rescue that was not able to be homed and started Agility work with her. This little mare was so receptive and excited to have what an equine wants that I went on to compete with her, and she scored a perfect 100 score in her first competition! She also found a wonderful forever home!!!
The following video is an easy peasy exercise to do in the pasture that helps instill in the horse that you are that safe leader by taking on the role of the Alpha Mare!

09/05/2025

FARM HORSES AND PASTURE EXERCISES
When I started to work with Mulie, she was wild as can be and had no use for me or trust in me. In my book TRAINING MULIE FROM WILD TO WORLD CHAMPION (sold on amazon), I explained how I started to think outside of the box to communicate with her. To start work with Mulie, I came up with a couple of "Pastrure Exercises" that were not only successful with the Mule, but turned out to get some pretty amazing results with other horses too!
I am using these exercises to begin work with the farm horses that have had next to no handling or training.
EXERCISE 1 : PASTURE EXERCISE TO INSTILL TRUST
Where is a horse the most comfortable?? In his own environment! This is where I am going to start with these horses. What am I going to do?? NOTHING!! THAT'S IT! How easy was that?? I actually videoed this exercise but it was so boring with nothing to show that I didn't post it!
Here's the thing--to communicate with a horse you need to THINK LIKE A HORSE. A horse is a prey animal. All of it's instincts say safety and survival is the most important thing to them. They watch for predators all of the time. Now what do people do? They go into the horse's environment where they are comfortable and REMOVE them to work or train. A horse is a herd animal. He depends on others in the herd to help watch for safety. If one horse pops his head up and looks alert at something he sees, you bet the others do the same.
So I walk out into the horse's pasture (or wherever they are comfortable), and hang with the herd. I don't stare or make eye contact, I don't try to touch them or invade their space, I simple am present in their environment as one of the herd. By doing this a short period of time now and again, the horse becomes comfortable with you around; you become one of the herd gang and they begin to trust you. Sound silly?? If you think so, remember we are thinking like equines not people. This easy peasy, hang with the herd exercise will go a long way down the road trust me!!
I do carry a lounge whip with me as a tool to have control. A horse must be invited into my space and I must allow it into my space. I don't want a horse moving my feet--I want the ability to move their feet. So go out into your pasture, paddock, or wherever your equine is,( If you only have 1 horse; great, now you are a "herd" )and start instilling trust by being present in their comfortable environment!
Pictures of me hanging in the pasture with the gang.

02/05/2025

FARM UPDATE---OUR EXCLUSIVE HIGH TECH WATERING SYSTEM!!!

No more hoses or hydrants!! Need water for the horses? We have what is called a "HAND PUMP"!! Yup, pump that water right out of the ground! How amazing is that!!
Back in the day, gutter systems were used to collect rain water for animals and other uses. This pump system was installed over 150 years ago! The rain follows the gutters and is guided under ground to a large round holding tank called a CISTERN. The farm's cistern is made of stone and my uncle says they have never known it to go dry!
A hydrant system was installed years ago and the pipes were run under ground to the well at the farmhouse. However something broke over time. Last summer after we moved our horses to the farm we tried to trace and repair the pipes, however we found that the water source was not adequate and would not be worth the trouble to repair. SOOO this past winter we did things Old School and pumped water!! Gotta tell you though, it wasn't that bad! Instead of standing and waiting for a bucket to fill, I get a little upper body workout at the same time!!
We have an abundance of natural water resources outside, including a clean pond, stream and running creek. Our top priority project for 2025 is to get a more updated water system!!

24/04/2025

SPRING IS HERE; NOW WHAT?

The winter challenges are over and the weather is getting better. We have a lot of projects planned on the farm and I will be sure to show you our progress!
This past winter I started some "fussing" with the farm horses. Nothing major at all but we actually have seen some very positive results. The farm horses that my uncle has left , range from late teens to 36! My uncle, being quite elderly makes sure they are cared for, vetted and farrier but there is no training, riding, or much attention from people. That's about to change!
Using my Horse Agility and methods that work for me; let's see what we can do with this wild bunch!! I have no idea where we are headed but I am hoping to show methods of Horse Agility that will increase respect, trust and willingness in this farm horse gang. I hope you will enjoy this ride and find the info helpful for your equines too! ( First videos to be up soon.)

Send a message to learn more

13/04/2025

RIP JIM LOVE JR. (my dad)

My dad passed away April 11th. You have heard me speak about my Aunt and how she influenced me in the horse world; well Dad was the other person in my life that turned me into the crazy horse loving person that I am.
I kinda lived horses through two different worlds. Aunt Marlene was the prestigious Morgan breeder that traveled with the rich and famous. As a kid I can remember being at a fancy schmancy party in a fancy stable with butlers in white gloves serving hors d'oeuvres. My Dad was the cowboy, literally. He was a professional Rodeo Announcer and the best Trick Rider I have ever seen! Back in the day his horses were hauled in trailers that were all open on top--in New York City!! He performed and announced in every arena and coliseum on the East coast of the country. There wasn't a horse that he couldn't train or ride.
As a Trick Rider Dad put an enormous amount of trust in his horses. There is a lot to Trick Rider and it is of course very dangerous. The horse has to keep a fast steady pace. Speeding or slowing is a disaster waiting to happen. You also need to be safely out of the trick before the horse stops. Many trick riders will have their horse either follow a Lead Horse, follow a roped in path way or ride in a circle and follow the arena. Not Dad; he did none of those things. His horse was trained to gallop down the center of the arena by himself. This was super dangerous. If that horse, turned or veered just a little it could be a disaster. But that is the trust he had in his animals. As kids when we went to a performance our job was to ride the horse back and forth straight down the center of the arena.
At home on the family farm he was kind of an equine rescue before we heard of them. He would go to the auctions and bring home some of the most sorry half starved, abused, neglected horses you have ever seen. They would be turned out on the 100 acres and cared for and worked with. All of the horses I owned as a kid were auction horses, rescued from slaughter.
Dad spent the last 25 years in Georgia with his wife Shirley. At almost 90 years old he still had his little farm down South with cows, horses, sheep and donkeys! Dad was working on a 4 wheeler that he rode around on the farm, when the throttle stuck and ended up flipping on top of him, crushing him. He fought hard for almost a month in ICU but could not recover from his injuries.
But Dad lived the life that he loved and I am so very grateful for the upbringing I had surrounded by horses. I know he is reunited right now with old Blue Blaze, his favorite trick riding horse. RIP Dad.

02/04/2025

OUR WINNER IS------

The winter challenges are over! I still have to send out our last challenge sheets and ribbons but let's not wait to find out our winner!
The participants names were put in a drawing and some of our feline friends were in charge of picking the winner. Merlin was the first to pick up a paper in his mouth (of course I cut it off while trying to film) but the winner is--SUE AND HER HORSE OPIE FROM VERMONT! Sue will receive a $50. Gift Card to the Cheshire Horse. The Cheshire Horse has everything you need for horses and farms. You can order online or visit their locations in NH and NY. Congrats Sue!!