Michaela Hempen

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Modern Horse Training: My Horse Really Likes Me

Earlier in the year it was vaccination day for all the horses. We did the big horses first, then I drove over to Ann’s house to hold Panda for the vet. I was first to arrive. Panda greeted me with a small hello. Her response to the vet was to pretend she wasn’t there.

We had arrived a few minutes before Ann was expecting us. We went ahead and Panda her shots. All was well. We left Panda in her stall and stepped outside her little barn. And that’s when Ann came out of her house onto her back deck.

Panda erupted in song. “You’re here! My person is coming!” She whinnied her greeting.

Ann wanted to pause and talk to us, but that kind of enthusiastic greeting was not to be ignored! She went first to say hello to Panda, and then she could ask her questions.

Our clicker trained horses show us in so many ways that they like us. In this photo Panda is “helping” Ann during a scrabble game. Guide work isn’t all work. It includes a lot of social, play time that Panda clearly enjoys. It’s no wonder they have a great relationship!

Modern Horse Training Is About Sharing With Friends

Modern Horse Training isn’t something you want to keep to yourself. It’s too much fun. Laughter and love are meant to be shared, and so is good training.

I love working with other clicker trainers and I am always honored when they let me have a play with their horses. This is Graya, one of Michaela Hempen’s horses (clickertrainingferde.com). We were having a rope handling discussion in which Graya was very much an active participant.

Good training needs to be shared!

You can help me share it by sharing these posts with your friends.

These posts are from my instagram posts. You can find me at: alexandra.kurland.5

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Modern Horse Training Takes Your Horse Into His Senior Years

I chose this photo for the cover of my new book for many reasons. First, it’s simply a beautiful image. I love the overall balance, the roundness of Robin’s topline, the softness of the reins, the energy and suspension, the settled attention. But I also chose this photo because of the statement it makes. Robin was twenty-seven when this photo was taken. He’s still in work. He’s still moving beautifully.

Balance is the central pillar around which I build all my training. Balance matters to me because I love my horses. I want them to be in my life for as long as possible, and I want them to have a good quality of life. Physical balance and emotional well being are woven together. Balance has always been a key ingredient, beginning with the very first lessons I taught Robin when he came to me as a yearling. Clicker training has been with us every step of the way. Modern Horse Training has been there throughout his whole life.

The other horse featured on the cover is Michaela Hempen’s Asfaloth. He’s also now in his twenties and still loving to play.

Asfaloth shows us how important balance is.

When you look at these two photos it is hard to believe it’s the same horse. The photo at the left shows Asfaloth in his early teens when Michaela was just beginning to work with him.

A lot of horses stand like this so at first all you may see is a grey Arab. No big deal. But compare him to the photo at the right and you’ll begin to some of the early balance issues. Look at his front legs. They’re angled back. If you were building a bridge, you wouldn’t want the support columns to be angled back like this. He’s long like a sausage. He’s falling forward onto his forehand. In this balance, he wouldn’t be able to produce the beautiful suspension you see in the second image.

A bridge or a house which is built on such crooked underpinnings isn’t going to last as long as one that is built well. Our horses show us that good balance carries them forward into their senior years.

Michaela’s excellent training is featured throughout my on-line clinics.

You can read about her work at her website: https://clickertrainingpferde.com/