In this episode I am thrilled to talk wild and feral horses with the wonderful Samantha (Sam) Couper PhD. We delve into Sam's back story right up to her present day training with her own horses and her work as a behaviour consultant. Sam is Board Chair of the Onaqui Catalogue Foundation, a group dedicated to compiling citizen observations of the On…

In this episode I chat to Polly Smeath about rope halters and controlling horses when leading. Polly has an extensive background in the world ofhorses, a passion that has woven throughout her life since childhood. Born intoa family with a history of racehorses, Polly's earliest memories include avivid encounter with a tall, dark brown horse at the …

Sooz Foster joins me again and this time we're talking self control. We consider horses and dogs, whether they can have self-control and how we can build build patterns to help. You can find Sooz these days at https://soozdogtraining.co.uk/ or come and join me training at her new club https://www.dreamsdogclub.co.uk/ Or catch us both presenting at …

I was thrilled to be able to talk to Dr Eduardo J Fernandez on the podcast. Not only is he an amazing applied behaviour researcher but he is great at putting some of the more technical definitions into easy to understand terminology.Our discussion centres around training as enrichment but there were also some rabbit holes and side stories that we d…

In this episode I had a fabulous chat with Heather. We had aimed to look at what draws people to more 'glamorous' 'from different world' trainers but it turned into a wonderful introspective (well certainly for me, I hope Heather enjoyed it too).We ask how to be credible. What are our insecuritiesHow to collaborate and build connections. If you are…

In this final (for now) episode on cues I look at transferring cues which is great if you want to tidy up your complex cues or change your original cue for something more appropriate. Please share these short episodes and let me know if you've tried any of my suggestions for improving your cues!

What to choose as a cue?Physical, verbal, tactile? What is clear, easy to use, easy to replicate?

Rebeccah Baylis is one of my fave students, we talk in this episode about a session that felt quite sticky at the start but ended well. Do you know when it might be acceptable to push on a little further? Should we always stop at the first sign of resistance? It's definitely a training conundrum. Find Becky and our shared events in 2024 at https://…

Discrimination Knowing what to do to get reinforced- the best friend of stimulus control (part 3) and discriminative stimulus (part 2). How can you help your horse know what a cue means? Please enjoy and share, Trudi

Stimulus Control In this third short on my continuing theme of cues I'm looking at how 'clean' our cues are. Stimulus control is an essential part of developing cues, it helps us create a clear language that reduces the chances of frustration. I share the 4 criteria of stimulus control and what we need to consider right from the get go in terms of …

What to do when? Does your horse know? Do you think you know what your cues are? Does your horse agree? This short episode builds on the previous and looks at the idea of a discriminative stimulus- do you know what your SD is and does your horse agree?

I've done cues before but have we ever 'done' cues...this is the first part of a deep dive into cues. Send me questions and thoughts to trudi@equine.training and share this episode with your friends. More soon, Trudi

What to do when things go wrong with targets and how to train a follow target, great questions sent in by a listener.

Failure is scary, so much that we might allow failure to stop us doing what we enjoy (horse training). Be brave, embrace the fear!

Reducing anxiety by playing with the temporal gap (aka what I call temporal tinkering) needs shaping the same as every behaviour. In this summer short I answer a question or two posed by one of my current course students. If you have any questions drop me a message or email trudi@equine.training

Can labels be useful in horse training? Labels are used everywhere in life and often to the detriment of the label wearer. Take a listen to this short episode and drop me a message if you have ideas for future episodes.

In this, my second Summer Short episode, I consider how we can know if something is awesome or BS and does it matter as long as you and your horse are happy and healthy?Might be a bit controversial but I opened my mouth and out came me! Ideas for other Summer Shorts can be emailed trudi@equine.training…

In this, my first Summer Short episode, I look at the human side of the training equation. Training can take it's toll on both sides of the learning partnership and I often address this for our horse/dog but this time it's all about the human. How can you reduce your own stress and lack of motivation. Ideas for other Summer Shorts can be emailed tr…

In this episode I chat to Karen Luke about her most recent study linking horse welfare and behaviour with rider safety and satisfaction. Karen is a lifelong horse enthusiast and horse ownerwho is currently completing a PhD where she is investigating the relationshipbetween horse welfare, rider safety and rider satisfaction.She has expertise in ridd…

Do you have shaping issues? It's an intense element of our training with horses, part art and part technique.Do you reward the slightest try and feel that your behaviours are getting nowhere? Perhaps you get frustrated and cross with yourself.Enjoy this episode and please share it with your friends.Find my courses via trudidempsey.carrd.coand my we…

Sooz Foster and I whizz through our thoughts in a taster episode on shaping. Check out our courses at understandhorses.com and find me at www.equine.training and Sooz at soozequine.co.uk

In this episode I talk about the awesome Understand Horses Live and my less stress workshop in the summer as well as answering questions on wearing your 'brave pants' and why horses may continue to 'mug' you. I close with a quick look at reward prediction error. You can find all my courses, my website, Ko-fi and social media accounts via trudidemps…

In this episode I chat to Gabriel Carreira Lencioni about his love of horses and his recent projects looking at pain assessment in horses. Gabriel recently graduated as a Veterinarian from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, where he took part in research groups on animal behaviour and welfare and developed a project on automated pain assessment i…

In this episode I was joined by the wonderful Cheryl Kolus. From Colorado, USA, Cheryl is a veterinarian who specialised in behaviour, working with shelter animals (primarily cats) and with pet owners to help them better understand their dogs and cats and manage or resolve unwanted behaviors in their pets. She and her colleagues even published rese…

Sooz joins me for a natter about our recent live workshops. We hit some big topics Including the ethics of novice clicker trainers! Of course we return to our favourite topic, reinforcement routines, and much more. You can find Sooz Foster CHBC AAB for dog training at https://www.tarkadogtraining.co.uk and for horses at https://www.soozequine.co.uk…

Welcome to Season 3! A new season of interviews, deep dives into training and behaviour and some giggles when Sooz joins me! In this short episode I consider the greats that went before me and wonder why women often look to men for coaching. If you would like to support the podcast I have created a Ko-fi account where you can come and join me as I …

Science continues to inform us about the nature of horses and old accepted ideas of herd leader (alpha stallion and mare) have been reconsidered. This is not a scientific stroll but a practical chatty episode about horses exhibiting behaviours that might be considered as 'leadership' qualities or dominance along with the assumption that there is a …

In this episode I talk about the last day with my lovely Moralejo (Moo). If this subject could be difficult for you PLEASE don't listen. If this episode helps anyone then Moo and I will have given one last service to horses and their carers. Love to you all, take care of yourselves. For help with end of life decisions this is a good starting point …

This episode is a meander through the concept of being kind to each other. In the world of horses there can often be conflict and it has lead me, in the past, to be less kind to the human in the horse-human partnership. I try to do better and we could probably all do better and with this in mind I ramble through some wonderful responses to a recent…

A relaxed natter with the lovely Kate Blackmore about her new venture- Equischolars! Kate Blackmore is Head of Welfare at the Conquest Centre, equine behaviour consultant with Equilogical and founder of Equischolars – stewards of the horse. Kate started volunteering at Conquest in 2012, became a groom, RDA GI, yard manager, deputy manager before go…

In this episode I'm joined by my wonderful colleague Dr Hannah Donovan a veterinary surgeon and a certificated clinical animal behaviourist (CCAB) for equines, dogs and cats. Hannah talks to me about her journey to becoming a vet and behaviourist and how horse owners, vets and behaviourists are coming together to share modern understanding of horse…

The final short Christmas bonus episode discussing how to develop good cue discrimination in complex liberty movements. This was in response to a call out for questions following the previous episode on Stimulus Control. In this episode we discuss Anne's fabulous question. Our new Train Clean interactive online workshop (back chaining) at the end o…

In this second of our short Christmas bonus episodes discussing how to create a behaviour of sending your horse to a distant place. This was in response to a call out for questions following the previous episode on Stimulus Control. In this episode we discuss Lisa's wonderful question. Our new Train Clean interactive online workshop (back chaining)…

A super short Christmas bonus episode discussing how to develop a solid stand and wait for your horse. This was in response to a call out for questions following the previous episode on Stimulus Control. In this episode we discuss Drea's great question. Our new Train Clean interactive online workshop (back chaining) at the end of January is availab…

Another wander through some of the crucial theories surrounding clicker training. Errorless learning sounds too good to be true- what it is all about? Stimulus control was the topic of our last weekend Train Clean deep dive and as usual there were some interesting results.Friend and colleague Sooz Foster joins me again as we take these topics down …

Sooz Foster and I recorded this episode amidst our live in person training weekend at Nine Acres equestrian in Norfolk. We dive into the detail on reinforcement routines (loops, procedures, practices...) in a light-hearted episode! Train Clean Stimulus Control Event https://www.facebook.com/events/168407405378673…

In this episode I speak to colleague and friend Maisie Wake. We discuss trick training, the ethics and methods. What are tricks and should we train them? Maisie is an Equine Massage Therapist and a behaviour consultant for both equines and chickens. She is a supporting member of IAABC, and a member of the Equine Behaviour and Training Association. …

Dear listener, Season 2 is upon us! Episode 1 of the new season (episode 16 as we go) is ready for you. Larri is not only a good friend but an amazing horse person. We recorded this episode earlier in the summer when I visited my old boy Moralejo (Moo) who is on retirement livery at Larri's amazing track livery Horse Haven - Holistic Livery and Eth…

A question that came up on one of my recent R+ training course Q and A sessions was just too good not to answer publicly. Thanks for such a great question Sara...what do you do when your horse appears not to hear the click? In this final episode of the season I consider this scenario and offer some solutions. What do you do when your learner doesn'…

In this episode I talk to friend and colleague Lauren Fraser, in the main, about CAT and having compassion for horse guardians that are transitioning from traditional methods. A couple of LaHtW rabbit holes and the off tangent. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Lauren is an experienced horsewoman, who has worked professionally with horses since …

Lately there has been a growth in the UK of trainers and groups labelling themselves as LIMA. What is LIMA and what is its impact on my work as a trainer and behaviour consultant?From the IAABC (iaabc.org) “LIMA” is an acronym for the phrase “least intrusive, minimally aversive.” LIMA describes a trainer or behavior consultant who uses the least in…

Starting out with positive reinforcement training? This episode delves into the pointers and pitfalls that are common when starting out. In this episode I'm joined again by Clare Young of Kindly Equine. Clare is studying the NAC behaviour qualification and I'm really pleased to announce she has been accepted on the MSc at Edinburgh university to st…

In this episode I natter to Clare Young of Kindly Equine (see below for links to FB and Insta) about getting started with positive reinforcement. It's a great chat and we did go on a little longer than planned but I've left it whole as I think it works well. Hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed recording it, there will be further digs into the w…

Your horse appears a little 'out of sorts'. Advice from your trainer to push them through it doesn't sit well. Is your horse trying to tell you something? In this episode I talk about the signs of a horse in discomfort or pain and how to trust yourself in recognising those signs.Catch up with me at www.equine.training and find my new interactive co…

In this episode Sooz Foster (check out previous episodes for her bio) and I dig down into patterns and how they can help us help our horses. Adapted from Leslie McDevitt's pattern games for dogs, these simple devices can ease anxiety for you and your horse especially for horses that struggle to leave home because of separation based anxiety. Apolog…

Touchy about targets? No, really I'm not! I just love good, careful and clean teaching of handheld target behaviours (and all other behaviours of course). Targets are often used to lure forward movement- again I have no issue with this WHEN DONE WELL. Listen while I ramble through my thoughts on the subject and gather your own thoughts too. Who is …

Thank you all for the amazing support and for listening in. Please reinforce me as you see fit by sharing this episode and by getting in touch with any questions, suggestions or just to say you've listened! You can get in touch via my website https://www.equine.training/equine-training-podcast/ on Facebook or Instagram and you can find my online co…

In this episode I speak to Andrea Harrison about positive training and adopting a growth mindset. It's a good one! I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it. Andrea is an educator who is passionate about all species, including horses, dogs and humans! She has taken her positive message to the media many times, including appea…

Give me a clue! Is that a cue? In this episode Sooz Foster and I dig deep into the topic of cues. What is a cue? When do we introduce a cue? What does a suitable cue look like? Is the environment a cue? And lots more! It's rather a long episode as we begin to unravel our thoughts on cues and it might need a couple of listens. I mention in the podca…

In this episode (episode 4, I'm on a roll) I answer a listener's question about how to introduce movement behaviour using reward based training. It's a typical scenario where we have trained a good stand calmly behaviour only to find when we want to introduce movement (walk on) our horse is stuck. I talk through some different training protocols to…