EQUILibrium Biomechanics, LLC

05/05/2026

Came up during a lesson this week, so I wanted to share:

Having the right rope, and honestly the right equipment in general, for your body matters more than we may give thought to.

“Right” isn’t a one size fits all, and it isn’t as simple as buying your favorite trainer’s favorite equipment, either.

There are many factors that play into what equipment “fits” you, including your ropes, flags, etc. It is about your hands, your shoulders, your fascia, your habits, your preferences, and your horse’s preferences, fears, training, fascia, as well.

You want to find a rope that allows your body to feel steady in the contact, effectively send energy down the line, doesn’t catch the wind…maybe you can think of some other personal preferences.

The goal is to have a rope that doesn’t feel it is working against you and how you organize yourself for work. To that end, it is definitely possible to have tools that are not helpful and are a genuine point of failure for your work.

There is not one “best” option. There will be the one, possibly many, that let you stay organized, responsive, and immersed in the conversation.

05/03/2026

What’s the best cross training for horses?

Working out in the real world.

I love working horses on varied terrain. It quickly shows us where a horse loses organization; where they try to brace, rush, disconnect, or leave the conversation entirely.

T, featured here, has just added this work of learning how to stay soft through those changes without speeding up, locking down, or mentally checking out when the balance demands shift underneath him. Water, hills, uneven footing, transitions between surfaces, all of it gives information.

This is the sort of work we spend time unpacking in Episodes with the Herd. Not just “do this exercise,” but why we are doing it, what we are watching for, what changes, what does not, and how to adjust for the horse in front of you.

Subscription link in comments.

04/02/2026

Day 4/10

Almost to the halfway point of the first leg of Logan's Jr. Ranger competition top 20!

Logan is still in the running for the Top 20 in the Jr. Ranger competition and this is my daily reminder to everyone to vote today as you get a daily vote! Thank you everyone who has helped Logan make it this far, we have our fingers crossed!

By voting for Logan you are helping invest in Logan’s future, plus offering him an opportunity to meet Jeff Corwin.

Link to his profile where you can vote in the comments!

Please like, share, comment and interact with the post to help the algorithm.

Logan spent this morning in the rain helping the worms make it off the cement and into the grass so they can eat the dirt.

03/25/2026

03/17/2026

Modern Science Monday

Why horses need “real world” experience

One of the most common questions I see in horse groups sounds something like:
“What is the best exercise to fix this problem?”

Before going further, it is important to acknowledge that exercises matter, technique matters, and tools matter.

There is also a scientific reality that is often overlooked when handling horses. Learning happens through repetition across environments. The more environments involved, the deeper the learning becomes.

In behavioral science this is sometimes called contextual learning. A horse does not simply learn a behavior; the horse learns where that behavior applies, what conditions surround it, and whether the answer continues to work in new situations.

When an animal learns something, the brain does not only store the behavior. The brain also remembers:

• the location
• the sensory environment (sounds, smells, lighting)
• the emotional state
• the presence of certain individuals
• the body posture or cues involved
• the equipment involved

I have had horses afraid of specific smells, a certain corner of the arena, a specific obstacle if approached from one direction, but not the other, a type of trailer, breeches and tall boots, long lead ropes, but only if you stand in front of them, and the color purple.

This is one reason time spent handling, grooming, walking, riding, and simply being with horses is so important.

Each interaction becomes another piece of information for the horse’s brain. Good days and difficult days both contribute to learning. Horse and handler gradually learn how to show up with clarity and regard for each other despite the normal ups and downs that come with working together.

A horse that practices a skill in only one environment may perform beautifully there, yet struggle the moment something changes. A new location, a different handler, wind, footing, or emotional energy can alter the context enough that the horse searches for a different answer. From the horse’s perspective, the situation lacks the familiar context that previously guided the behavior.

Experiences help to fill those gaps.

Handling horses through ordinary days, imperfect moments, and small challenges builds a broader reinforcement history. Over time the horse learns that the same conversation can exist in many environments, and certain behaviors no longer depend on a single setting.
Time with our horses is what allows that learning to take root.

Always keep learning so that the conversation with your horse can keep growing,
Modern Science Monday
EQUILibrium Biomechanics

03/11/2026

In 1733, La Guérinière warned riders against pursuing movements that only “astonish the public.”

His concern was that riders might chase spectacle rather than the slow gymnastic development of the horse.

If the exercises of dressage were originally meant to build a horse capable of real work outside of the arena, what happens when the work disappears? Or, as is true today, the work becomes for performance and competitions?

Are we still developing the body…
or are we sometimes learning to reproduce the appearance of training without practical application?

Full quote to ponder: “There are many who apply themselves to nothing but those airs which astonish the public. Such things may produce admiration in those who do not know the principles of the art, but they contribute little to the true perfection of the horse.
The foundation of horsemanship does not consist in extraordinary airs, but in rendering the horse supple, obedient, and perfectly balanced in all his parts.”

03/10/2026

Modern Science Monday (a day late)

Operant Conditioning and the Four Quadrants

Let’s talk punishment as the word punishment can carry a heavy emotional meaning. Unfortunately, equine and handler struggles are often given moral labels such as naughty, lazy, or disrespectful that “need to be punished.”

In everyday language, punishment implies anger, retaliation, or causing suffering. Due to this, many modern training conversations avoid the word entirely, and some discussions even attempt to remove punishment from training altogether. Understandable, but maybe unrealistic when we look at another definition for punishment.

In learning theory, punishment has a very specific and neutral definition.
Punishment simply means a consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again.

It does not automatically imply harshness, cruelty, or abusive training.

Learning theory describes four quadrants of operant conditioning:
⭕️ Positive Reinforcement – something pleasant (such as a treat or scratches) is added to increase a behavior
⭕️ Negative Reinforcement – something mildly unpleasant (often pressure) is removed to increase a behavior
⭕️ Positive Punishment – something unpleasant (often pressure) is added to decrease a behavior
⭕️ Negative Punishment – something desirable (such as access to food) is removed to decrease a behavior

These terms describe how behavior changes, not whether the handler is kind or unkind.
Understanding these patterns can help trainers respond with patience rather than frustration, and choose the approach that is most effective while remaining clear, fair, and consistent.

Instead of reacting through older language such as “the horse is naughty,” we can recognize that the horse is simply offering behaviors that have worked for them in the past.

Science gives us language to describe how behavior changes.

Good horsemanship determines how that knowledge is applied.

From my herd to yours,
Modern Science Monday
EQUILibrium Biomechanics

03/06/2026

Friday Field Notes

This week a theme emerged in my own handling of my horses, and while watching and guiding my students with theirs.
The theme was the question of increasing or decreasing a behavior, and deciding when it is time to intervene and “break the loop.”

Traveller has historically carried tension around his right hind leg. When things are calm and organized between us, that tension has largely faded. We have enough trust to work in that space. However, even subtle tension or perceived pressure can bring the old pattern back.

Habits, behavioral patterns that have been reinforced many times, become increasingly likely in stressful situations.

When stressed, Traveller developed a habit around elevating his right hind. At the same time, he disengages his hindquarters. I believe he thinks this is the answer I am asking for.

This week I felt we had enough rapport and knowledge between us that we could begin to interrupt that loop.

I chose to work with a soft rope around his leg* so that I could remain positioned at his head, keeping the conversation in the frontal plane while still maintaining connection to the right hind. From there I slowly worked my way back, not controlling the leg by forcing it up or preventing him from moving laterally, but maintaining enough contact to provide clarity and return to his head if needed.

Note: The goal was not to physically punish the old habit. The goal was to reinforce a new one, even while he experienced mild stress.

Our horses’ habits appear in specific environments because they believe those responses keep them safe, because the behavior is currently being reinforced, or because it was reinforced enough times to become automatic.

Finding where and how to shift that conversation back into the present moment sometimes requires stepping outside of our usual patterns, especially if our usual patterns are unintentionally reinforcing the behavior we are trying to change.

*A note on techniques*
Some readers will notice the mention of a rope around Traveller’s leg, and have questions.

This post is not about that technique. It is about observing behavior patterns and learning when to interrupt a habit loop.

Reading about a tool in a short social media post does not provide the context or experience required to apply it safely.

Tools vary widely between horses, trainers, and situations.

The goal is never the tool.

The goal is understanding the conversation you are having with your horse, and making sound judgements on your horse’s experience.

When we learn to notice what increases tension, what brings relief, and what patterns our horses repeat in moments of stress, we gain the ability to guide them toward something better, something safer for everyone involved.

Tools can help shape the conversation, but observation is what allows us to understand it. Your mind can always acquire new tools and skills, but choosing the most appropriate one for a particular situation comes from experience and careful observation.

From my herd to yours, may your observations guide the conversation.

03/06/2026

Bend and direction are two separate conversations to the body.

In the beginning we teach them together, using straight lines, corners, and then circles. This teaches the body how to organize in agreement.

Direction is where the body travels.
Bend is how the body organizes while moving there.

As we advance, we can challenge separating bend and direction.

02/24/2026

We moved the horses onto their dry lots.
The geldings are in what I had been using as the arena, and the mares are in the dry lot we built for them.
Why? Spring is coming.
More rain may be coming. Our snow is mostly melted.
Wet ground plus sliding horses tear at the root base. What looks like “just slipping” is actually stress on the pasture that takes months to repair.
Spring grass is also beginning to push. Baby grass is high in sugar. For Emma that is not harmless, it is metabolically risky.
Pasture management on our property, and with almost every horse person I know, is not simply turning horses out 24 hours a day and calling it good. There's always some scheduling, moving horses, subtle changes to support the herd.

Sometimes, it is moving with the land. With the seasons.

It is recognizing that my property is not separate from my horses. It houses my horses. It houses my family.

Horse manure is hot. Without proper spreading and rotation it changes soil composition and burns the grass.

If I do not rest the land, the land cannot support the horses.
If I overgraze the grass, I weaken the root system.

If I ignore seasonal sugar shifts, I risk metabolic strain in the herd.
Sustainability is not just about conditioning horses. It can also be stewardship of the land. Learning your land’s cycles, and watching for changes both subtle and obvious.

We work together, the horses, the soil, the grass, and us.
When we listen to the land, it supports us in return.
That is the cycle.

📸 T taking a nap in the sunshine. He slept so hard he didn't even wiggle we drove by.