Flying Hawk Farm

07/04/2024

hear ye! hear ye!

01/19/2024

Enjoying a lovely winter day

10/03/2022

Obviously they are hugging it out

10/03/2022

This is such a good perspective to have!

10/03/2022

What if it’s not about winning? What if it could be about learning to understand each other and motivate each other instead? 🤔

Especially with the chestnut mare 😂
credits: Pinterest

10/03/2022

Well worth the read!

Horses don’t use positive reinforcement with each other. They use pressure.⁣
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Right…?⁣
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Honestly, this is like comparing apples to oranges, and utilizing it as an argument *against* positive reinforcement is rather nonsensical.⁣
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Don’t get us wrong: we are NOT arguing *against* pressure/release as motivator in training. In fact, Maddy teaches it in a refined, ethical way in the Horse-Human Connection Academy (HCA)✨⁣
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But to say that horses don’t use positive reinforcement with one another, so it’s not a good training tool, is rather misleading.⁣
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It’s hinting that pressure/release is more natural to horses, and therefore a better motivator.⁣
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But horses also do not ask one another to canter perfect 20 meter circles, or run a clover leaf pattern at full speed 🐎 THAT is the unnatural element in this equation.⁣
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𝗦𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 “𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹” 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲/𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀.⁣
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They’re both viable motivators in behavior modification (training), categorized under operant conditioning 🤷🏻‍♀️⁣
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Plus, horses derive safety, comfort and pleasure from one another. Experiencing strong social bonds is both enjoyable, and essential to their basic needs as herd animals.⁣
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They’re not constantly using pressure on one another to get what they want, and they’re certainly not asking for anything outside of the other horses’ instinctual behavior.⁣
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They’re grooming one another, regulating nervous systems together, working as a team to scan for predators, mirroring emotions… the list goes on and on.⁣
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There’s a relationship between horses that goes far beyond the use of pressure — one that we as humans cannot replace in order to get what we want using pressure and call it “natural”⁣
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Training is necessary for horses in our human world…⁣
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And using positive reinforcement in your training to create an even exchange of value for a horse’s effort lights her up, and gives her a reason to go above and beyond 🦋⁣
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So don’t let the debunked “it’s not natural” argument hold you back from trying out such a life changing approach🥕⁣
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-written by MM team 💕

09/19/2022

Oh how much I wish more people understood this concept!
There is so much pressure to be riding all the time
To be constantly pushing and preforming
It’s not good for us or our horses
Enjoy the journey!

09/19/2022

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Carltonlima Emma, a Fell Pony and one of Queen Elizabeth's favorite horses, and head groom Terry Pendry, pay their final respects.

09/19/2022

We still have six stalls available for full care board!
Pm for details

09/19/2022

Pretty much 😝