Michaela Hempen

Hi, When the young horse gets comfortable with a rider and understands the basic cues, i.e., go forward, halt, changes of direction, it is time to request a few steps of trot. There are a number of ways to get there. As you have seen in email 21, requesting trot and canter with a rider … Read more

Hi, In the first emails of this series, I introduced you to my dear friend Giulia Gaibazzi. Giulia and her husband board my horses and take wonderful care of them. She is also a skilled trainer with tons of experience and a big heart. Explore her ​website​ and ​Instagram​ to know more (in Italian). She … Read more

Hi, Everything is ready to get on your horse. She leads well, knows how to walk on, come to a halt and yield her hips. If you want to use a saddle, she has experienced and is comfortable with it.But there is one more important consideration BEFORE getting on your horse’s back: What are you … Read more

Hi, As I write this email on January, 22nd, 2025, I have just returned from a fabulous week in Copenhagen. We had the kick-off meeting of an exciting project about developing methodologies to assess positive animal welfare using behaviour-analytic and ethological approaches. The project is lead by the Danish Technological Institute and the University of … Read more