Mackinac Island Day of the Horse

02/13/2025

Even though most Mackinac Island horses winter on the mainland where their care and feeding is much less expensive, there are still horses serving the Island community. These horses were patiently waiting while another dray was being loaded on the Coal Dock where much of the freight is brought in.

07/24/2024

You won't bring your horse to this clinic but you will bring home a better you to your horse.

I strongly recommend this clinic that will be held in Mason, Michigan October 5 & 6. It is hosted by a wonderful friend and the cinician is another fantastic person I have known in real life for almost 10 years. Both are stellar, highly competent humans and a couple of my favorite people. I hope to attend, if possible.

I understand that what is shared and worked on in the clinic is life changing and profound. It is the first class of the "Through the Eyes of the Horse" program.


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06/08/2024

EDIT: Please do feel free to share/replicate/display this sign - I’d rather it went out into the world to be used freely and help horses far and wide than if it was just kept on social media!

I seem to spend a lot of time thinking about the ethics of horse sport, and whether we, as an industry, will be able to keep our social licence to operate.

Although we won’t get it right 100% of the time, I think the intent and knowledge behind our actions is a key part of the puzzle.

I have put this sign up on the gate of my arena, in the hope that it reminds me, all my clients and other users of the facilities to stop and think about our intent before embarking upon working our horses each day.

What do you think?

Photo: HDE ‘Promise to the Horse’.

05/25/2024

This is a PSA. I have this in my course, but it is so important that I am sharing it here fo the good of horses everywhere. This is something the majority of people don't know. It has become ingrained in horse people that they need to pull their horses' heads to move them. You don't. Horses are incredibly sensitive, and their heads and necks are delicate. A touch can ask your horse to change direction without disturbing its balance. Pull on your horse it will have to brace to remain balanced. Asking it to move while braced inhibits correct development. It is biomechanically dysfunctional.

People hold the rope close to the snap and inhibit the horse's ability to move and balance this way as well. This is bad for your horse biomechanically.

This applies to mounted work as well, but it starts on the ground.

Let's say you don't want your horse in your space, but you have the rope lifted towards you. You are signaling your horse to move into your space. Now you want the horse to halt, so you pull harder to the side and pull your horse into your space. Are you seeing how this works? I have seen people punish their horses for doing what they were asking the horse to do. If you don't want your horse to turn into you have the rope in neutral.

Start watching how many horses you see being led in a manner that inhibits their ability to balance and move in a functional manner. To learn more about helping your horse move with you in balance, sign up for my course.

09/12/2023

👏👏👏👏❤️

Horses teach us so many “soft” skills like empathy, responsibility, leadership, compassion, determination and organization. That doesn’t even include riding-specific skills.

08/31/2023

https://shoutout.wix.com/so/3fOdvmoGr?languageTag=en

June and August Susan Moffit Clinics. Funded by a grant from the Mackinac Island Community Foundation

08/25/2023

08/25/2023