A Season to Reflect
I have a sign in my barn that reads “Gratitude Changes Everything.” I found it at a Dollar Store in Florida a couple of winters ago. I...
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- Nov 1
- 4 min
Where Does Fear Come From?
So, I have a Mustang now. Her name is Luna, and she is a 6-year-old mare out of the Twin Peaks HMA in California. She is the first wild...
- Sep 20
- 3 min
Persist with Patient Consistency
I believe patience, persistence, and consistency are the three most important qualities for any person working with any horse. Together,...
- Jul 18
- 4 min
Relaxed Attentiveness
The horseman, Johnathan Field, coined the term “neutral” in reference to a state of being that we seek in our horses when they are...
- Jun 14
- 2 min
2023 New England Spring Symposium Recap
The 2023 New England Spring Symposium with Tik and Sinead Maynard was a huge success! This year’s new three-day format offered an even...
- May 16
- 2 min
It's All a Balancing Act
When I teach, I often talk about the balance of two seemingly opposite concepts. I talk about the balance of drive and draw when doing...
- Apr 5
- 2 min
Comfort or Discomfort?
My favorite students to teach are the ones who diligently try to improve between our lessons. I honestly don't care if that person is a...
- Mar 28
- 2 min
How to Establish Effective Verbal Cues with Your Horse
You cluck, and nothing happens. You kiss, and your horse flicks his ear at you as if to say, "I know that means something, but I have no...
- Mar 8
- 3 min
Time is Irrelevant
My long-time trainer growing up used to tell me, “The hurrier you go, the behinder you get.” It was his way of reminding me to slow down....
- Feb 14
- 2 min
Use an Aid, Put it Away
Have you ever been in a very quiet place where there's suddenly a noise, maybe not even a very loud one, that grabs your attention? In...
- Aug 3, 2022
- 2 min
When Will the Competitive World Catch Up?
While competing this weekend at a rated dressage show, I was doing some ground work with a client’s young horse. We were in the...
- May 16, 2022
- 4 min
2022 New England Spring Symposium: Building a Partnership You Can Rely On Away from Home
The 2022 New England Spring Symposium has come and gone, but the learning and lessons that took place are still at the forefront of our...
- Mar 8, 2022
- 3 min
Being Aggressively Passive, Not Passive Aggressive
Recently, I was having a conversation with my lovely barn manager about an issue that arose at the barn while I was out of town. Everyone...
- Mar 8, 2022
- 4 min
Two Ways I Use Positive Reinforcement Training in My Competitive Event Horse
In my last blog, I wrote about how much more my eyes have been opened to positive reinforcement training and all of the ways that we can...
- Jan 28, 2022
- 3 min
What I Learned about Positive Reinforcement Impacted the Way I View Training
Positive reinforcement training is gaining some recognition in the competitive horse sport world, especially as more riders begin to see...
- Jan 27, 2022
- 1 min
Listen to Chelsea's Episode of the Equestrian Voices Podcast!
Riders with baggage, gather 'round! Host Caroline Culbertson sits down Chelsea to discuss how the past several months of working with...
- Sep 27, 2021
- 4 min
A Game-Changing Tip for Riding the Sensitive Horse
Here at Unexpected Farm, I have a number of horses in training that I would consider to be on the more "sensitive" end of the spectrum....
- Sep 10, 2021
- 3 min
5 Things We Learned from Laura Graves
The clinic with Olympic dressage rider, Laura Graves, has come and gone, but we're still replaying those lessons in our heads here at...
- Sep 1, 2021
- 1 min
Catch Our Podcast on Dressage Today!
Chelsea had the pleasure of joining the ladies of Dressage Today on their podcast to chat about finding her path, her approach to riding...
- Jul 31, 2021
- 2 min
Let's Talk About 'Bad Rides'
We all have 'em. So let's talk about them. First, let's define the term. What does a 'bad ride' mean to you? Is it one where you fell...
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