Polar Vortex and +R Ramblings (Behavior Science part 2)

Hello friends!

We’re having a bit of a polar vortex in middle TN this week. We are getting quite the accumulation of sleet and ice instead of snow… and boy it is NASTY! I hope you all are staying safe, warm and dry wherever you are reading from today.

So last week we talked a little bit about behavior science and the different types of reinforcements and punishments that influence behavior. If you missed that email, no worries! I’ve transcribed it into a blog post, which you can read here:

Let’s Talk Behavior Science

This week I figured we’d stay on that same topic and cover some of the “why” behind my switch to using positive reinforcement as my preferred training method.

Remember - they aren’t called “positive” and “negative” because they’re “good” or “bad.” Think about it in the mathematical sense meaning to add something or take something away. I want to be clear that just because I’m advocating for the use of positive reinforcement doesn’t mean I think negative reinforcement is inherently bad.

Barbara ParksFebruary 15, 2021behavior science, positive reinforcement

Let’s Talk Behavior Science

Hello friends!

Hope you all are doing well this week! Today I want to talk a little bit about something that isn’t directly PT-related, but will lay the groundwork for some other ideas I’d like to share and discuss with you all.

So let’s talk behavior science!

Have you heard of clicker training? If you’re familiar with dog training or marine mammal training, you’ve probably seen “clicker training” in action. Clicker training is also called positive reinforcement training, and our typical pressure and release training is called negative reinforcement. That terminology can kind of upset people, because it sounds like maybe I’m saying clicker training is good and traditional training is bad. But in this case we’re using the words positive and negative in the mathematical sense, meaning to add something or to take something away.

Barbara ParksFebruary 6, 2021positive reinforcement, behavior scienceComment

Teaching turn on the haunches

Happy New Year, friends!

I’d like to start my first blog post of 2020 off with a how-to video for teaching a very valuable exercise, turn on the haunches.

Turn on the haunches, also called forequarter yields, was always one of the harder exercises for me and Forrest when we were first starting out. So, naturally, I avoided it like the plague for a long time. Spoiler alert, challenging exercises are often the ones your horse needs the most! I eventually figured this out (sometimes all it takes is a doctorate degree to notice the obvious) and now we’re starting to look pretty good.

horse healthBarbara ParksJanuary 5, 2020groundwork, ground work, exercise, turn on the haunchesComment

Help! I can’t keep my shoulders back! Part 1

Help! I can’t keep my shoulders back!

Friends, this is a personal one for me. It’s one of my biggest challenges with my riding position.

If you’re like most modern humans, you spend too much time sitting and too much time typing away at a computer or hunched over your smartphone. That means getting your shoulders back can be extremely difficult - because you just don’t have the range of motion to get into that position.

rider healthBarbara ParksDecember 16, 2019stretch, rider exercise, rider stretch, rider posture Comment

Horse Crunches

Many common issues in horses ranging from obvious back pain to poor performance under saddle can be improved by incorporating these simple exercises into your regular routine!

horse healthBarbara ParksDecember 9, 2019horse crunches, abdominal, core, strengthening, exercise Comment

How much do you know about saddle fit?

I sent this question out to my Instagram community a few weeks back. Over 60% of respondents said they were unsure if their saddle fit their horse well or not!Truth be told, most of us are just never taught how to check saddle fit correctly. I never learned anything other than looking for sweat marks until I went through my CERP certification course! But the information is SO IMPORTANT! That’s why I made this downloadable PDF guide: Saddle Fitting 101.

horse health, biomechanicsBarbara ParksNovember 18, 2019saddle, saddle fit, 101, back painComment

Does My Horse Need A Blanket?: Debunking the 5 Biggest Myths About Blanketing Horses

Every year around this time, I start hearing lots of questions about when to blanket horses. There are posts all over social media arguing one way or the other. Your friend at the barn insinuates you’re a bad horse mom or dad because your horse isn’t blanketed. Someone else tells you blankets aren’t natural and horses should never wear them. But if I’m cold my horse must be cold… right?

horse healthBarbara ParksNovember 11, 2019horse, blanket, winter, snow, cold, hypothermiaComment

Heel First Landings

I’m still hooked on hooves - so this week’s post is all about the biomechanics of the hoof!

When we walk, we land with our heels first. The soft fat pad under our calcaneus combined with the flattening of the arch helps to cushion the impact as the foot contacts the ground. As we roll over our toes, the arch raises and the soft tissue structures are stretched, which creates a more rigid foot to push off with. (This is called the windlass mechanism.)

Getting In Touch With The Sole Of The Horse

No, I didn’t mean soul!

Today we’re talking about the horse’s sole. The extremely important material covering the bottoms of his feet.

The sole protects the sensitive internal structures of the hoof from the outside world. A horse with a thick sole will travel across rocky surfaces with ease, while a horse with a thin sole will often move comfortably on soft surfaces and then pick his way carefully across stony paths.

hoof healthBarbara ParksOctober 28, 2019hoof, sole, horse, foot, feet, pete ramey, barefoot Comments

Hippotherapy 101

Hippo-what?

When I tell people about hippotherapy, I get a lot of “smile and nods,” blank stares, and “what exactly are you doing with hippos?”

Luckily, there are no hippos involved.

“Hippo” is latin for “horse,” and hippotherapy is therapy using the movement of the horse as a treatment tool. Physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists can all utilize hippotherapy as a part of their treatment sessions.

hippotherapyBarbara ParksOctober 21, 2019hippotherapy, physical therapy, AHA, terminology, PATH, health insurance, insuranceComment