Hi.
My name is Cassidy Payne. I'm the owner, operator, and the one with opposable thumbs here at Redefining Equine. I started riding when I was eight years old and I haven't left the barn since. An honorary barn rat wherever I go, I spend the majority of my time with my horses. If I'm not at the barn, I'm curled up at a computer somewhere writing about being at the barn.
I began Redefining Equine as a project in fulfillment of a graduate course I was taking at SCAD. It served to supplement my thesis, also by the title Redefining Equine, and served as a journal for my research. After graduating, I decided to overhaul Redefining Equine to include my thoughts on equine welfare and my experiences in adopting alternative horse handling and management methods.
I was initially encouraged to research equine learning theory through the teachings of Shelby Dennis and Warwick Schiller. From there, I discovered a whole new world through equitation science. As someone who has worked almost exclusively with Arabian horses, I had always known that popularized training techniques that spewed from the mouths of some overly commercialized trainers (we all know who I'm talking about) never quite worked well with my horses. In fact, a large majority of the 10 Principles of Learning Theory reminded me a lot of the Bedouin legends I had heard as a little girl.
Following a few tips from Schiller and Dennis, I bought a few training clickers, made a target out of a tennis ball and a stick, and started my journey through clicker training my three horses. I'm still navigating my way through this journey and I'm inviting you all to come along with me!
I began Redefining Equine as a project in fulfillment of a graduate course I was taking at SCAD. It served to supplement my thesis, also by the title Redefining Equine, and served as a journal for my research. After graduating, I decided to overhaul Redefining Equine to include my thoughts on equine welfare and my experiences in adopting alternative horse handling and management methods.
I was initially encouraged to research equine learning theory through the teachings of Shelby Dennis and Warwick Schiller. From there, I discovered a whole new world through equitation science. As someone who has worked almost exclusively with Arabian horses, I had always known that popularized training techniques that spewed from the mouths of some overly commercialized trainers (we all know who I'm talking about) never quite worked well with my horses. In fact, a large majority of the 10 Principles of Learning Theory reminded me a lot of the Bedouin legends I had heard as a little girl.
Following a few tips from Schiller and Dennis, I bought a few training clickers, made a target out of a tennis ball and a stick, and started my journey through clicker training my three horses. I'm still navigating my way through this journey and I'm inviting you all to come along with me!
Redefining Equine is...
A safe space for experimentation.
Animal training is ever progressing, and why shouldn't it be? Horses were one of the last animals to be domesticated, there's still so much to learn about them! Redefining Equine is all about applying new-found methods in learning theory and finding what works best for horses. We're all beginners at some point, and Redefining Equine is here to celebrate our triumphs, our attempts and our inevitable fails at providing our horses with the best lives possible.
A database for information.
Knowing how the horse's brain works is key to knowing how the horse works. Redefining Equine logs some incredibly researched sources so you know where so you can make an educated decision on featured topics.
Basically one giant Warwick Schiller fan blog.
Because who doesn't love Warwick Schiller?
Animal training is ever progressing, and why shouldn't it be? Horses were one of the last animals to be domesticated, there's still so much to learn about them! Redefining Equine is all about applying new-found methods in learning theory and finding what works best for horses. We're all beginners at some point, and Redefining Equine is here to celebrate our triumphs, our attempts and our inevitable fails at providing our horses with the best lives possible.
A database for information.
Knowing how the horse's brain works is key to knowing how the horse works. Redefining Equine logs some incredibly researched sources so you know where so you can make an educated decision on featured topics.
Basically one giant Warwick Schiller fan blog.
Because who doesn't love Warwick Schiller?