All animals are born with innate emotions. At Via Nova, we pay attention to our horse’s emotions because it directly affects their ability to learn and perform. Learn more about the emotional life of horses, and how Positive Reinforcement (R+) Training can be adapted to suit various training goals and disciplines.

Are you worried that by feeding treats when practising Positive Reinforcement (R+) training with your horse, you will end up with a horse that is biting or nipping? Don’t! A foundational element to R+ training is establishing desired mannerisms. Follow the videos below for safe hand-feeding practices.

Practicing Positive Reinforcement (R+) with your horse means having food at the ready and easily accessible. So what food containers work best when training your horse, and what type of treats are the best to use? Watch the Via Nova team as they discuss and explain.

Positive reinforcement is introducing a desirable reward to encourage certain behavior. At Via Nova, using Priority to Positive®, we are exploring this from every aspect of horsemanship. As simple as it sounds, there is a right way to bridge and reinforce when practising Positive Reinforcement (R+) with your horse. And a lot of nuances! So let’s break down all the aspects of Hand Feeding Safely to get you and your horse off to a good start.

In this video, you can follow Vinnie, Via Nova’s school pony, for a practical guide to Positive Reinforcement training for horses. We will cover the two basic flavors of reinforcement so that you can understand motivation, how to look for your “yes”, create an opportunity for the horse to do the right thing, and the magic created when using markers in training.

Being able to read your horse’s body language and facial expressions are one of the most important aspects of successful positive reinforcement training. Because we are looking for and reinforcing calm and relaxation, it is vital that we know what those emotions look like.

Via Nova was so happy to have our student trainers, Cami & Jasmine, kick off their Via Nova: Priority to Positive® Program in August of 2021.  Soaking up the experience in the classroom, in the barn, and around the property, they shared a day in the life after their first four weeks on board.

Santa Fe, NM – May 24, 2022 – Via Nova was thrilled to sponsor the American Horse Publications (AHP) Annual Equine Media Conference in Lexington. We wholeheartedly agree with AHP Executive Director Chris Brune’s conference theme: Inspiration.