2.20.25 Eclectic Classroom – Watch the Birdie with Deb Bennett, Ph.D.

Product Description

“Birdie” is a metaphor, and a metaphor is a teaching tool used to make intangible ideas become vivid to the mind’s eye.

Dr. Deb uses the Birdie metaphor to help people understand why their horses do certain things. Some of the things might be actions or responses that we very much want the animal to make; others are so-called “behaviors” that are undesirable or dangerous, such as bolting, bucking, shying, whirling, and speeding up while returning to the stable. Into the “undesirable” category also fall the many stereotypies that stabled horses exhibit – compulsive, repetitive “behaviors” such as cribbing, wind-sucking, tongue-lolling, self-biting, stall weaving, fence walking and pawing a hole to China. Students who learn how the equine Birdie works not only become able to think through solutions to problems, but also can enter a higher world of sophisticated horse training based on better focus and attention and quality liberty work. Come to this Eclectic Classroom event and learn what Ray Hunt meant when he said, “control their feet, but watch their mind!”

Class was held Thursday February 20th via Zoom. Check your time zone here.

Please plan on the class lasting about an hour and a half. We will start with a lecture with slides and then open up for questions and answers from the students.

Classes will be recorded and you will have a copy of the class automatically added to your account in The Mercantile where you can watch it again, or if you missed the class watch what you missed!

If you have any questions about the format, or how to use our forum please reach out, I’ll be happy to answer them for you. Use the contact form, or call 303-449-3537.

Class Outline: