iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Just out here trying to fight fascism and play with cute ponies

Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

Just a friendly reminder, that the right wing men are currently fantasizing about hanging female politicians they don't agree with. This is why Trump's America is dangerous.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

New profile picture! I got my septum re-pierced today 😜 unfortunately the first time I got it done years ago, they messed it up...I had to wait for it to heal over and get it redone. It was much easier this time around!

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

Respect our existence or expect our resistance 💪🏼

If the government doesn't see trans, nonbinary, and genderqueer people as valid then we don't have to acknowledge that government as valid either. After all, their existence is just a choice and we're not obligated to affirm their mental delusions, right?

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

Friendly reminder that trans people are only around 1% of the population. Trans people aren't a threat to you. But billionaires sure are 🖤

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Humans - and animals - are so brave and kind and capable of extraordinary things. I spend my time encouraging people to train animals with science-based methods that support their consent and autonomy, and I wish everyone could experience this beauty and connection and joy.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Alula says to stay silly and stay strong, friends!

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

Right now, men in power in my country are trying to erase the most vulnerable of us - trans and genderqueer people. In a world where patriarchy is upheld by violence, force, and hate, picking up my clicker and training horses with kindness and empathy is an act of protest.

Picture of a clicker trainer and their horse, who is wearing a pride flag, with text that says "Choosing to train without pressure or punishment is an act of protest"

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

Let me introduce you to: miniature horses

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

For those curious: reverse round pen was set up as a boundary between them, and the handlers practiced sending their horses to and from blue cones, gradually increasing the distance between cones!

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

My teen student on Alula and a friend with her horse played some clicker games together today and we had fun! 💕

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Looking back at pictures/videos of me training baby Alula while going through chronic illness is bittersweet, my R+ skills were terrible back then (I was entirely self taught for a while) and I'm impressed we accomplished so much in spite of it!

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

R+ makes training and working with horses more accessible if you have physical limitations. R+ allowed me to safely start a feral filly while going through chronic illness, surgeries, and physical therapy. Training horses doesn't have to be forceful, physical, and unsafe.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

How can you look at a horse and think it's okay to pick up a whip or spurs, or stick a harsh bit in their mouth and strap it closed? We don't get it.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

I was anti tongue clicks for a long time (they cause me misophonia!!) but since learning to trim I have learned that hands-free clicking is an essential skill and I'm fully converted

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Anyone else looking forward to soaking up some much-needed horse time this weekend? Just gotta get through the last half of the week 💪🏼

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

I used to try so hard to please everyone. To do everything right. I constantly apologized for myself. The truth is if someone is determined to find something about you they don't like, they will. All you can do is embody bodhicitta, loving compassion for all beings, and move on.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Over the years I've become more and more against stalling because of the irrefutable evidence that they harm welfare. That being said, some stalls are better than others - like if they are open and can see/interact with other horses and freely exit the stall to a large paddock.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

"Once we agree that animal emotions exist and that they matter...Then we must consider ethics. We must look to our actions and see if they are consistent with our knowledge and beliefs." Currently reading:

Picture of the cover of Marc Bekoff's book The Emotional Lives of Animals

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

So many owners don't properly prepare their horses for routine care tasks like hoof trimming, deworming, and vaccines/blood draws. It is absolutely worth investing time in teaching horses to be confident and calm during these essential tasks using clicker training.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Mine are even brothers from the same litter and truly living up to the smart black cat/single-brain-celled ginger stereotype 🤦🏼‍♀️

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

One of the books I am most excited about this year is The Siren's Call by @chrislhayes.bsky.social, which is about the attention economy. Our attention is a limited and valuable resource that is crucial to presence and mindfulness. We should be aware of how it is exploited.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Can you imagine a world in which you walk into a feed store and the equine section has dozens of clickers, target sticks, treat pouches, and ethical equipment instead of whips and spurs and bits? That's the world I'm working to create.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Does anyone else stare at pictures of their horse and feel like they could cry with gratitude and pride and just burst from the amount of love they feel for this precious animal? No?? Just me?? 😭

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Alula misjudged the distance a smidge when she decided to jump a little cross-rail while playing at liberty today. That's okay Alula, it was very brave of you to try!

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

You do not need gadgets and training aids to teach horses to carry themselves correctly. These things work against the horse. Balance and posture and self-carriage cannot be forced, the muscles have to be built up with practice and patience. This is Alula working at liberty today.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

I am not a scientist, I'm not a famous horse trainer with a private facility and countless clients, and I'm not selling a product. I'm just a horse owner who found a better path, who wants to share this joy with fellow equestrians.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Have you been told not to let horses drink when they're working? There isn't any real reason to do this! I freely allow water consumption to support hydration.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Apparently horses stick their tongue out a little bit when they drink water to seal in the water. That also explains why she sometimes dumps a load of water in my face when I'm admiring her adorable tongue like this 😅

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Want a relationship with your horse that feels like magic? ✨ Consider how your decisions impact them. It's not leadership they crave - it's connection and safety.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

We went on a trail ride around the farm today. Alula is young (going on 6 this spring) and inexperienced with trails, and intimidated by the neighboring forest, so riding with other horses helps make these little adventures less scary. Bareback and in halters to boot!

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

It's been shown that conversations make a difference in changing the minds of people who deny science. But we have to be trustworthy and truly listen to them. The biggest difference we can have are face-to-face conversations with fellow equestrians, & sharing our own R+ story.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

When our ego interferes with our willingness to learn, we remain trapped in beliefs that restrict our ability to grow and flourish. We can start by not taking things so personally - like the way our horse behaves.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

"Be the boss mare" never sat right with me. My horse isn't stupid, she knows I'm not a horse. My horse isn't disrespectful, she's just communicating the only way she knows how. Then I learned science doesn't even support dominance theory - and it all came together.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Hi BlueSky, my name is Sarah and I'll be bringing science and kindness (and horses!) to your feed if you choose to follow me This sweet little mare is Alula, my rescue horse turned ambassador for humane horsemanship methods. We'd love to share the joy of consent based training with you!

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

We can ride horses with harsh bits, sharp spurs, and whips. We can punish them for protesting and call them lazy. We can also ride horses with their consent and autonomy, using rewards and painless equipment. Which sounds more ethical?

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Someone got a bath after this 😅

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

It is devastating to live in a country right now in which showing kindness and mercy to humans and animals is not a popular opinion.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

My favorite "gotcha" I frequently get is that good horse trainers should be open to all methods and philosophies. Thank goodness I am a horse behavior consultant whose focus is on science and welfare-based approaches that support ALL horses, and not beholden to all methods 😉

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Where are my fellow clicker-carrying-treat-pouch-wearing-ethical equestrians at? ✨ #clickertraining #horses #equestrian

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

My attitude as we head into tomorrow: "no you can't break me, I'm free..." 🎶

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

The feral, dangerous, traumatized horses I was told I would fail with because I wasn't "assertive" enough. They didn't need dominance or bullying. They needed someone to make them feel safe and heard.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Punishment is linked with higher stress, pessimism, and distrust. Yet equestrians rely heavily on punishment and pressure to handle horses. We're not taught about alternatives. In contrast, positive reinforcement has abundant evidence supporting better welfare outcomes.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

The dog world has widely embraced training with positive reinforcement and prioritizing enrichment. So why hasn't the horse industry? This is an urgent crisis impacting the welfare of countless horses.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

One of the most common refutes I hear when I advocate for horses to live a more natural lifestyle - meaning herd living, outside, with continuous foraging access - is that while that may be ideal for wild horses, domestic horses "can't live this way." Here's why that's a false belief 🧵

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

I take so much joy in getting to expose people who love horses to ways of handling and communicating with them that prioritizes the horse's autonomy and consent. It's far more empowering than "force that horse to respect you, and if you fail, you just weren't enough of a leader."

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

I love teaching lessons to people new to horses, because when it comes to welfare they just get it. People new to horses can't imagine hitting or kicking them. When I explain what they'd learn in traditional lesson programs, they're astonished it is even allowed. Abuse is normalized.

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Sarah Olson @boldhorsebehavior.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

Last spring, I finally had the opportunity to move into a barn that kept horses outside 24/7 (no stalling). In my region, people are very against keeping horses outside through winter. The mental and physical difference in my horse has been undeniable.

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