Equus posts protected Al Dunning lesson on flag work
Bottom line
Version 1
Equus Magazine has published a protected post, “Al Dunning on working the flag,” with Farnam listed as the author, signaling another branded educational item built around a well-known western horseman and a practical training topic. Because the post is behind a protection wall, the full lesson isn’t publicly viewable, but the surrounding context suggests it fits a familiar Al Dunning format: short-form instructional content focused on western performance fundamentals, especially drills that help horses develop responsiveness, body control, and cow-horse skills. Dunning’s current training business emphasizes clinics, video coaching, internships, and a library of structured skill-building exercises, while related Ride TV and Horse & Rider content shows him teaching flag-based and dry-work drills as part of working cow horse development. (aldunning.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is less about a single media post and more about the kind of training conversation reaching horse-focused pet parents and riders. Flag work is commonly used to simulate cattle movement without a live cow, which can increase repetition and control in training sessions, but it also sits within disciplines that place meaningful stress on joints, soft tissues, and conditioning systems when stopping, turning, and lateral maneuvers are involved. That gives equine veterinarians an opening to talk with clients about progressive conditioning, lameness prevention, appropriate workload, and the physical demands of western performance training. (ridetvgo.tv)
What to watch: Watch for whether Equus or Farnam releases a public companion video, transcript, or related sponsored training package that makes the lesson’s specific takeaways easier to assess. (horseandrider.com)
Version 2
Equus Magazine has posted a protected item titled “Al Dunning on working the flag,” with Farnam credited as author, extending a recent pattern of sponsored or branded horse-training education tied to a recognizable clinician. While the protected format limits direct review of the lesson itself, the headline and byline strongly suggest a practical training explainer centered on flag work, a standard exercise in western performance programs, especially cutting and working cow horse preparation. (theherd.news)
That framing fits Dunning’s broader public profile. He operates a Scottsdale, Arizona-based training and education business that includes clinics, online coaching, accreditation, and ranch-based development programs for riders pursuing careers in horse training. His current materials emphasize repeatable skill development and stepwise exercises, which makes a lesson on “working the flag” consistent with the way his brand packages horsemanship instruction. (aldunning.com)
Publicly available related content helps fill in the likely context. Ride TV’s working cow horse library includes instruction that explicitly says “the flag isn’t just for cutting,” alongside Dunning segments on turnarounds and other dry-work progressions. A 2025 Horse & Rider item also highlighted Dunning’s warm-up approach as a way to check responsiveness and “feel” before harder work, reinforcing the idea that his teaching often starts with foundational control rather than spectacle. (ridetvgo.tv)
More broadly, flag work is already understood in western training circles as a way to build cow sense, sharpen a horse mentally, and rehearse positioning without the logistics of live cattle. One Horse & Rider PDF description of Dunning’s programming says viewers can “develop cow sense through flag work,” and an older training piece attributed to Dunning notes that some western pleasure trainers also use flag exercises to improve handle and expression. Taken together, that suggests the Equus post is probably aimed at a wide swath of performance-minded riders, not only elite cow-horse competitors. (horseandrider.com)
Industry reaction is limited so far, likely because the Equus item is protected, but Dunning’s standing in the sector gives the post built-in credibility among horse people. His own site says he and his students have earned more than 57 world and reserve world titles, and outside profiles continue to position him as a durable authority in reining, cutting, and working cow horse education. That doesn’t tell veterinarians whether the specific lesson is novel, but it does explain why a consumer-facing equine brand would feature him for instructional content. (aldunning.com)
Why it matters: For equine veterinarians and rehab-minded professionals, the real value is the client education angle. Training media like this shapes how riders think about workload, readiness, and what counts as normal athletic stress. Equus has previously quoted Dunning on the joint demands of reining and cutting, including the strain that stopping, spinning, and rapid directional changes place on hocks, stifles, tendons, and ligaments. When pet parents adopt more flag-based drills at home, veterinary teams may see more opportunities to counsel on conditioning plans, footing, warm-up routines, and early recognition of soreness before it becomes a performance-limiting issue. (equusmagazine.com)
There’s also a workforce and education angle. Dunning’s business now spans clinics, mentorship, internships, and paid development pathways, showing how horse-training knowledge is increasingly distributed through branded media, online coaching, and professionalized learning tracks rather than only through local barns. For veterinary professionals who work closely with trainers, that shift matters because it influences where clients get advice, how quickly training trends spread, and which commercial sponsors help frame best practices. (aldunning.com)
What to watch: The next signal will be whether Equus, Farnam, or an affiliated outlet publishes a public-facing video, excerpt, or cross-post that clarifies the lesson’s specific recommendations, and whether that content stays narrowly instructional or expands into broader messaging around conditioning, performance, or equine wellness. (horseandrider.com)