Horse Behavior Problems - Trying to Fix the Symptom? Virtual learning options

Horse Behavior Symptoms vs. Root Cause

Need H.E.L.P.?

By Samantha Harvey, Founder — Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach

Every week I receive emails asking for coaching about what someone thinks is going on with their horse. Despite sharing three or four paragraphs, in detail, explaining their issue, I have found owners are focusing on symptoms without realizing it.

Here's the challenge: often what a person is describing as happening, versus what is causing the horse to behave/react in a certain manner, can be two very different things.

The Brake Pedal

Example — you are driving and attempt to slow the vehicle down by stepping on the brake, but the car is slow to respond, and you have to use the pedal flattened to the floorboard to stop.

You might assume that the brake pedal isn't working because when you used it, the car didn't react as you wanted.

But if you brought the vehicle to the mechanic shop, describing the "problem" and requested that they fix the pedal, they might "counter" or want to explore further to discover what the actual issue is.

They might begin by inspecting what the brake pedal is attached to, the brake line... and if during their "inspection" they discovered the vehicle was low on brake fluid, or that the brake line was cracked, or that your brake pads were worn out, perhaps all three "problems" were contributing to the "final" outcome of the car's lack of response when stepping on the brake, and not the pedal itself contributing to the lack of response.

But if you ignored the mechanic's discovery, and remained laser focused on "fixing" the pedal itself, despite your efforts to replace it, the vehicle's performance would not improve.

This analogy is exactly what I often experience when I help people with their horses. The clearly defined "problem" in the human's mind, more times than not, is a symptom(s) reflecting missing/unaddressed aspects in the horse's education and lacking/unclear communication between human and animal.

Without addressing the root cause, irrelevant of the time and effort spent trying to "fix" the problem — symptoms would continue to appear, or morph into other unwanted equine behaviors.

Why H.E.L.P.?

Last year I came up with an idea of how to assist horse owners in recognizing the specific "starting point" to address symptomatic problems or challenges with the equine. I created the H.E.L.P. option in my Remote Horse Coach services.

Why H.E.L.P.? — Horse Evaluation for Learning and Progression.

Owners submit a five minute video. I record a 10-minute voice-over analysis walking you through what I'm seeing... The goal is to help decipher and clarify the difference between the symptom(s) and the root cause(s) behind the undesired equine behavior.

By specifying "where" the behaviors are stemming from, helps bring clarity in the specifics of what needs to be addressed or taught (to both the horse and human), to create long-term positive change in the behavior.

Irrelevant of one's location, or time limitations, these insightful H.E.L.P. analysis' can offer a "starting point" — without a long-term virtual coaching commitment.

How It Works

Technologically challenged? Place your phone on a mounting block, bridle hook, chair, etc. and film. No editing needed. Upload to a link provided in the online registration, pay the $20, and within 48–72 hours later, you will receive a downloadable link with my assessment and insight.

Curious? Click the link.

— Sam

P.S. If you need extra guidance in filming and uploading, I created a step by step tutorial available on The Remote Horse Coach website.

Curious about a H.E.L.P. analysis?

Get a starting point for your horse's behavior — without a long-term commitment.

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Labels: horse behavior help, H.E.L.P. video analysis, horse learning help, root cause vs symptoms, Alternative Horsemanship™

Horse Behavior- Flooding, Learned Helplessness, and Trauma Bonds

Human Perspective & Horse Approach

Flooding, Learned Helplessness, and Trauma Bonds

By Samantha Harvey, Founder — Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach

Group Member Question

Thoughts on "flooding," learned helplessness, and creating a trauma bond seen in some human-horse relationships.

Answer

Everywhere you "go" there you are. I have found many of the human projected stories and explanations about horses, frequently have little to do with what the horse is experiencing and more to do with the person's mindset, emotional state, and degree of awareness of both them and their behavior.

People become involved with horses for a variety of reasons- but if you ask most, there is usually the common factor of seeking emotional fulfillment, in whatever form they perceive. This behavior isn't unique to when working with horses, as in most cases, when people have a choice to participate in something, it tends to be underlined with, "what do I get out of this?" Again, this is reflective of a societal mindset, versus an awareness or seeing the value in acknowledging what another sentient being is experiencing.

So how does all the above tie into original topic of "flooding," horse training practices or interactions, and trauma bonding?

When someone has an agenda, whether intentional or not, the mindset will assign categories in terms of how the experience affected and was perceived by the human, such as to "accomplish or fail," and if something was "good or bad," etc. These trigger human emotions such as, "I failed," when something does not occur in the horse's response. This can create a domino effect as to the human projecting the horse's behavior on how it affected them personally, rather than "seeing" the animal's behavior as feedback- or information.

This narrowed perspective can limit one in recognizing the missing holes, lack of education, or defensive triggers in the equine. The emotional, "I want my horse to comply," can lead to ignoring the horse's communication, and the person having laser "focus"/fixation on- what many have been taught- repetitive practicing presented in the same manner, or reinforcing a training scenario, with the emotional hopes that the horse will eventually comply…

The problem is the emotional state of the human creates a disconnect in awareness or curiosity as to what the horse is experiencing. When his feedback is ignored, he is being taught to escalate his responses. The human's agenda leads to continuous repetition of triggering experiences and the conflict increases.

Depending on the horse's natural personality, confidence, and previous experiences, he will either "get bigger" by perhaps resorting to dangerous, avoidant, or fleeing behavior, or he will "shut down" and quit responding- often seen in the dysfunctional state of "no response"- learned helplessness- or becomes mentally removed- often described as the "bomb proof horse."

If he offers scary or dramatic responses, dependent on a person's emotional state, the horse's behavior reinforces the human's emotional interpretation- which compounds the irrelevance of their physical behaviors and delays real-time, relevant communication.

I witness three typical responses: The first, is the person sees themselves as the "victim," in a "why won't my horse listen to me?" The second, as many do when overwhelmed, leads to a decision delay or paralysis in their response and communication toward the horse, leaving a bigger gap in helping the animal. The third, often taught in mainstream training, is reflective of an anger trigger, with stronger more aggressive aids used, as it reflects the person's lack of "control" and emotionally feeling like they have "failed."

What many are missing, is that ironically the "horse experience" is not about what the human "gets" out of it. If instead, there was a focus or priority on helping educate the horse in an adaptable, supportive manner, with the focus on building his skills to mentally and physically navigate without fear what is asked of him, the emotional outcome for the human would be far more fulfilling.

So if you find yourself in a reactive, chaotic, frustrated, angered, or fearful emotional state- most likely the "triggering" thing in the horse's behavior is a symptom(s). It is the "final" result or response, of an accumulation of ignored and unaddressed holes in his understanding.

The kindest thing you can do, is to help address him in a manner that is relevant to his current state. That means preconceived agendas, assumptions, and hopefulness have no value to the horse. Instead, recognizing the subtleties in his focus, behavior, breathing, willingness to participate, while interrupting patterns, and addressing defensiveness, creates opportunities for you to break things down into segments to educate him, rather than overwhelming with rushing toward the final outcome.

My last thought, without opening the entire can of worms… is mentioning the rescue/abandoned/abused, etc. horse. I've worked with far more than I care to count, often as the "last stop." If I had to be honest, I find that dwelling on the horse's horrible past limits one's effectiveness to help the horse learn how to function without fear. Instead, while the human dwells in sadness, it leaves the horse floundering, lost, without support or direction…

The pendulum swings drastically in how human emotional triggers and training approaches vary when helping traumatized horses with the arguments of "how to handle" ones with difficult and human-induced violent pasts.

For me, in the re-education, the most challenging aspect is to re-educate the human to not dwell in the "story." Yes, it was horrific. But if during every future interaction there is an emotional filter based on the past, one is not present to see, meet, adapt, and help the horse standing before them. Often times, I hear how people can "relate" to what the horse has been through… without imposing my personal judgement, I try to have people redirect their focus to "what does the horse need to function in a healthy manner" in the human created world, rather than re-iteration of what one does not want the "poor horse" to experience.

Case and point, a few weeks ago, I'd posted a 30+ second video of a horse who was very defensive about my hand touching her face. I literally typed words on the video pointing out the physical signs of defensive behavior… Guess what the comments focused on? If you should or should not touch a horse's face. Many missed the point of the video- a chance to notice or "read" the horse's response (I share as many humans are desensitized to believing the equine,) and instead commenters focused on the human agenda of whether touching the face was right or wrong- good or bad- in emotionally charged statements… No one considered, "what would the horse need to learn/experience to be okay with their face touched, based on the feedback she was reflecting?"

— Samantha Harvey, Alternative Horsemanship™
The Remote Horse Coach

Interested in improving the partnership?

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Human Perceptions and Horse Problems

What Are You Basing Your Horse-Related Perceptions On?

Perspective & Approach

Horse-Related Perceptions - Gaining Perspective

By Samantha Harvey, Founder — Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach

I was watching a discussion between an astrophysicist and a psychologist... The topic was related to people's perception. I'll share the example:

When you're driving down the road, if you see someone driving much faster than you, what do you think of their behavior? If you see someone driving much slower, how do you mentally react?

So... the "argument" was that whatever speed you happen to be driving, you consider this the "correct" speed, and disagree with, judge, or critique the faster or slower drivers.

If You're the Only One With a Problem...

They went on to present that if you are the only one having a problem, and everyone surrounding you isn't, then maybe what you perceive as a problem isn't everyone else — it's you.

This belief system is so commonly and deeply ingrained in many societies, and 100% why I specifically stepped away from "the mainstream" world of horses.

You could apply the "logic" to any topic — religion, politics, etc. — and it is just as much of a trigger in terms of horses and training.

The Rage Bait Problem

On any social media platform, finding the rage bait horse-related posts, the emotionally triggering ones, the fixated one-size-fits-all system, is easy. The algorithms reward posters for engaging the public — even in a negative, aggressive, degrading manner — especially in the case of unasked-for opinions.

I know in recent times I may sound like a broken record, but I cannot emphasize enough how much one's perceptions 110% influence their mental "playback" — or interpretation — of an experience, their emotional response, and the physical behavior that follows based on their thoughts and emotions.

Every Witness Tells a Different Story

Take a witness account — whether a crime or an accident — police will question bystanders and get drastically varying stories in each person's first-hand account of "what happened." To the individual, their perception is based on many factors, including what past experiences have taught them. This can affect their ability to separate factual events from their perception of what happened. The same goes for when people interact with horses.

So, the uncomfortable question of the day: What are you basing your horse-related perceptions on?

This isn't meant to trigger self-doubt or analysis paralysis, but instead to revisit why you believe what you believe about the horse, the interactions, and how you communicate.

Where Your Beliefs Actually Came From

Consider your mindset when you were in your early 20s, then your 30s, then perhaps later in life. You are still "you" — but what influenced your ideals, motivation, behavior, and emotions to evolve or change? Lived experience. Social influences. Relationships... and so many other aspects of life.

Past horse-related experiences will cause you to unintentionally filter your perception and understanding of what is happening. If your initial interactions with horses were with a hard-to-catch or resistant horse, you probably unintentionally established a mental pattern of anticipation, tension during interactions, and increasing lack of confidence — all of which you'd bring to the next horse you interact with.

If your first instruction was from someone aggressive and dominant in how they taught, berating you for asking questions, how would that affect your learning as the student? Or your mindset, perspective, and confidence, even when learning from a different instructor later on?

Why Questioning Makes People Uncomfortable

Unfortunately, I have found that "questioning" things can make people uncomfortable, especially in the horse world. Which is more reflective of human dominance mindsets than it has anything to do with the horses.

The problem is, the deeply ingrained "follow the program," "get with the program," or "don't question the authority" mentality can lead to crippling learning experiences for the horse, who resorts to dramatic and dangerous behavior, while the human student frequently becomes overwhelmed by the equine's responses while receiving critique or berating from the instructor or coach.

Society has constantly shined a light on singling out the "outcast" — those who don't conform or comply with the "norms." If we look back at history, what positive changes would never have occurred if we considered those who voiced "new" or different ideas, perspectives, and opinions as fundamentally wrong solely because, at the time they were first voiced, they weren't accepted by most of society? Change only occurs when "the way we've always done it" is questioned.

I have found this to be incredibly true in the horse world. I encourage you, every so often, to take a few minutes and explore whether the belief system your horse perceptions are based on is still relevant to your current state of being.

— Samantha Harvey, Alternative Horsemanship™
The Remote Horse Coach

Curious?

Join me for an Intro Consult — an opportunity to discuss where you are with your horse, ask questions, and pinpoint what aspects of your equine partnership need refining to create positive, long-term change.

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Labels: horse perception, horse learning help, rider mindset, alternative horsemanship horse training tips

5 Horse Learning Tips

Impvoving Horse Skills

5 Tips in Developing Self-Directed Awareness and Intention with the Horse

By Samantha Harvey, Founder — Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach

1) Segmented Assessments

Each aspect of the equine interaction is connected and influences the horse's future responses. Sometimes what people assume is a "segment" is too big — i.e., catching, leading, tacking. Each of those could, and should, be broken down into smaller aspects to help one assess the horse's current mental and emotional state, triggers, and defensive responses/patterns. During the act of catching, one can break it down into "sub-categories." Things that can be observed and experimented with include: how does the horse respond to spatial and physical pressure, how does the horse respond to "letting go" of a distraction, does the horse offer or tolerate participating, how does the horse respond to seeing the halter, how does the horse respond to the physical putting on of the halter, how does he respond to the physical pressure of the lead rope, and is there a distinction in the lead rope directing his thought versus his movement?

2) Addressing the Horse

Take the time to assess what each observed response from the horse was, and address it — i.e., he looks away every time you step toward him; you call his brain back to focus by stepping toward him; he maintains focus on you; you step away as a release... he learns to stay focused on you. This matters to THE HORSE. It isn't about whether you've already presented a scenario many times before — it's about the horse's feedback, which will TELL YOU the future resistant, avoidant, and defensive behavioral responses to come. So if you don't acknowledge and address the subtle looking away, it becomes a look away, then a step, then a look away, a step away, then walking off a few steps... next thing you know, you're arriving at the gate and the horse is moving away before you've even entered his pasture or stall. But most people completely miss the "quiet" evolution of the horse trying to indicate there is a problem.

3) It Isn't JUST About You

It doesn't matter what your goals or intentions are for the day — if you have not taken the time to prioritize helping the horse work through his concern, fear, or lack of understanding of your communication, your expectations are irrelevant, and will often lead you to react in an emotionally triggered, defensive, critical manner toward the equine. If you are choosing to interact with the horse without violence or fear as a motivator, you have to learn how to work WITH the horse. Each horse has a different personality, confidence level, skill level, and previous human-taught experiences. You must "meet" the horse standing before you without assumption or critique.

4) Your Clarity

How clear are you in your communication? How specific? How adaptable? What is your awareness of your body posture, spatial movement, and physical imposition on the horse? How is your breathing, balance, stance, and tension? Where are your thoughts? Is there emotional neutrality? I wish every horse person had the opportunity to observe wild herds of horses in person, to help re-sensitize the human to just how aware and reactive horses are. Just because your domesticated horse isn't acting big, dramatic, or scary does not mean he isn't affected by your thoughts, emotions, and energy. People can be quick to complain about other humans imposing on or bothering them, but rarely do they see their own behavior and how it may negatively affect the animals they interact with.

5) Connecting the Intention

If you have a goal, plan, or agenda for your time with the horse, can you work "backwards" and explain in your thoughts — or even write it down — how you are going to accomplish it? For each aspect, break down how you will communicate what you want, how you will observe and address the horse's feedback, how you will acknowledge the horse's try, what your time perspective and expectations are, how you will adapt to the unexpected, how you will regulate your emotions, breathing, and tension, and how you will maintain your focus without being influenced by other nearby folks, etc.

I know it sounds absurd, right? Yet these are all skills that most people don't realize, nor often want to commit the time to learn... Then they have unrealistic expectations that "the horse will figure it out," and if he doesn't, they criticize him. So what does this teach him, and how will it affect his future behaviors?

— Samantha Harvey, Alternative Horsemanship™
The Remote Horse Coach

Curious about improving your awareness and horse skills?

Join me for an Intro Consult — an opportunity to discuss where you are with your horse, ask questions, and pinpoint what aspects of your equine partnership need refining to create positive, long-term change.

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Improve your Horse Skills

#TuesdayTips

What Should I Focus on Next with My Horse? Refinement.

By Samantha Harvey, Founder — Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach

"What should I focus on next with my horse?" I frequently hear this question from students and other equine enthusiasts who are struggling to find a goal, a direction, or are simply unsure of what to focus on during their horse time. The answer is always the same: Refinement.

Irrelevant of whether you ride for pleasure or compete, or if you only work with your horse from the ground, every interaction is an opportunity to improve your and the horse's skills.

Why? Every single task — catching, leading, grooming, working at liberty, tying, tacking, mounting, trailer loading, riding out, navigating obstacles, moving livestock, roping, packing in the mountains, ponying, jumping, riding long distance — all rely on having the hundreds of adaptable skills needed to effectively communicate with the horse in a manner that does not trigger his defensiveness.

I have had so many behind-the-scenes discussions with equine professionals as we all struggle to "motivate" the public in understanding the importance of refinement. To address all current horse problems or challenges, and to achieve future goals, it is crucial to develop and refine the foundation in both the human's and the horse's education.

It isn't the "quick fix" answer, nor is it an "easy" solution sold across so many platforms peddling horse gimmicks. There are no shortcuts.

You can study theory for years, but you need the reality of in-person, hands-on experience. The more intentional your horse interactions, the more your awareness increases — and the better you can learn to understand the horse's communication, refine your aids, and improve your timing. All of this directly influences the horse's "success" in what you're asking of him.

So, where do you start?

Refining Your Horsemanship: Building the Foundation

Irrelevant of your chosen discipline, the ideal goal with each ride is to refine your horsemanship with your equine partner. This begins with creating a willing, responsive, and reasonable equine partner. If riders learn to prioritize their mental focus, they can accurately assess and address their horse in his current state.

Below is an initial checklist to reference before, during, and after an interaction with the horse. The answers can help clarify the missing pieces in your communication. Equine enthusiasts need to learn how to assess the what, who, when, where, and why of each scenario with the horse in order to identify what needs refinement.

What

This is a combination of evaluating, considering, and attempting to gauge the horse's mental and physical availability from the beginning to the end of an interaction — whether from feeding time to after a ride. The assessment can reflect triggers, anticipation, and behavioral patterns, and what root cause(s) need to be addressed while helping humans adapt their expectations of the horse.

Who

The Human — Before starting with the horse, assess your own attitude, emotional state, and physical state. If you're distracted, stressed, or working under time constraints, it will affect your focus. If you are not 100% mentally present, it is unfair to expect 100% from the horse. Equines are hyper-aware, including of a person's mental, emotional, and physical energy — which they often mirror back in their behavior.

The Horse — Where is his mind? Is his brain with his buddies? How does he look physically? Is he stiff or sore from age, health, or earlier exertion? Has he recently had farrier care, vaccinations, medication changes, chiropractic adjustments, or tack changes? Has his diet changed, or is he bothered by gut health issues? Do you see him lie down to sleep? Is he constantly moving chaotically, emotionally stressed, fixated, or fearful? Does he offer a patterned response every time he sees you?

When

The assessment should begin before the horse is even caught. Did he willingly offer to be caught, without treats? Did he flee, walk away several times and stop, or let you approach while turning his head away and merely tolerating being caught? After haltering, is he anticipative, pushy, hurried in his energy, or heavy on the lead?

Where

Passing through the gate or stall door, is he triggered? When it closes, does his attention stay present, or does he look for food? While being led, does he walk too slow, too fast, or hang heavy on the lead rope? In the grooming area, is he distracted by other horses or activity? Does he hover in your personal space? Does he stand softly, or with tension, while being tacked up — and does his anxiety or fidgeting increase as tacking progresses?

Why

Each aspect of the human/horse interaction affects the next. By the time he is ready to be mounted, the horse will already have communicated his mindset. If he displayed distracted, bothered, fixated, defensive, tension-filled, or anticipative behavior on the ground, this will transfer into the ride and affect its quality.

When handled from the ground, a horse's initial mental concerns will not diminish by demanding more physical exercise or imposing patterned interactions once mounted. Instead, this teaches the horse to become defensive toward the rider, and/or he learns to shut down mentally or become increasingly physically resistant.

The assessment continues while riding, so you can address what the horse needs support with on that particular day. Below are the foundational elements necessary to accomplish any equine-related goal with quality.

The Horse

• Softness — the horse's mental and physical willingness to follow or yield to pressure communicated through the rider's hands, seat, legs, and energy.
• Suppleness — relaxation throughout the horse's body, allowing him to independently move body parts without losing his softness.
• Relaxation — the horse's ability to focus on the physical task without retaining tension in his body.
• Engagement — the lifting of the horse's back so his hindquarters can step underneath his spine, carrying the majority of his weight behind. This allows soft, independent movement through his head, neck, shoulders, rib cage, and hocks.
• Balance — the horse's ability to carry his weight consistently by engaging his hindquarters, rather than leaning on the rider's hands.
• Responsiveness — the brief reaction time it takes him to mentally and physically respond to the human.
• Effectiveness — how quickly and softly the horse responds to a minimal aid from the rider.
• Adaptability — the horse's willingness to let go of one thought and focus on another, followed by a soft physical response.
• Awareness — the horse's ability to stay present in his surroundings while prioritizing his focus on the human.

The Rider

• Evaluation — real-time recognition of what the initial intent was, what aids were used to communicate it, how the horse responded, and whether follow-through was needed to help him find a softer, more willing response.
• Feeling — not relying solely on what you see, but re-sensitizing what you feel in the horse's movement and energy, to improve the timing of your aids.
• Adaptability — the human's ability to offer a varying degree of energy in their aids and communication, and to adapt the moment's goal to best support the horse.
• "Taking" the horse for the ride — proactively communicating the specifics of the desired response, rather than reactively critiquing the horse for a lack of initial guidance from the human.

Most people are asking unreasonable things of their horse with minimal to no consideration for just how limited the animal's education is.

The above may seem like "a lot" for many folks. The reality is that most people are asking unreasonable things of their horse, with minimal to no consideration for just how limited the animal's education is. The "holes" usually don't become apparent until the day something changes — an emergency, or someone new has to handle the horse — and then the human is left wondering why things fell apart. The kindest thing anyone can do is educate themselves and their horse.

Think of sending a seven- or eight-year-old child off to navigate city life alone. You'd laugh, and you'd think it obvious they would struggle, for numerous reasons. Yet with horses, many people carry similarly unrealistic expectations — without recognizing how unclear much of their communication actually is, mostly because addressing it feels like an inconvenience. This leaves the horse in a continuous "lost" state, potentially overwhelmed every time something more, or something new, is asked of him.

— Samantha Harvey, Alternative Horsemanship™
The Remote Horse Coach

Curious about a professional perspective?

Join me for an Intro Consult as an opportunity to discuss where you are with your horse, ask questions, and pinpoint what aspects of your equine partnership need refining to create positive, long-term change.

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Labels: horse learning help, horsemanship refinement, horse training tips, horse behavior, horse foundation skills, Alternative Horsemanship™

Horse Learning Tips: The Secret to Horsemanship

#TuesdayTips

The Secret to Horsemanship: There is No Secret

By Samantha Harvey, Founder — Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach

I frequently get inquiries from folks reaching out for help with catching their horse, loading in the trailer, saddling and bridling issues, or unwanted and dangerous behaviors. They ask for "just a few pointers," or ideas on what they can do to fix their horse's problem.

The good news is people have realized they need help. The bad news is their perspective. Each of these scenarios is a symptom, not the issue.

They all occur because there has been a lack of clear communication, the concept of pressure used in a positive manner has not been established, and the horse's initial minor behaviors — communicating his discomfort, fear, insecurity, or anticipation — have been ignored.

The Behavior Is Not the Issue

The horse's behaviors are a reflection of his brain and emotions. They are often the result of a build-up of increasing stress, which eventually leads to the obvious moments of resistance. But that actual behavior is not the issue.

The way many folks word their questions frequently feels like they're expecting an answer about some "secret" — some way to interact with the horse so he suddenly complies with what the human wants.

If there is any "secret" to be shared, it's this: stop approaching horses as if they are standing by to serve the rider. They are not. They have their own emotions, confidence levels, and history with humans.

The Real "Secret"

So if there were any secret I would share, it would be this: those who want to be involved with horses need to take the time to educate themselves. This does not mean watching one set of DVDs and believing you have all the answers.

Any quality horseperson will tell you horsemanship is a continually evolving journey, even for the most experienced among us. Every horse has something new to teach the human. There is no "endpoint" in the journey of learning — and that statement disheartens many folks, because society has taught us that instant gratification is a positive thing. It is not. It creates the illusion of success, without the true commitment to learning knowledge.

Start With Yourself

If you are having issues with your horse, my best advice is to start with yourself. How much time have you put into your own education? Not everything you learn, or everyone you learn from, will mesh into how you interact with your horse. Perhaps it's learning what not to do.

The average pleasure horse enthusiast doesn't have enough hours in the day, nor enough exposure to a variety of horses, to achieve the skill-set they're striving for without reaching out to further educate themselves.

So as a starting point:

• Remove the self- or society-imposed expectations that you "should" be doing X, Y, and Z.
• Eliminate the pressures of past events and occurrences.
• Delete the critique from your vocabulary and replace it with a positive alternative lingo.

Then allow yourself the time and opportunity to learn — whether you have access to a variety of horse facilities and events, or you're limited to reading articles. Start to absorb information. Question the ideas, notice where you don't have an understanding or where you have misgivings, and probe further until you find clarity.

What About Learning From Videos?

I know watching horse trainer videos seems like an easy way to learn. Here are some things I've begun to notice, as the person who has often had to "fix" what someone attempted to emulate with their horse after watching a training video:

• A. Many horse instruction videos aren't taught with clear communication, so the viewer doesn't realize what they're missing.
• B. The action the viewer is trying to learn — trailer loading, for example — is often far down the path from the interactions and communication they should be starting with their horse. (Like people trying to write paragraphs without using a full alphabet.)
• C. Many videos teach in a clear-cut step 1, 2, 3 manner. This makes the information seem easily understood while watching. Then the person heads out to practice with their horse — and the horse offers a response not addressed in the video. Now what? They don't know, because they were trying to copy a task, rather than understanding how to present the necessary conversations to accomplish it.

When people are only trying to emulate what they see, they miss the mental concept of intention. They're not understanding the nuances of when the horse is asking versus telling. They're missing all of the necessary, pre-established "tools" and options in how they communicate.

10–15 Minutes a Day

I am very well aware there is limited time in our already hectic days. But if each horse enthusiast spent just 10–15 minutes a day specifically focused on learning — without the horse in hand — there would be massive improvements in their awareness, understanding, and approach.

Yes, it may take time to sift through all the different training philosophies and mentalities out there. My suggestion: when you hear, read, or watch horse-related information, consider whether it falls into any of these three categories. If so, perhaps it isn't offering the positive support you'd like to incorporate into your own horsemanship.

• Is it ego-based versus supportive of the horse?
• Is it about "making" the horse, or challenging him to get "it" right?
• Is it focused on task accomplishment, irrelevant of the horse's behavior?

Enjoy the Journey

And last but not least — I'll be cliché — learn to enjoy the journey. Learn to quiet your mind and be present in the moment. Appreciate what you're learning, when you and your horse are trying, even if it feels like you're searching and experimenting. Acknowledge you and your horse's efforts.

In the end, this is what the real "secret" to growing into a quality partner for your horse really is.

— Samantha Harvey, Alternative Horsemanship™
The Remote Horse Coach

If this way of thinking speaks to you

Join me for an Intro Consult is a conversation. It's an opportunity to discuss where you are with your horse, ask questions, and learn to pinpoint what aspects of your equine partnership need to be addressed to create positive, long-term changes.

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Labels: horse learning help, horse training tips, horsemanship help, horse behavior, horse trainer tips, equine behavior problems, horse skills, horse learning, ask the horse trainer advice, Alternative Horsemanship™

September 2026 CA Horse Help Clinic Participant Openings Alternative Horsemanship™

Alternative Horsemanship™ Clinic

Southern California Horse Clinic Participant Availability

By Samantha Harvey, Founder
Alternative Horsemanship™ — The Remote Horse Coach

A couple of last-minute cancellations came in for the September clinic in Southern California. I wanted to use to explain how these personalized clinics work.

One horse, one rider, my full attention, for the whole session.

Choose from: 1-hour private or a half day (3.5 hours), offered at your boarding or private facility.

Often, people come for help with the spook that "comes out of nowhere," the horse that's fine until he isn't, the "disinterested" horse, the one with a trailer loading "problem," or the equine that displays "girthiness." All of these are symptoms of a root cause (or causes), showing up in various unwanted, resistant, defensive equine behaviors.

The premise behind Alternative Horsemanship™: I'm not interested in teaching you a standardized technique or method. I genuinely care that horse enthusiasts learn the difference between containing or masking unwanted behavior and learning the skills to communicate effectively with the horse long-term. Prioritizing how to translate the horse's feedback, and how to adapt the time, energy, and release of your aids, allows for what I call a Conversation — rather than the typical Screaming Match — in the partnership.

Ongoing horse challenges? Unsure of "what" to do, or "how" to help your horse?

"The horse is doing the best he can based on the communication the human has provided."

A 1-hour private is often enough to gain clarity and define the root cause(s). The half day allows for time to focus on helping you recognize and "translate" the horse's communication while also learn fundamental skills to help him.

• Dates: September 2026- 18th, 20th, 23rd, and 24th
• Times:1:30–5:30pm
• Teaching location: Private or Boarding Facilities in Riverside County, Orange County, San Diego County, East County, California
• Cost: 1-hour private session — $125 each; half-day private — $450

If you have any questions or would like to participate (please include the date, location, and format preference), email me.

As always — thanks for reading, and for trusting me on your horse learning journey.

— Sam

Horse Learning Challenges- Unwanted Influences

Unhelpful Horse Opinions

Silencing the Undesired Input

By Samantha Harvey founder
Alternative Horsemanship™ The Remote Horse Coach

I was reading a non-horse related article geared towards coaches the other day, and it made me think back to many off-the -cusp remarks I have heard (and experienced first hand) over about "toughing it out" with "hard, difficult, belittling" coaches.

For people of certain eras, decades, and generations, there was a deeply ingrained mindset, to prove you had "what it takes" to be successful at something, you had to put up with (without complaint) whatever disrespectful, degrading comments, commentary, and criticism the holier-than-though coaches threw at you. While I won't dive into the human psychology of the far too many toxic coach/student relationships, or why people pay others to mentally and verbally abuse them (far too prevalent in the horse world), I did want to touch on the "what it takes" mindset.

Learning horse skills to replace the chaos

Not to burst anyone's bubble- but here's what I have found in the idealistic versus reality of the everyday horse lover:

Most equine enthusiasts are never going to be high level competitors.

If they do compete, it is usually for working towards a goal and the comradery, not trying to "move up" in the horse world to become a professional.

Most of the people who are awed and inspired by the big, dramatic, romanticized liberty acts, are never going to do such things with their horse. The same goes for the infamous scenes of galloping down the beach in some remote location with no bridle.

Instead, many horse lovers are pleased when their horse is easy to catch, and doesn't scare or overwhelm them during everyday scenarios.

Whether they enjoy interactions from the ground or in the saddle, the real fulfillment stems from spending calm, quality time with their horse.

Outside influences, unasked for comments, imposed judgment, and ill-spited critics- whether from friends, boarders, coaches, family, etc., can negatively influence one's horse time resulting from "just" a discouraging session to the outright long-term avoidance of horse interactions all together (in extreme cases) for fear of what others will say or do...

The lack of understanding how the horse communicates, thinks, and functions is the number one contributor to self-doubt and mis/lack/late aids to help and work with the equine. This leaves the human mentally distracted, emotionally triggered, and the horse without support. The result is a slow (or fast) building of distrust, anticipation, and defensiveness in both the human and horse.

As these cracks in communication continue to widen, the horse's increasingly resistant, avoidant, or unwanted behaviors begin to increase. This tends to trigger a vicious cycle of uncomfortable interactions magnified with the ongoing unhelpful input of others...

To help you focus on "what" may be missing in the relationship with your horse, below are six questions to ask yourself and honestly answer.

Do you:

• Create a safe space for the horse to learn in?
• Address his mental, spatial, and physical triggers?
• Reawaken or engage his curiosity when learning?
• Help him learn the skills to think through scenarios?
• Offer him time to search and try (without fear being a motivator)?
• Give him "new" human interactions that build his trust rather than tolerance?

Recognize that if you don't have clear answers to the previous questions, imagine what your horse is experiencing. Awareness in your potential lack of clarity is good information- it can give you a direction as to where to start to develop the skills to set the horse up for success and achieve those "uneventful" but fulfilling horse experiences while strengthening your horse's trust.

Virtual Horse Coaching with The Remote Horse Coach: Does it work?

Individual Virtual Horse Learning & Coaching

What Happens in a distance horse coaching session — and Why It Works

Samantha Harvey- Alternative Horsemanship ™ the Remote Horse Coach™

People frequently ask what is involved with individual virtual horse coaching and instruction, the process, and how it works. This is usually followed by, "Why does your way work when other things I've tried haven't?" It isn't about the format of a session, rather the quality, specificity, and relevancy of individual instruction.

The Problem with General Instruction

Too often, horse education is built around creating quickly, "simple" methods for a general audience and is focused on masking unwanted, symptomatic horse behavior, rather than teaching horse enthusiasts how to recognize root cause(s). Group Clinics, lessons, online videos, and books address a wide range of situations, horses, and skill levels at once- without the ability to adapt to the human's current understanding and skill level. That broad and generalized instruction leaves many humans thinking they understand a "task" and then find themselves in overwhelming scenarios with their horse because they are missing fundamental pieces in the understanding and communication with the animal. When a principle, technique, or concept — are offered in a "one size fits all" methodology, so many aspects are unaddressed that will affect how the horse responds to the human's aids. It doesn't not teach the human- or horse- how to think, search, and try. It misses the importance of adaptability, timing, and real-time assessment.

For many people, their assumptions, anticipations, unrealistic expectations, and lack of understanding of equine behavior (without assigning a human story to it,) are top contributors to why things fall apart with the horse.

Individual Horse Learning with Samantha Harvey

One-on-one coaching is a fundamentally different kind of learning.

The instruction is adapted to your current abilities, awareness, and skills. Most students start with an Intro Consult by telephone, ranging from 15-60 minutes, to speak with Sam to recognize the potential hole's in your horsemanship- and "where" to start to improve your equine partnership. Options like Telephone Instruction or Video Evaluation, Assessment, and Instruction creates the opportunity for students to learn the theory and put into practice things such as skill refinement, to break down once challenging scenarios with the horse and replace them with attainable segments that build the human and the equine's confidence and trust.

That online and virtual horse learning journey is different for every student. What is shared- is Sam's attention, genuine care for her students, and the quality of the instruction. Her coaching mantra is- "Helping Horses, One Human at a Time," comes from her belief in the value of individual coaching. Guidance is built around real-world experiences, rather than generalized, hypothetical situations.

The Root Cause Question

Most unwanted horse behaviors are symptoms. The tension, refusal, reactivity, avoidance, shutdown equine behaviors... The spook, bolt, buck— these are all reflecting the horse communicating missing fundamentals in his education. They are not the cause. They are the result of usually an accumulation of: fear, confusion, anxiety, unclear communication, mindless patterns, fear-based coercion, that has built up over time, and "suddenly" one day, the equine offers dramatic responses.

The teaching of masking horse behavior symptoms is far easier than asking humans to be accountable and mentally present. So, the behavior gets managed, suppressed, or worked around. And it may improve — temporarily — because the specific trigger gets contained. But the underlying condition that produced it doesn't change, and so the behavior returns in another form, usually more dramatic- and often increasingly dangerous- than the original display.

"Unwanted horse behaviors are symptoms, not causes. Learning to interpret the subtle, underlying equine communication allows you to recognize and address root issues rather than mask them."

Individual coaching is designed to find the root, not the symptom. That requires time, honest observation, and a willingness to look at the human's role in the dynamic — not just the horse's behavior.

The Human Variable

Horses respond to the specificity, timing, and clarity of human communication. The timing of a release. The quality and adaptability of an aid. The tension carried in either the human or horse's body. The habitual patterns that have developed without our noticing. Horses are reacting to and influenced by all of it, whether or not the human intended for them to.

During individual as the human's clarity, timing, or emotional state shifts — even slightly — the horse immediately responds differently. Not because anything was "fixed" in the horse, but because the human's intention has changed from a "screaming match" to what Sam calls a "Conversation."

Samantha Harvey spent decades being screamed at, yelled at, and degraded by top level international coaches and top level horse instructors- as that was "how things were done" to prove you were a worthy student. Today, her past learning experiences heavily weigh in on why she truly holds sacred creating a "safe" learning space for both the human and horse. This allows room for experimentation, and vulnerability to try the unfamiliar, without "worrying" about what others will think or say.

What Changes Over Time

Some people work with Sam once or twice and find what they need to move forward. They get clarity on a specific situation, a new way of reading their horse, a practical shift in their approach — and that is enough to change the trajectory of what they are doing.

Others stay much longer. As their skills develop, their perceptions, awareness, and understanding of the horse evolves- leading to new, more complex questions to refine their learning. What felt initially like a superficial "horse problem" in the first session becomes, over time, a much more interesting conversation about the nature of equine communication, about learning, about the quality of attention they bring to every interaction. Strengthening the equine partnership is not about reaching an "end point"- but more about the evolving journey.

The specific goal or timeline decrease in significance as the human becomes more available and considerate of the horse's communication. Connecting how the fundamental skills allow for a variety of scenarios to be navigated and accomplished with the horse, without increasing his fear, requires the kind of honest, specific, ongoing attention that individual learning provides.

Every learning session with Sam is recorded. Students then receive a downloadable link to replay the lesson as often as they'd like. This is a crucial factor in getting the most out of virtual learning- it releases the time pressure of "trying to remember everything" covered in a class. Countless times students have voiced how helpful it has been to have the option to revisit and review previous coaching lessons.

The Practical Shape of It

For those wondering what the entry point looks like:

• A quick H.E.L.P. video analysis ($20) gives you a professional assessment of a short video — a fast way to get outside eyes on what is actually happening
• An intro telephone consultation (15, 30, or 60 minutes) is a recorded conversation where we can discuss your specific situation and identify what is most in play
• The Intro Coaching Combo — the most popular starting point — combines a call, enrollment in the Reading the Horse behavior course, and a full video review for $160
• Ongoing telephone and video coaching, the Empowered Equine Partnership Series, and Private Mentorship are available for the deeper, longer-term work

The format is flexible because the work is individual. All learning is built around your horse, situation, and where you are in the process — not around a standardized path that expects you to fit it.

If This Way of Thinking Speaks to You

The Intro Consult is a conversation, not a sales call. It is a chance to discuss challenges, concerns, fears, lack of clarity or direction, ask questions, and see whether working with Sam is the right fit for you.

Book an Intro Consult Explore Individual Coaching Options

Top Five Horse Behavior Problems

Horse Behavior Problems- or is it something else?

Top Horse Help Internet Searches for Horse Problems Behaviors

Five Things People Type Into a Search Bar at 11pm

By Samantha Harvey  ·  Alternative Horsemanship™

Most of what brings people to articles like this one isn't curiosity. It's the specific, quiet kind of panic that happens after something has gone wrong. whether on one occassion, or the final interaction that triggers an overwhelming fear in the human, as you replay the event over and over, unsure of where to turn, or who to ask for help...

I've received thousands of questions over the last three decades through my orignial "Ask the Trainer" forum, during consults, in the Alternative Horsemanship™ Facebook group, etc. People usually are not asking the "right" questions- instead, they are concerned with things like, "what is wrong with my horse," and underneath that, the hard to admit, "am I good enough to help my horse," or, "is this my fault."

Below are five of the top searched horse behavior help searches (according to Google) — followed by a reframing of the question to focus on the root cause, versus symptomatic behavior(s).

1. "Why won't my horse load in the trailer?"

The searcher wants a technique. A rope trick, a physical tool to "fix" the resistance, or to be inspired by a video of someone calmly walking a horse onto a trailer in ninety seconds while the comments fill with "wow, magic touch."

Root Cause: How have I prepared my horse to trailer load- away from the trailer? I.e. how does he feel about physical and spatial pressure? Can I separate directing his through from his movement? Is he defensive towards how I am communicating? Do I address his counteroffers?

Trailer loading isn't a loading problem. It's a relationship question that happens to show up as the "stakes are raised"- pressure is increased at the trailer. He's asked to walk into a small, dark, enclosed space with no way to see what's behind him — based entirely on whether he believes the human standing there has correctly assessed that it's safe. Most horses haven't learned how to think, search, and try during their education. The trailer didn't cause an issue- if reflected the areas that have not been addressed in teaching the horse to be adaptable and willing.

2. "Why is my horse hard to catch?"

This one usually arrives with assumptions that creates a human story — "he used to be fine, and now the second he sees the halter he's gone to the other end of the field."

The symptomatic question focuses on the catching. The root cause question is: When about our previous interactions has taught my horse to anticipate, causing my presence to be something he now tries to avoid, and how do I undo that?

A horse that's hard to catch isn't being difficult or to wreck your day. He is protecting himself. If during his learning with the human, he consistently is triggered to be in a fearful or defensive state- he has learned to avoid being near people to keep himself "safe." The hundreds of seemingly insignificant moments (to the person) have repetitously reinforced his lack of trust: a slight increase of tension as the human approaches, a lifting of the head as he is haltered, heavy and slow or walking too fast when lead, fidgeting and fussing when tied or tacked- these all reflect internal chaos. Without taking the time to understand what is triggering, the horse is asked to "contain" his concern- until he no longer can... then he's typically reprimanded for acting out... from there he learns to avoid humans.

3. "Why does my horse spook at everything?"

The generalized answers tend to include things like: that's just his personality, use this type of tack, he just needs more practice going near/around/over scary things, wet-saddle blankets or more riding miles, then there's the guilt imposed phrases such as- "you just need to stay calm and he'll feel it."

What's really underneath the reactive behavior: A horse that has not learned how to "think through" what is asked of him. When the mind is anticipative, it is "disconnected" from the body- the horse literally cannot see what is in front of him. Everything becomes overwhelming. He cannot retain the "training"- no matter how many times you practice. If he is not learning while in a safe state, if the way you communicate triggers his fear, you are only hoping to survive the scenarios. Each one that scares him, fills his proverbial "emotional cup"- at somepoint, the cup will overflow, and the behavior comes exploding out.

Here's the part that doesn't get said enough: a horse that spooks at "everything" can have multiple contributors- from diet imbalance, lack of sleep, distrust of the human, pain triggers, and holes in his education- that all combined- creates dramatic, dangerous behavioral responses.

4. "Why does my horse scream / pace / lose his mind when separated from other horses?"

This search is usually typed by someone who just spent forty-five minutes trying to ride while their horse hollered for his herd-mates, and they're embarrassed, a little angry, and mostly just exhausted.

The real question: Why is the horse's search for security increaed (seeking the herd) despite the human's communication? What is missing in the interaction that leaves the horse "searching" for help from other horses?

Separation behavior gets labeled as "herd-bound" like it's a fixed setting some horses come with and others don't. In my experience, it's less about the horse being incapable of separation, and more about whether he's ever been given any other reliable reference point for "okay" besides "near other horses."

5. "Why won't my horse stand still for the farrier / vet?"

The search is often paired with words like "stubborn," "rude," or "disrespectful" — words that say more about how exposed and frustrated the person felt standing there apologizing to the farrier than about the horse himself.

The foundational hole: Why does my horse fight me on this one specific thing, when he's "fine" for everything else?

Feet are one of the few places on a horse's body where he is, for a moment, three-legged — a vulnerable position for a prey animal. The horse's entire nervous system is built to avoid, because three-legged is how you get caught. Asking a horse to stand on three legs for an extended period, head restrained, while a stranger does something he can't see, asks him to override something very old and very deep. Most horses can tolerate doing this. But there is a drastic difference in "what they can tolerate" and "this horse has been educated in a manner that prepared him" for what is being asked, leading to very different outcomes.

What do these five "horse behavior problems" have in common?

None of these are horse training problems in terms of a missing skill, cue, or relying on a piece of equipment. They're reflecting foundational holes in how the horse has been educated. If the human's communication has no meaning to the horse, triggers his fear, or creates defensive behvior, the person does not have the ability to influence how the horse thinks, searches, tries, or interacts. In each scenario, the horse is responses reflect his history, nervous system, and what he's been taught (even if unintentionally.) If the human is fixated on finding a solution to mask, contain, or create compliance in the equine, they are masking a symptom- which is why every interaction in the stressful scenario seems to make the horse's behavior worsen.

The good news if you are searching, is that you are being honest that how things have been occurring between you and the horse is not working. The first step in creating a different outcome is having the mental awareness and openness to ask for help.

Recognizing you might be "asking the wrong questions"- focusing on symptoms and not root causes, then allows you to reframe your perspective, awareness, and understanding as to "why" something is occurring. It gives you a "starting point" to break down the big picture, into smaller segments and learn where you communication and the horse's lack of understanding is a combination leading to a lack of change.

— Samantha Harvey, Alternative Horsemanship™

If this way of thinking speaks to you

Curious about an Intro Consult? Join me for a 15-60 minute conversation,to discuss where you are with your horse, ask questions, and learn how what would be addressed in virtual coaching to help you and your horse..

Book an Intro Consult Explore the Video Catalog

Why the Horse Training Hasn't Worked

Perspective & Approach

You've Tried the Trainers.
Here's Why It Hasn't Worked.

Your skepticism about horse professionals is probably well-earned. Let's talk honestly about what's actually going on — and what it would take to change it.

By Samantha Harvey  ·  Alternative Horsemanship™

I'm going to start with something most people in my profession won't say: if you've worked with multiple trainers and clinicians and still feel like something fundamental is missing — if your horse is "better" for a few weeks and then isn't — your instinct that something isn't right is probably correct.

That's not a comfortable thing to say, because I am a trainer and clinician. But after 30 years of working with horses and humans on six continents, I've seen the pattern repeat too many times to pretend otherwise.

The frustrating part isn't that people are trying. Most horse owners I've worked with are trying very hard. The frustrating part is that most of what gets offered in this industry is focused on the horse — on changing his behavior, managing his responses, producing a more compliant animal — without honestly addressing the variable that is actually most in play: the human.

The Symptom Gets Fixed. The Cause Doesn't.

When a horse has an unwanted behavior — refusing, tension, defensiveness, reactivity — the standard professional response is to address that specific behavior. The pulling, the spooking, the bucking, whatever it is. And often it gets better, at least for a while. The trainer addresses it, demonstrates something that works in their hands, the horse responds — and the owner leaves feeling like progress was made.

But here's what doesn't get addressed: why that behavior was happening in the first place, and what role the human's communication, timing, awareness, or emotional state played in creating the conditions for it. A horse that is tense and reactive is telling you something. Most training "fixes" the telling, not the thing being told.

"Unwanted horse behaviors are symptoms, not causes. Learning to interpret the subtle, underlying equine communication allows you to recognize and address root issues rather than mask them."

I use the word "surviving" to describe what many horse-human interactions actually look like, even when they appear functional. The rider gets through the session, the horse doesn't do the really bad thing, nobody got hurt. But neither party was actually communicating with the other. The human was managing, and the horse was tolerating. That's not a partnership — it's an ongoing negotiation between two unclear parties, and it's exhausting for both.

The Human Filter Nobody Talks About

Here's the thing about horses — they are the most honest communicators most humans will ever encounter in their lives. They have no agenda. They are not being stubborn, ornery, or difficult on purpose. They respond to what is actually being offered to them, which is why the same horse can be completely different depending on who is handling him.

What they respond to is clarity, consistency, and someone who is actually present. What most humans bring to the interaction — without realizing it — is anticipation, emotional filtering, unconscious habits, and unresolved tension from the last thing that went wrong. The horse feels all of it. He doesn't know what to do with it. He responds in ways that then get labeled as "bad behavior."

I warn students when they begin learning this: once you can see it, you cannot unsee it. That's both the gift and the difficulty of this work. Because once you genuinely start to understand what the horse is communicating, you realize how much of what you thought was happening in your interactions was actually just your own story layered over the top of the horse's real response.

What Most Professionals Are Incentivized Not to Tell You

I don't say this to be harsh to my colleagues, but the economics of the training industry create a particular kind of pressure. Clinicians who fill arenas rely on dramatic visible transformation in a short window of time. The before-and-after, the moment of connection, the horse that was "bad" and is now "good." Those moments are real. But they happen in the trainer's hands, with the trainer's timing, read, and awareness — and then the owner goes home without the foundational understanding that made those moments possible.

The result is a cycle that I see constantly: take a lesson or attend a clinic, feel inspired and hopeful, go home, things gradually slide back, take another lesson or find another clinician, feel hopeful again. The horse gets older and more confirmed in his patterns. The rider gets subtly more discouraged, even if they can't quite name it.

The students who make the most lasting progress in their horsemanship are not always the ones who improve fastest. They are the ones who become genuinely curious about the process of learning, rather than focused on arriving at specific outcomes quickly.

They stop asking "how do I get my horse to stop doing X?" and start asking "what is my horse actually trying to communicate when he does X, and what is my role in creating that situation?"

That shift in question changes everything.

What "Alternative" Actually Means

I named my approach Alternative Horsemanship™ for a reason. Not because it is trendy, and not as a marketing word. Alternative, in this context, means an alternative to the default — to the widespread industry approach that prioritizes compliance, repetition, and performance over genuine understanding of equine behavior and honest assessment of the human's role.

What that looks like practically:

• We don't label horse behavior as good or bad — we read it as information
• We address the human's timing, presence, emotional state, and clarity — not just what the horse is doing
• We look for root causes instead of managing symptoms
• We don't progress to a new skill until the foundation underneath it is actually solid
• We accept that real change in a horse-human relationship is not fast — and that's not a failure, it's honest
• We understand that the goal is a genuine partnership built on trust, not a more obedient animal

For the Person Who is Done with Quick Fixes

If what I've written here resonates, it's probably because you've already been through enough cycles of hope and disappointment to be skeptical of the next thing that promises results. I understand that completely, and I'm not asking you to take this on faith.

What I do offer is access to how I think — through articles, videos, and an introductory consultation where I can hear specifically what's going on with you and your horse. Not to tell you what's wrong or offer a formula, but to have an honest conversation about what is actually happening and whether this approach is something you want to explore further.

If you're the person who has been quietly thinking there has to be something more real than what you've been offered so far, that's probably a useful instinct to follow.

If this way of thinking speaks to you

The Intro Consult is a conversation, not a sales call. It's a chance to discuss where you are with your horse, ask questions, and see if this is the right fit for where you want to go.

Book an Intro Consult Explore the Video Catalog