Fixing the Dangerous, Difficult Equine Partnership

 Right now I'm in the middle of a teaching a clinic in Southern California.

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Intention- No more Hopefulness...

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Intention- Quality replacing Hopefulness in achieving Goals Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach shares her perspective on how hopeful interactions with the horse lead to potentially dangerous scenarios with the horse and decrease the chances of accomplishing horseback rider goals.

Be sure to subscribe to the Alternative Horsemanship YouTube Channel for weekly episodes.

Horse Travels- Musings on Mishaps and Emergencies Decreasing Stress during Trailer Hauling

Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach shares her musings on recent horse trailer travels across the country. She shares her perspective on how to handle the mental stress and anxiety of hauling horses long distances and what to do when unexpected scenarios arise during the travels.

Horse Learning- Patience with the Horse by Alternative Horsemanship

Patience with the Horse

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Getting the most out of Horse Learning

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series 

*Getting the Most out of Horse Lessons and Learning Opportunities 

-The story -Rider Anticipation 

-Ego based instruction 

-Learning as an adult 

Subscribe for weekly episodes and other equine behavior videos on the Alternative Horsemanship YouTube Channel.

Horse Instruction and Coaching- Tips for Equestrian students to learn best?

Here are a few tips on how to get the most out of your horse learning experiences.

Horse Transitions- Mental and Physical by Alternative Horsemanship

Horse Transitions - Mental and Physical 

Most horses I meet fall into two categories:

*Fearful or defensive (tight, rigid movement) to go forward

*Hypersensitive and overreacting with fast, fleeing movement 

Over various sessions here are some of what I look to address in re-educating the horse.

Horse offers to be Ridden: Liberty lining up at the mounting block

Uneventful Mounting Rose arrived defensive and anticipative about most things during the human/horse interaction. Saddling her would cause her to get twitchy, tight, and buck like she was in the rodeo. We did a LOT of digging out of her old "coping" patterns and helping her learn to stay mentally present and physically reasonable. There is always a moment where I can feel a horse is ready to mount. This was what it looked like after that moment when Rose was asked to line up at liberty at the block for the first time. For her, the slow, intentional steps are opposite from her rigid, reactive self that first arrived. No treats, nor any driving, or yielding to pressure. Rather an invitation for her to participate. This moment has NOTHING to do with lining up but rather is a reflection of all the previously established "tools" in our Conversations and how we communicate that has meaning to the horse. For many horses, asking them to think first, then move in slow, specific steps almost causes more concern as it counters their natural response to flee when unsure. Soon though you see the levels of concern dissipate as they learn to check-in with the human if the person offers specific supportive communication to the horse. In Rose's case, because so much of her past was about humans attempting to contain her, when I'm reintroducing her being ridden in a thoughtful manner, presenting a scenario like this creates a new experience for her. Did I do this the second ride? No. Every time will be different.

In the Moment-ness with the horse- Improving your Horsemanship

Goodbye Calamity Jane thoughts on Young Horse Education and Interactions...

Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey shares her final thoughts on working with young horses such as BLM mustang filly Calamity Jane. She addresses the human mindset and how it affects the quality of the interaction and preparation of the horse for future learning.