Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach Articles and Advice Blog: 2025

September Alternative Horsemanship™ Livestream Schedule

Sept 6 Livestream Register Here

Sept 7 Livestream Register Here

If I had to be honest, most horses that come to me nowadays have a lot of baggage. A majority of their time with me is spent undoing what has been previously taught through aggressive, hurried training tactics...

Horse & Rider Help : Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach

A lot of people are unsure about "how" they can learn if the instructor is not nearby... The irony of much of what limits the human's student ability to learn and retain new ideas and skills, can be the "distraction" of having their horse in hand/sitting on them. As a coach, we know the estimate is that humans retain less than 10% of what is taught in a lesson- never mind when they are trying to address their horse in real-time.

I cannot count how many times initially unsure new virtual coaching students have shared how much more value they have gotten out of the distance learning lessons, because they had the time to process what was being taught. Then when they headed out to interact with their horse, their clarity, intention, and awareness was significantly raised leading to significant changes and improvement with the equine.

The video catalog was designed as a support to the coaching and an introduction to Alternative Horsemanship™... It is not your traditional "one size fits all" mindless or "it should look like this" vague horse instruction.

Instead, it is a grouping of many aspects of horse behavior, human skills, and communication that I have found "holes in the education and understanding" after decades of teaching people worldwide of all backgrounds, disciplines, and experience levels. It is a starting point to raise self-awareness, for new thoughts, considerations, experimenting, etc...

For those committed to developing long-term changes with the horse, I still find the one-on-one sessions to be the jumpstart most equine enthusiasts needs to find the motivation and belief that change is possible.
Video Catalog
Individual Coaching Options

Horse Rider Biomechanics- Balance Help

Many times folks don't realize that they are sitting crooked in the saddle. If they are off-center in the saddle, they tend unintentionally to "grip" or create a brace on the side that they are less connected with the horse. This lack of centered-ness affects the communication, timing in the use of an aid and the quality of the ride.

We often talk about "independent" aids, and riders for years have been hearing things such as "hands up, heels down, look up, sit up," etc. but do not understand how when one body part is "misaligned" there is a trickle down effect on the rest of the rider's body parts.

Something as "simple" as looking down, can cause the rider's shoulder's to curl forward, them to roll their pelvis creating lack of balanced seat, and push down with their toes to prevent them selves from "falling." It can cause the rider to lock their elbow and wrist, grip with their finders and hang on the reins.

So frequently though instructors tend to nag the rider about an individual body part, rather than educating the student how each piece is connected, and helping them learn to find "center" when in the saddle. By doing so, it can help "fix" problems that tend to plague riders for years.

I'm not going through my whole anatomical riding lecture on here, but I will offer you the initial and most important piece. ALL of the rider's balance comes from their seat bones. Those are the two pointy bones at the top of the thigh that you sit on.

If you imagined your seat bones were like the two prongs on an electrical cord, and you are going to learn to "plug" yourself into the saddle, rather than sitting on the saddle like a sack of potatoes.

You can practice sitting in your saddle without the horse. First stand straight up in the stirrup, then place yourself in what you think is the center of the saddle. Notice if you can feel both bones equally or if you're sitting heavier to one side. (Typically if you're right handed you'll always sit heavier to that side, and same thing vice versa.)

Now practice feeling two incorrect positions (which will help you find the ideal position faster.)

First, over-rotate your pelvis down and curl it forward towards where the horse's ears would be. You'll feel your entire upper body compress, or shrink, to "compensate" from your lack of stability- this will also cause your lower leg to swing out in front of you, and for you to unintentionally "push" backwards in the saddle becoming behind the horse's motion.

In the second incorrect position you'll rotate your hips forward and your pelvis back, towards the horse's tail. You'll feel your lower back hollow and you'll unintentionally pull your shoulders back and together to avoid the feeling of falling forward, but because of the awkwardness, if you had reins in your hands, you'd be gripping for "stability" without meaning to.

Then stand up and re-seat yourself and find those seat bones and imagine plugging them straight down into the center of the saddle again, like you were plugging the electrical cord into the outlet.

You can practice "finding them" on any hard surface you sit on, but this is something that needs to become a "natural," instantaneous behavior in your own body. At first you'll have to conscientiously remind yourself to keep assessing your body and focusing on finding them and center.

Without the centered and plugged in seat, the rider's legs grip, cling, and "drive," creating unintentional nagging that the horse learns to ignore. Their hands and arms create a brace for the horse to lean on, become heavy on the bridle and there is a "wall" that limits the communication between human and the horse's brain.

With all of this lack of clarity, horse and riders tend to feel lost and overwhelmed, causing them both to become defensive.

If you're curious about learning more, check out the Balanced Rider Series on the Remote Horse Coach video catalog.

Helping the Horse- Mentally and Emotionally

Helping the Purginging Horses

Missing skills: Horse and Human Adaptability

How do YOU and YOUR horse respond if:

Horse Trailer Loading Problems, Anticipation & Chaos

The overly "willing" horse that flees into the trailer...

Breaking down the horse behavior during trailer loading...

Horse Considerations... Task Fixation Haltering

We've talked about how the "ride" begins when you think about going for the ride, and learning to "leave" reality of daily stresses and demands behind as you show up to be with your horse.

Join Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach in the Saturday, August 2nd, 6pm pdt Livestream, breaking down common horse interactions and holes in one's understanding that contributes to anticipative human behavior. Join me

Join Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach Sunday, August 3rd, 6pm pdt, for the livestream that will address crucial and overlooked aspects to improve the human's confidence during the horse interaction. Join me

Learning Horse Skills- Unasked for Opinions Dear Sam: Horse Help

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Horse Reeducation - 2nd Ride with Neck Rope

This isn't about how little tack I use, but reeducating a horse who was incredibly defensive towards pressure. I had to approach working with her in a creative manner to engage her mind to influence changes in the habitual fearful behaviors.

Building the Horse's Trust

Building the Horse's Trust

The Equine's current behaviors reflect what he has learned from his previous human interactions.

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Assessing the horse's health - relative to his diet

I am not an equal nutritionist, nor a vet, but this is a generalized list of things I've learned to see based on the last three decades of working with many unhealthy horses.

Horse Behavior - Herd Dynamics

Herd Dynamics

In the summer there is a continuous rotation of horses on the farm as equines arrive from all parts of the country. They stay various lengths of time, depending on their individual needs in their re-education and often rehabilitation.

This question was posed by a student of mine and I thought it'd be a great way to start the week.

Horse Behavior Tips and Questions

If you haven't already, subscribe to the Alternative Horsemanship™ YouTube Channel for weekly videos.

Horse Transitions- Mental and Physical

Most horses I meet fall into two categories:

*Fearful or defensive (tight, rigid, lethargic movement) when moving forward

*Hyper reactive and overreacting with fast, fleeing movement when moving forward

Hopefulness. Waiting and Seeing. Reactive Riding. Taking the "try" and willingness out of your horse. What do all of the above have in common? They are a domino effect that occurs in the riding world far too often. Let me explain.

Alternative Horsemanship™ Defensive Horse Behavior Livestream

Join Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach on Tuesday, July 15th, at 6pm pdt, for a discussion on how to interrupt default defensive equine behaviors and offering Positive Alternative communication to help the horse let go of unwanted responses in a reasonable manner.

Click to register or join the LIVE version.

Click HERE to watch the REPLAY through July.

Why Enjoying the Equine Interactions Matter

Many times when I'm teaching a student, if a tense moment arises, I will instruct them to pat their horse.

This is not for the sake of being "touchy-feely," rather for the release that happens within the rider when they touch their horse.

Without realizing it, they will exhale the breath they'd been unintentionally holding.

The rider will inevitably smile; this creates an emotional relaxation, which causes them to drain the tension they had been defensively carrying between their hands, forearm, shoulder blades, neck, lower spine, hamstrings, calves, and all the way through how they are leveraging on their stirrups. This mental shift influences their unintentional continuous gripping/bracing or containment of the horse, with a physical release of their aids.

The softening of the rigidity in the human's muscles is usually immediately mimicked in the horse's behavior and can be seen in his sighing, chewing, dropping his head, rapid blinking, passing manure, and overall deflation in his posture.

The pat, smile, and tension release in the human, allows for them to regroup and decrease the potentially overwhelming moment they experienced with the horse.

This affects the clarity and specificity in which the student can effectively communicate and can support the horse, building his confidence in their guidance.

Defensive Horse Behavior toward Rider Aids Replay

Join Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach as she discusses in-depth contributors and often overlooked horse behavior and other signs of the equine defensive toward the rider's seat and leg aids. Included is a demo video. Click HERE to watch

Clarity & Intention- Evolving the Equine Partnership

Too many people are unclear in what, where and how they communicate with their horse. They unintentionally "challenge" the horse into guessing what they want. Then they reprimand the horse every time he can't figure it out. Or they present a task using the same manner of communication repetitiously, driving the horse's stress levels up, until he accidentally figures out what the person is asking. The more the horse has to "guess" at what the person wants, the more he will tune out the person's aids or communication and can become dull and unresponsive to the aids or feel like he is "taking over" during the session.

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Have you Subscribed to Alternative Horsemanship™ on Social Media?

Many followers have certain platform preferences for following me on social media. Here's where you can "find" thousands of free horse videos, explanations, equine behavior teachings, and more! Always use #alternativehorsemanship in your search.

Preparing the Horse for the Unknown

I hate practicing anything in a mindlessly repetitive manner. Irrelevant of the discipline, there are many folks who teach that as long as there is "time in the saddle" it is equivalent to quality training. I find that by "training" this way dulls the interest, awareness, intention and focus in both the horse and human.

Many people get triggered by distractions and mentally go far away from where they are with their horse as they get lost in their "stories" of what ifs, history of previous experiences, or anticipation of what might potentially happen.

Join Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach for the two-part July Livestreams discussing defensive horse behavior toward rider aids.

Signs of Defensive Horse Behavior
Tuesday, July 8th, 6pm pdt

Addressing Defensive Horse Behavior
Tuesday, July 15th, 6pm pdt

20 Horse Health questions

20 Horse Health Tips, Questions & Assessment

Below are some basic questions to ask in regards to your horse’s health.

June Livestream Replays

Hello All who subscribe to the Monthly Livestreams in the Remote Horse Coach Video Catalog

The June Livestream Replays Groundwork and Riding Q & A are now available. Click HERE to watch.

Horse Skills: Reviewing The Release

As with everything much is left to interpretation when it comes to terminology in association with horses. I try to be clear and precise in the words that I'm offering, but there still can be a gray area in the human student's understanding.

Horses and The Learning Journey

One Step at a Time

It is very easy to be overwhelmed by everything that "isn't" or is challenging, frustrating, and exhausting with the horse.

As folks are learning with their horse or experimenting with a new way of communicating and interacting, they can unintentionally develop intensity in their facial expression, posture, energy, and movement.

When we work with a horse we primarily use two forms of pressure to communicate, physical (the lead rope attached to the halter, the rein, the leg, the seat, etc.) or spatial (not touching the horse but able to influence his brain and movement.) Vocal commands are a third, less common form of pressure.

Building Confidence in the Rider

Tips for the Insecure, Anxious, Anticipative, or Timid Rider

What about building the rider's confidence for riding out?

Confidence- just because a horse is going through the motions of "doing things" and is "learning" does not mean that he is gaining confidence and feeling secure from his experiences.

June Alternative Horsemanship™ Livestream Schedule

NOTE: We've been making some changes, and you'll notice email updates on events, livestreams, courses, clinics, Newsletters, etc. will now be hosted by EmailOctopus. We just sent out the June Livestream schedule, if you missed it, check your junk folder.

June Livestream Schedule

Ask the Trainer- Q & A

This month we are changing things up! This is your opportunity to submit any groundwork or riding related questions for Sam to answer in the June Livestreams. She will attempt to answer as many questions as possible in each 25-minute session. All questions must be emailed prior to the event. Both sessions will be held over the same weekend.

SUBMIT your questions prior to Friday, June 13th at 5pm pdt.

Groundwork Q & A Livestream

Saturday, June 14th 6pm pdt

Riding Q & A Livestream

Sunday, June 15th, 6pm pdt

Horse Skills: Goal Fixation vs Clear Communication

One of the most overlooked aspects of why people and horses are having issues is because of the lack of human clarity.

Automated Blog Update Emails and Changes

Hello Blog Subscribers!

If you currently subscribe to the weekly automated Blog Updates email, this week's mailing will be the final "automated" update that you are sent from MailChimp. This service will no longer be offered, and due to their continually increasing costs for basic services, I'm switching bulk email service providers. You will start to see email notifications from me, hosted by EmailOctopus.

For the time being, if you'd like to read the latest blog posts, you can visit the BLOG directly, or use/save this link to quickly view the latest posts, (but without access to all of the blog features.)

As always, on both the in-person learning website and the Remote Horse Coach site, there are direct links to the blog.

Day 5 #Equi-Quality Challenge with Alternative Horsemanship™

#Equi-Quality Challenge

Eliminating Self-Sabotage

Day 4 #Equi-Quality Challenge with Alternative Horsemanship™

#Equi-Quality Challenge

Letting go of Have Tos

Day 3 #Equi-Quality Challenge with Alternative Horsemanship™

#Equi-Quality Challenge

Day 2 #Equi-Quality Challenge with Alternative Horsemanship™

#Equi-Quality Challenge

Day 1 #Equi-Quality Challenge with Alternative Horsemanship™

#Equi-Quality Challenge

Day 1

People are often surprised at how much building a Quality Equine Partnership starts with themselves.

Over the past 20+ years of posting online and on social media, there's been a wide array of "key board" behaviors that I've witnessed or experienced firsthand from viewers.

Join Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach in a livestream focusing on how to recognize commonly overlooked subtle equine behaviors reflecting defensiveness.

Imbalanced Human Movement- Raising Awareness to Improve Horse Skills

The next time you head out to drive your car, sit at the dining table or at a desk in the office, stand in the elevator or move in general, I want you to check in with your physical movement and posture.

If you turn left while driving the car, do you find yourself rocking in your seat and leaning towards the left as you turn?

I frequently hear this question or am asked by students or other equine enthusiasts struggling with having a goal, direction, or unsure of what to focus on during their horse time... the answer is always the same, "Refinement." Irrelevant of if you ride for pleasure or are competitive (or if you only work with your horse from the ground,) every interaction is Opportunity for improving your and the horse's skills.

Unexpected or "All of a sudden" Horse Behaviors

I find 95% of folks misuse a round pen, whether under the guise of "exercising," lunging or teaching the horse conditioned responses.

Let's use the example of learning to face the human and be caught. So many of the videos and real life scenarios I see of folks "working" the horse in the round pen, whether they are a professional or not, are incessantly "driving" the horse's movement with flags, whips, sticks, ropes, etc.

Humans rarely acknowledge or take a moment to step back and assess all the potential ways their communication with the horse has continuously taught the animal to be defensive and distrustful. Then they get upset when the horse can no longer comply.

It should not be seen as "normal" for the horse to display any of the behaviors above.

Quality Horsemanship is a skill that must be learned, practiced, and refined- continuously.

Understanding horse behavior is a skill. As is being able to adapt in the moment to addressing and helping the individual horse.

Following some random pre-designed "Horsemanship" step 1, 2, 3 "program" or method doesn't mean there human or horse has increased clarity or quality in the interaction if there is no common language (or are fear based interactions.)

If you don't understand how to translate the horse's unwanted behaviors by breaking them down to discover the root source(s) of his concern, how could you help him work through them?

May Alternative Horsemanship™ Livestream Schedule

Learn more and Register HERE

Horse Rider Tips: Improving Balance

Horse Rider Balance

Many times folks don't realize that they are sitting crooked in the saddle. If they are off-center, they tend unintentionally to "grip" or create a brace on the side that they are less connected with the horse. This lack of centered-ness affects the communication, timing, effectiveness of an aid, and the quality of the ride.

"What should I focus on next with my horse?"

Horse behavior- Recognizing the Freeze Response

Can you recognize the Horse's Freeze response?
Check out the Remote Horse Coach video catalog to learn more about equine behavior.

Horse Skills- Common Missing Tool

"Following a Feel"

Those words had no value to me in my initial years of riding (groundwork was nonexistent.) I interacted with the horse offering unintentional, continuous tension- on the lead rope, on the rein, in my leg, etc. There was never a pause, time for mental processing, recognizing separating directing the thought from movement, adaptability in my aids or any conscious release of pressure towards the horse (other than during a jump.)

PC Jen Landis