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..

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