Horse Problems- "What should I focus on next with my horse?"

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.

Horse Skills Refinement Opportunities

 

Horse Skills Refinement 

So many everyday horse interactions lead to mindless patterns that unintentionally teach the equine unwanted responses, avoidance, and defensiveness toward human communication. Taking that extra minute or changing the path can allow for a check-in opportunity to assess (and address) the horse's mental, emotional, and physical state. Do so, is what contributes to developing reasonable, adaptable horses. 

 The sorrel horse arrived a few weeks ago chaotic, anticipative, tension-filled, and defensive towards human communication.

Is Technology Help or Hurting Your Horse Learning

 

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series

Learning Horse Skills: Modern Day Trials, Tribulations, and Challenges

Discussing pros and cons of online horse learning and how technology has influenced the way we connect or are disconnected with our horses.

Click the link  to watch on the Alternative Horsemanship YouTube Channel.

New videos are posted every Friday.

Building the Horse's Confidence by Alternative Horsemanship the Remote Horse Coach

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.

The horse may "quietly" tolerate a situation a few or even many times before he starts to show more obvious signs of stress, insecurity, or fear about what is being presented if he is being pushed to physically comply with the task given.

Horse Trainer Advice: Build Trust in the Fearful Horse Part 1

 

 Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series 

Build Trust in the Traumatized Horse Part 1

Horse trainer Thoughts & Perspective on the Traumatized and Fearful Horse, building trust to replace unwanted equine behaviors. 

Click the link in the comments for the Alternative Horsemanship YouTubeAlternative Horsemanship YouTube video- subscribe for weekly videos in this series.

Horseback Riders and Equine Enthusiast Tips- Stop overwhelming Yourself

Stop Overwhelming Yourself
It is very easy to become overwhelmed by everything that "isn't" or is challenging, frustrating, and exhausting with the horse.
Unrealistic expectations, hopefulness and continuously comparing ourselves or our horses to what "everyone else" is/can do, is detrimental to the Quality of our interactions and leads to less-than-ideal scenarios.
I wish more folks gave themselves permission to literally and figuratively focus on being present and addressing themselves and their horse in small segments. Each segment of Clarity in Communication can connect to the next, which influences how the "final" piece of accomplishment is experienced by the horse.

What is it like being a Horse Trainer? Thirty years later

Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach shares her unexpected journey as a horse trainer, developing equine partnerships, trauma, building trust and try, and setting the horse up for success in the human world. So much of the horse's initial training influences its future safety and well-being.

The Human Intention- Influencing the horse's mental, emotional, and physical responses

Until humans figure out what we are bringing to the equine partnership, we cannot offer the horse clear, intentional, specific, and segmented communication they so often need.

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Why Quality Comunication Matters

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Why Quality Communication Matters Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach shares her perspective of why quality communication is an invaluable tool in creating reasonable equine partners. Subscribe to the channel for weekly videos.

Addressing the Horse's Concern- Alternative Horsemanship the Remote Horse Coach

The Horse's Concern

What if we recognized and addressed the initial signs of concern before it erupted into:
Bucking
Bolting
Kicking
Spooking
"Over-reaction"
Biting
Fixating
Fleeing movement
Biting at the Air
Pawing
Jigging
Stomping
Weaving
and so many other moments responded to as, "OH, he just does that, he's being a ____."

Horse Health: Assessing the Roll by Alternative Horsemanship

 

Horse Health: Assessing the Roll So often by taking a few minutes and observing the horse, can give us insight into potential physical health issues.

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series "Why does my horse..."

Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach shares her perspective on how to better understand resistant and unwanted equine behavior.

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series

"Why is my horse... Subscribe to the Alternative Horsemanship YouTube Channel for all new episodes every Friday.

How do Improve your Horsemanship with Limited Time: Equine Learning

 

Valuable Time
Whether limited due to work, school, other commitments, weather, etc. I encourage people to spend any and as much Quality Time they can with the horse.

Horse Behavior- Reviewing the Release by The Remote Horse Coach

Reviewing The Release

As with everything, there are many interpretations when it comes to the terminology associated 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. This often comes from their level of awareness, background, and unintentional anticipation/expectation of their mind "getting ahead" of wherever they are currently at with their horse.

Learning from the Horse- Self-awareness Opportunities

 The Best Teachers 

Time with horses can be our greatest learning moments; they reflect our thoughts, emotions, energy, intentions, fears, insecurities, and so much more.

We can learn about our behaviors, habits, patterns, mindset, anticipation, and triggers that may be sabotaging the clarity of communication and limiting the Quality of the Conversation in our equine partnership.

I just read a great quote,

"Those in pursuit if WHY are inspired to do right." SimonSinek

Have you ever considered if your goal and priorities are to do "right" by your horse, or if you are hopeful that he'll do "right" by you?

Horseback Rider Communication and Equine Behavior- the Box- Help by Alternative Horsemanship

The BOX

First and foremost I developed the concept of "the Box" because I was finding too many people wanting to be polite and kind in the communication with the horse, but were lacking specificity, boundaries, or spatial awareness.

Horses, Humans, and the Horsemanship Journey by Alternative Horsemanship...

#Equi-Quality Day 5- Acknowledging the Horse's Participation

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#Equi-Quality Horse Challenge Improving the Equine Partnership

Join Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach in the 5-day #Equi-Quality Challenge to improve the Quality of the Equine Partnership.

Each day Sam will share a Daily Tip that you can incorporate into your horsemanship. Join her on INSTAGRAM and participate in each of the day's topics to enter to win a free 1:1 Coaching Session.

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.