Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Video Series *Empathy vs. Assumptions

Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey presents Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Empathy vs. Assumptions

In this video, Sam discusses how many people are starting in a place of assumption with their horses. This causes the human to not recognize the potential cracks or holes in their equine's educational "foundation." This fundamental misunderstanding leads to a majority of the unwanted scenarios experienced with the horse because the handler or rider is assuming and misinterpreting many equine behaviors.

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Making Peace Along the Horsemanship Journey by Alternative Horsemanship ...

Horsemanship- The Detriment of "I want"

 Has the urgency of "I want" limited Quality in your equine partnership? If the priority is, "I want," how available are you to hear, acknowledge, and address the horse?

Horse Herd Dynamics- Equine Behavior

 Herd Dynamics 

There is a continuous rotation of horses here on the farm as equines arrive from all parts of the country staying various lengths of time depending on their individual needs in their re-education and often rehabilitation. 

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Problems with Patterns

Have you visited the Remote Horse Coach Video Catalogue? Over 165 horsemanship videos offering courses, webinars, series and more.

Round Pen Misuse

There was an article on anti round pen usage... Here is my perspective/response:

Horsemanship: Raising the Human's Awareness

So much of our horsemanship can be improved in the time spent bringing awareness to our own behaviors and thoughts before we involve the horse. 

The Illusion of Horse Training- Human Misperceptions

The Illusion of "Horse Training"

One of the greatest negative contributors in the horse industry (to both the human and horse) is the misperception of Horse Training.

Horsemanship Webinar: Connecting Ground Work and Riding

Horsemanship: Spatial Pressure and Release

This week's theme of learning about, with, without the horse continues with this video captured this past year at my summer base at The Equestrian Center, LLC in Sandpoint, ID.

Horsemanship: Spatial Pressure and Release

I often have "help" from the deer, moose, bear, wild turkeys (who always insist on arriving when I'm getting on a colt for the first time,) and other critters. Of course, the domesticated cats also enjoy participating.

Even though this video is "cute," it is really a great example of spatial pressure, how little it takes to "send" it, and how strong it can be felt!

Do you have any animals who "help" you when you're working with your horse?

Horsemanship: Learning to Observe the Horse

A session of Learning 

 I'm always talking about being an observer of the horse. Often incredible things will unfold before you. 

Horsemanship: Laser Focus versus Quality Interactions

 Too often folks have a laser focus on task accomplishment rather than assessing if they have the necessary "pieces" in order to present a specific scenario to the horse.

Horsemanship: Mental Approach

 "I have to..." vs. "I get to..." 

Horsemanship and Equine Partnership

This post comes as a result of several recent comments I’ve heard from horse people as they are getting “amped up” for the upcoming spring riding season. Especially in areas of the country that are affected by nasty, cold winter weather, it seems that winter brings on a lethargic feeling, and so instead of the actual hands-on time with their horses, people tend to try to learn via technology, books, etc.

Challenges or Difficulties with your horse? Improve your Horsemanship

Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey Remote Horse Coach Empowered Equine Partnership journey. Learn to understand horse behavior, improve your horsemanship, communicate with horses, decrease your fear, build your horse's trust, improve your skill-set, and more.

The Re-education of a Horse

Starting a horse under saddle

 I spy... Can you find the new arrival? 

He and his human counterpart recently participated in a Full Immersion Clinic and she decided to bring him in for training to be started under saddle. 

 His past is unknown as she acquired him at auction a year ago. The only thing clear was he was very reactive to the world around him. 

 Part of my goal to help prepare him for life is to help him learn how to think through scenarios, search for options, and to keep trying in a reasonable manner, even if what he originally offered wasn't what was desired.  

One of the things in seeing a horse like this is a reminder of when I come across horses that are as cute as he is, is that often the human's emotions have clouded the perception of what the horse is expressing in his own emotions and is being reflected in their physical behavior. 

This causes unintentional filtering of how a person interprets horse behavior, causing passive support towards the horse when he really needs proactive interaction and guidance. 

Would you like help in assessing your horse to clarify how to approach working with him? Find out more HERE

Creating a willing horse by teaching them to search

The "search" is when we ask the horse to learn how to focus mentally and then physically offer a specific response, in other words, much of our Conversations with the horse is about them searching for what we are presenting.

Bad Weather & Horse Behavior- Learning Opportunity for Building Trust

It was been raining... for days. Gray, dark, windy, and cold. You can't see the rear of the property. Every simple task becomes a "chore" as I pile on the layers of clothing, jacket, scarf, and hat to head out and mentally head out into the blustery weather.

Learning to Believe the Horse's Communication

A client's mule from a few years ago...

30+ years ago when I started out with horses I never would have thought my journey would evolve as it has... The variety of disciplines and animals I've worked with was not exactly intentional, but rather part of my evolving journey. The more exposure I had to unfamiliar experiences, the more I wanted to learn.

Whether it was 3 Day Eventing, jumpers, Dressage, racehorses, driving, ranch roping, moving cattle, cutting, reined cow horse, packing in the mountains, colt starting, Horsemanship, or rehabilitating dangerous horses, each area had something to add to my foundation of understanding. Over the years my experiences ranged in working with a variety of breeds such as Thoroughbreds, ponies, Warmbloods, Arabians, Heavy and Light Drafts, Chilean Criollos, east Asian horses, gaited horses, Mustangs, Mules, and many others.