Alternative Horsemanship™ with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach shares horse training and horseback rider coaching, philosophies, and approaches she has developed over three decades. Offering horsemanship clinics worldwide, distance horse coaching instruction, equine consultations, equine re-education and rehabilitation, colt starting, and lessons. Follow her #alternativehorsemanship on all social media platforms.
Pages
- What is Alternative Horsemanship?
- About Equestrienne and Horse Coach Samantha Harvey
- Full Immersion Horsemanship Clinics
- Remote Horse Coach- Personalized Distance Learning with Alternative Horsemanship
- Video Courses & Classes
- Horse Behavior Course
- Horse Shopping Help Online Course
- Livestream w Q & A
- Horse Webinars
- Alternative Horsemanship Client Testimonials
- YouTube
- TikTok
- Newsletter
- Horse Humor Journal
Horse Skills: The Check- In Learning to Acknowledge the Equine to stop Guessing
Honesty of Horse Conversations by Alternative Horsemanship the Remote Horse Coach
One of the things that keeps me “motivated” in working with horses is their honesty. The interaction is not about whether I "like" what their behavior is telling me, but rather recognizing they are offering real-time feedback as to what they are mentally, emotionally, and physically experiencing.
Pressure and Horses
I was thinking about what “pressure” might mean to others; ideas and questions started to pop into my head.
Horse Skills - Refining Understanding of Pressure
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 being able to influence his brain and movement.) Vocal commands are a third, less common form of pressure.
A horse’s natural response to human pressure is to flee from it, become defensive towards it, or physically “challenge” it, which causes him to be unable to “hear” the person. The horse needs to learn that pressure offered by a person can be similar to feedback he'd receive from interacting with other horses.
Horsemanship Skills : Following a Feel
"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.)
Horses "Following a Feel"
"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.)
Horse Interactions : Human Goals vs Quality Partnerships
Goals vs Quality
It is very easy to fall into a pattern of setting goals and getting fixated on accomplishing them to feel successful with the horse.
In more scenarios than not, the goal is frequently prioritized over assessing if there's quality during the interaction with the horse.
I will often hear people excitedly telling me about how much they have accomplished with the horse.
Then as I watch their equine's behavior and see things like: chomping on the bit
pinned ears
tails swishing
fidgeting or excessive movement
"grumpy" faces
physical tension
rigid nostrils
wide eyes
inability to stand still (mentally and physically)
avoidance at being caught/ led/ tacked/ loaded into the trailer loading or mounted
or if every time the halter is removed the horse goes running off
Behaviors Sabotaging the Human and Horse Partnership
What is the most common issue I see sabotaging the human & horse partnership?
Containment
Adaptability, Humans, and Horses
Adaptability
People and horses get stuck in mental and physical patterns during daily interactions. There is often a lack of clarity or specific communication offered during many familiar scenarios.
Patience, Horses, and Humans
Patience, Humans & Horses
I've had many comments over the years about how I seem to never lose patience with the horse during moments that for most people would trigger a rollercoaster of emotions... such as in the scenarios of when a horse:
Resists being caught
Difficult to Trailer Load
Bolts when Led
Won't stand quietly tied
Avoidant towards the farrier
Has excessive movement when tacked or mounted
Is sensitive about fly spray or bathing
Is buddy or "barn" sour
Horse Questions, Beahviors, and Interactions
Alternative Horsemanship the Remote Horse Coach shares a glimpse into what groundwork with the horse could look like when the horse's mind is engaged, without fear or flee.
Subscribe to the YOUTUBE Channel for weekly videos.
Pressure & Horses- Refining Human Awareness
Pressure & Horses
I’ve never had an “English” language conversation with a horse, but over the years I feel that I’ve found some degree of a “common language” with which I use to communicate with them. I explain to students there is no “one” way to do things, and I always tell people “Take what you like, leave what you don’t” from any learning situation. I finished reading a horse blog the other day and realized that in this day and age, I don’t think you can participate in any aspect of the horse world without hearing the word “pressure” in reference to communicating with the horse.Horse Training Discussing Pressure & Force Free
Does your horse understand your communication?
Horse Help- Problems with Mindless Horse Training Methods
I am the first to admit that I’m quite resistant to “step by step” methods of training.
Horse Help Concepts- The Box an Alternative Horsemanship tool
The "Box"
Horse Help- Improving your Equine Communication- Eliminating the Brace
Are you overwhelming your horse?
Horse Skills : Position Alternative vs Critical Communication
Positive Alternatives vs. Critical Commentary
Most riders focus on what they don't want their horse to do and attempt to "block," drive, or reprimand the horse in what they consider is the moment of unwanted behavior (more often they are responding to symptoms vs root causes.)
If they are reacting to only the big and obvious physical movements of the horse, they are missing all the initial Opportunities to check-in with the horse's mental availability and directability which influences his behaviors.