Alternative Horsemanship™ Horse behavior help, equine communication, groundwork and rider mindset. Understand the horse and develop quality horse skills to address sources vs symptoms of unwanted equine behavior.
Horse and Human Help
Samantha Harvey- Alternative Horsemanship ™ the Remote Horse Coach™
I believe people can learn from many different forms of shared horse knowledge (even if it is what not to do,) BUT I find without a clear foundational basis, the constant barrage of "dos and don'ts" that drastically differ in shared horse training approaches, theories, and methods can be exhausting for the student to filter through.
I had remote coaching students on multiple continents this week- and the general theme was discussing breath... The students' backgrounds were drastically different, as were their ages, and horse experience.
Yet, along their individual paths of raising self- awareness to improve the relationship with their horse, each had come to the conclusion of how much "work" it was to intentionally breathe.
It sounds funny as the most basic instinctive need to survive is to breathe- and somehow, here we are as human beings, rapidly "losing" the connection between breath and our mind, emotions, and body.
Of course, this isn't just a "horse people problem," but it is magnified for those who spend time with, around, or riding the incredibly sensitive animals.
The cliche of "your horse reflects you," is an understatement.
Breath affects the human's mental, emotional, and physical state. It directly influences the quality, specificity, timing, and effectiveness of communication with the horse.
It is not something that can be brushed aside as a, "I'll work on that someday..." if the goal is to evolve the quality of one's relationship with the horse.I'll be honest, it is very uncomfortable to reach a moment of recognizing how disconnected we have become from our bodies. Once you realize patterns in yourself, even if you don't have the energy to address them now, the awareness is a "burden."
For a lot of years (decades actually,) much of western society's "norms" have wreaked havoc on the human nervous system; unrealistic demands, distractions, expectations, time urgencies, etc. have contributed to deregulated states as the human loses any natural sense of physical awareness they are born with.
From mobility, to breathing, to intention- for many people, what came naturally as a child, dissipates the more "societal influenced" people become as they unintentionally drift away from what was once instinctive responses.
When I first started teaching, I had intentionally titled one of my web pages: "Back to Basics"- people HATED the name. HATED the reference, and I eventually gave in and changed it.
The problem with the name, based on the feedback- was people who'd spent years with horses, didn't want to have insinuated that they needed to "go back" (society's "what have you achieved by now") or that they were still needing to learn "the basics," (society's hurry up, do more, multitask, result drive outcomes need to "prove" the time/money/effort was worth it.)
I specifically created the title because so many people were coming to me with "problem horses," but themselves were missing fundamental basics in understanding, awareness, and skills-and instead were wanting to "fix" things (symptoms,) rather than recognizing or acknowledging that to help the horse, it started with their self-awareness and availability to learn. Including, inconsistent breathing.
Society rewards the mindset of "powering through" or "making something happen," which doesn't work with horses... I mean, it may temporarily appear to get desired results with a certain type/personality of horse, but then one day, "all of a sudden..." it doesn't.
So much presented societally, socially, media wise, etc. is about using literal or figurative strength to force things to occur or comply. This also doesn't work with horses... which is why you are reading posts shared on this site.
So, coming back to the idea of breath... Think of someone who lifts weights at the gym, unintentionally more often than not, they end up holding their breath as they try to engage their muscles. The personal trainers will remind them to breathe, instead, you'll see braced, tight, rigid behavior as they anticipate engaging in the activity.
It is no difference to what I see people do ALL the time with their horses. Even if not literally thinking they are "powering" through something... whether hopeful, passive, avoidant, or trying to be "believable"- they often hold their breath.
So remember... it starts with awareness.
Don't impose self-critique or judgement once you realize what your current "norm" is.
Do see every opportunity to "reset" as retraining your brain and body- which helps in all aspects of daily life, not just your horse time.
Don't expect sudden changes in yourself if you've been doing something unintentionally for decades.
Do only attempt a minute or two at a time (I'm not kidding) of intentionally breathing... initially, you'll be mentally exhausted.
Imagine all the potential positives that could occur if you treat yourself with the same kindness as you'd offer others ...
Chasing the Horse Dream
It all starts with Awareness
The only consistent thing I have found to be true is humans ARE seeking connection.
Have you ever driven a vehicle that suddenly started drifting, pulling, or moving in a way you didn’t want?
If that happened, would you stop the car, get out, and try to physically force the wheels into the direction you wanted them to go?
Of course not.
You’d start by troubleshooting:
What is the condition of the tires?
Is there an issue with the axles or brakes?
Are the fluids low?
Is the steering column misaligned?
Even if you didn’t understand the mechanics yourself, you would look for or seek guidance to find the root cause of the problem.
Why don’t we do the same with our horses?
In traditional training, when a horse shows unwanted behavior, the common response is:
Add more equipment
Use harsher aids
Try to force compliance
Speed up the training
Push/drive/chase the horse through his resistance
But all that does is magnify the holes—
in the horse’s education
and in reflect a lack of human understanding.
When we mask symptoms instead of addressing root causes, unwanted behaviors don’t disappear…
they simply morph into something else.
Balking becomes bolting.
Tension becomes spooking.
Resistance becomes shutdown.
And owners are left wondering what the horse will do next.
Alternative Horsemanship™ is not about controlling the horse.
It’s about understanding the horse—
their communication, mental state, and natural responses.
Instead of reacting to problems,
we learn to see the early subtle signs of worry, anticipation, or defensiveness.
We teach the skills to learn how to recognize and address the root cause before it becomes a unreasonable or potentially dangerous behavior.
This approach focuses on building a foundation through:
✔ Clear communication
✔ Observing the horse’s communication
✔ Understanding how to influence the horse's mind to create changes in equine behavior or natural instincts
✔ Awareness of your own mindset, emotions, and habits
✔ Interactions that create a safe space for learning to build trust—rather than demanding fearful compliance or forced submission
Whether you realize it or not,
you are always teaching your horse.
Your energy, timing, clarity, and intention is reflected in the horse's responses.
If you’re tired of:
Fixing the same problems over and over
Hoping for “good days”
Wondering what your horse will do next
Feeling like training is a guessing game
Then it’s time to build a foundation based on understanding rather than reacting.
Because the quality of your horsemanship isn’t measured by:
❌ fancy equipment
❌ how quickly you get results
❌ what someone else can make your horse do
It’s reflected in:
✔ Intention
✔ Commitment
✔ Adaptability
✔ Clarity
✔ And your willingness to help the horse in front of you
Alternative Horsemanship™ branched into becoming The Remote Horse Coach to help you virtually learn how to create a relationship that’s not dictated by fear, dominance, or performance pressure—
but by communication, confidence, and calmness.
If you're ready to replace hope with understanding,
reactiveness with clarity,
and frustration with confidence—
learn how Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach can help you on horse journey.
Let’s begin building a partnership founded on awareness, curiosity, and mutual respect.
Visit the Individual Virtual Horse Coaching or the Horse Learning Video Catalog
Too many people tend to hurry in life and often the same applies to their horsemanship.
