Why Horsemanship matters in Everyday Scenarios

Why "it" matters...
Yesterday in preparation for embracing truly remote isolation for the next few months, I had to pick up three different horses (all currently at private, remote desert locations) and bring them to a fourth private farm to meet the vet.

I haven't taught in person in the last month, and these horses will be making the 1,400-mile journey north through country most folks in the USA have never even been to. Do you know what it is like to drive for 300 miles on one road and only pass a few other vehicles? My rig is self-sustained, including with enough fuel so that we never have to engage with another human to make the entire trip! We will summer in isolation in the heart of the rocky mountains.

Horse Training Approach: What do you do with horses?



People often ask "what kind of horse training do you do?" I say, "I work with people and horses."

In the traditional world of horses, not categorizing yourself meant that you didn't really know a whole lot about anything. Nowadays I find it quite ironic how many students I have that many of my clients come from "specialized" trainers but are having major issues on fundamental basics with their horses and the specialized trainers are unable to help them through the situations other than forcing the horses into submission through fearful and aggressive tactics.

Mindfulness in our Horsemanship

As with most things, there is a learning curve in the progression and improvement of Horsemanship. It involves recognizing, understanding and then grasping concepts and building the skillset not only in the mechanics of the "hands-on" communication but also learning how to achieve quality interaction with the horse. 

Desensitizing the Horse vs Supporting the Horse

I don't try to desensitize or de-spook a horse. Instead the more the horse is mentally available and engaged in a Conversation with the human, the less overwhelming the world can be.

Addressing the horse's thought before his physical behavior...



Rather than the handler or rider critiquing the horse's unwanted behavior, the person needs to "dig deeper" and address the root cause of it.

Getting fixated on stopping the obvious physical actions may temporarily curb the horse's initial actions, but it will not address the root cause of them.

If the behavior is only contained or criticized, the original unsought movement will evolve into a new undesirable one.

The horse's actions are a reflection of his mental and emotional state. If we prioritize having quality conversations with the horse helping him to learn to think through what we are presenting, he can then offer a soft, reasonable, physical "try" in his response to our requests.

Horse Video-Supporting the horse


Upcoming Alternative Horsemanship Webinars
April 4. 2020   11am PST or 6pm GMT
May 2, 2020  11am PST or 6pm GMT

June 6, 2020  11am PST or 6pm GMT

Horsemanship Webinar with Samantha Harvey

What: Horsemanship webinar with Samantha Harvey
When: Saturday April 4, 2020 @ 11am-noon pst
6pm-7pm GMT
Where: Closed, private Facebook Group
Cost: $20 USD or £16
Discount Available- Email Me for 30% off

What you get:
This will be a one-hour, live, interactive, four-part webinar that will address:

  • Assessing the horse
  • Assessing the human
  • What do defensive thoughts look like physically?
  • Changing Patterns in Humans & Horses
How does it work? You click HERE
to sign up. Complete the form with your payment. You will be sent an invite link to the Facebook group. 24 hours prior to the event you will receive a reminder about the Webinar. Join in on the group about five minutes before the scheduled LIVE event.

Discounts: Have a friend you want to join in with? Use code

FAQs: 
What if I can't join in part or all of the LIVE session? No problem. The webinar
will remain posted in the group for one week following the event. 

What if I want to watch it again? No problem. You can replay it as many times as possible.

Will there be an opportunity to ask questions? Yes, if you are participating during the LIVE event version.

Have questions? Email me
Join: Click HERE

Three Mares in a pasture: Curious Horse Video


This was an unexpected moment I captured in the pasture with a client's three horses. One is a rescue paint mare, another is a filly brought in from the wild, and the last is an endurance Morab mare. Each horse has their own confidence and curiosity levels that they offer in their human interaction.