Horse Training and Desensitizing: Quit Driving the Horse Nuts by Alternative Horsemanship

Horse Training and Desensitizing Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach discusses the dangers of not believing the horse's fear, defensiveness, and concern and how some training approaches can create dangerous behaviors in the animal. 

Addressing the misconceptions of "making" the horse comply versus teaching the horse how to learn. How "desensitizing" can cause the horse to become mentally defensive and physically dangerous.

Horse Trailer Loading: The Young Horse by Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey

Horse Trailer Loading 

So many people make it a stressful, fearful, and Traumatizing experience for the horse. All from a human-created ego and urgency, often without any preparation in the skills taught to the horse in how to think through, search, and try. I'm sharing the final aspect of teaching BLM mustang filly Calamity Jane about trailer loading. I initially taught her to load and Unload (backing out) with the lead rope to offer specific and clear communication. Then I present the trailer in a new way giving her an Opportunity to be curious about.

Horse Trailer Loading: The Mustang Filly First time on the Lead

Why does offering the horse time matter? If you've been following BLM mustang Calamity Jane's journey you'll have been hearing about her progress from wild to mild. The initial building of clear, specific communication, short and segmented sessions allowed her Time to learn how to think through what is being presented and have a willingness to try and trust... This was the first day I played with her at the trailer. We did a couple of slow approaches, hanging out "thinking in" the trailer, asking for one foot in, then asking her to put it back. Then moved away and did something else as a spatial and mental release from the pressure of the trailer. Then this happened... Imagine if when horses experienced new scenarios it remained this low stress... #alternativeHorsemanship #trailerloading #blmmustang

Young Horse and the First Farrier Experiences

Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey recounts the young horse's education of BLM mustang Calamity Jane and the first few farrier learning experiences and Opportunities. 

Explaining how preparation and skills can help make new and unfamiliar scenarios not overwhelming to the young horse and build their confidence. 

Subscribe to the Alternative Horsemanship YouTube Channel for weekly videos in the ask the horse trainer Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series, watch insight in the #tipswithpippin horseback riding series, and enjoy other weekly equine behavior videos. 

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Unrealistic Expectations

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Unreasonable Expectations Subscribe for weekly episodes and Alternative Horsemanship YouTube videos. #alternativehorsemanship #remotehorsecoach #dearsamhorseseries In-person Learning www.learnhorses.com Online Courses and Distance Learning https://remotehorsecoach.uscreen.io

Misconceptions of Moving the Horse on a a Circle

 Misconceptions of a Circle 

One of the most misused "techniques" I have found is how people present asking the horse to move around a circle. 

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Hyper Alert Horses

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Hyper Alert Horses by Alternative Horsemanship Horses that lack confidence in new scenarios are often hyper-alert... This helps break down the behaviors and postures that indicate the difference between defensive fixation and curiosity in the horse. Subscribe to the channel for new weekly episodes.

Helping the Dangerous, Fearful, Reactive, or Uncatchable Horses

Here's a quick glimpse into just a few of the horses who arrived for help this summer... It isn't about making the horse tolerate the human but instead helping them learn to trust and willingly offer to participate. Most equine rehabilitation or re-education scenarios I have are a result of ego-based human "training" attempts of "making" the horse comply. More often than not, this approach results in unwanted and dangerous scenarios for both the horse and the human. Everything starts with the Quality of how the horse offers to be caught. If it begins with chasing, aggressive human behavior, or the horse having to mentally shut down to tolerate the person, what will the rest of the session look like? #alternativeHorsemanship #RemoteHorseCoach #horsemanship

Pressure and Release Re-Educating Horse that Bucks by Alternative Horsem...

This mare has a history of bucking (and a very traumatic past,) so part of her re-education is to assume nothing and rebuild from the ground up. I thought I'd share a short clip of what preparing a horse to be saddled looks like for me. In this case, I'm looking for feedback from the horse as to what may be triggering her anticipation, physical tension, or mental avoidance. This is the first time we did this. Practice first noticing how many different forms of pressure are being presented. Assess the horse's focus, breathing, movement, the stance at the halt, etc. Watch for how she interacts with my communication. What do you see? Everything is a learning opportunity if you commit to seeing beyond the superficial "obedient goal" and search for quality interactions. **Please do NOT go and randomly try this at home- you and your horse could easily and quickly get into a wreck if you haven't established the fundamentals that go into the "bigger picture."

Horses: Pressure and Reviewing the Release

 Horsemanship: Reviewing The Release

As with everything much left to interpretation when it comes to terminology in association 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.

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Car crash vs Bolting Horse

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Car crash vs. Jigging or Rushing Horse Too many folks struggle with fixating on the peak moment of the horse's dress or unwanted behavior rather than addressing the root cause. Learn where you might be missing the initial indicators as to the future potential bolt, jigging, rushing, or other unwanted dramatic behavior in the horse. Be sure to subscribe to the Alternative Horsemanship YouTube channel to not miss new weekly episodes. #alternativeHorsemanship #RemoteHorseCoach #dearsamseries In-person Learning www.learnhorses.com Online Horse Courses and Distance Learning https://remotehorsecoach.uscreen.io

Horse Tips with Pippin: Willingness to Adapt at the Mounting Block

#tipswithpippin This rescue Haflinger has an unknown past. As I've been re-educating this initially defensive, highly reactive, and distrustful horse, I want to share moments of value that affect all that follows in building his trust, try, and willingness.

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Getting Hurt with Horses

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Getting Hurt with Horses So many human/horse accidents, fear, and trauma can be avoided by trusting yourself to not just do "what everyone else is doing." Sam shares her thoughts on when not to trust the equine professional in order to keep you and your horse safe. Subscribe to the Alternative Horsemanship YouTube channel for weekly episodes and other horse behavior and learning videos.

Ground Work with Horses "Following a Feel" Alternative Horsemanship

 "Following a Feel"

Those words had no value to me all the years I interacted with the horse unintentionally offering continuous tension- on the lead rope, on the rein, in my leg, etc.  There was never any true release of pressure towards the horse (other than during a jump.)