Do you have horse behavior questions? Do you want to improve horse horse skills? Alternative Horsemanship™ with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach shares her horse training philosophy and coaches horseback riders of all experience levels. Offering horsemanship clinics worldwide along with distance horse coaching, instruction, and consults. Visit her horse video learning catalog offering webinars, courses, classes and more. Find her on all social media platforms #alternativehorsemanship
Prioritizing Addressing the "Scary" Horse
Is my horse misbehaving or in pain?
Many unwanted horse behaviors are a result of an animal that is experiencing pain. In this video Sam shares tips about how to translate or recognize a few of the common signs or indications that a horse may be in pain which may be the root cause(s) of dangerous or resistant equine behavior such as biting, kicking, bucking, bolting, difficult to catch, saddle, bridle, or mount, etc. Subscribe to the Alternative Horsemanship YouTube Channel for more Tuesday Trainer Tips videos.
The Resistant Horse
When the horse is...
Resistant to being caught
Constantly pulling when led
Pulls back or gets stressed when tied
Swishes his tail every time you walk behind him
Always is moving away when trying to tack him up
Steps away when trying to mount
Walks off as soon as the rider is in the saddle
Is drifting, bracing, or anticipative when ridden
Takes "a while" to load into the trailer
Might explode backward during the trailer unloading
Is "buddy" or barn "sour"
Has the same "issue" with the same scary spot repeatedly
Offers dramatic behaviors when something unexpected arises
Paws, paces, cribs, weaves, wall kicks, bites while in his enclosure
Is aggressive towards other horses or at feed time
Etc., etc., etc.
Adaptability in the Horse and Human
Adaptability
People and horses get stuck in a mental/physical rut as to the quality and intention of the Conversations and interactions with their horses.
Without having to "go anywhere" there are so many scenarios that you can create to help you assess, then address and refine, in your own clarity, communication, and adaptability.
People and horses get stuck in a mental/physical rut as to the quality and intention of the Conversations and interactions with their horses.
Without having to "go anywhere" there are so many scenarios that you can create to help you assess, then address and refine, in your own clarity, communication, and adaptability.
Discussing the "Quiet" Horse
The "Quiet Horse"
Here's a brief video of a horse that reflects many equines I meet whose owners are struggling to understand what is happening with their animal because the outward behavior looks so quiet.
I often hear things like:
He's bored.
He's going to sleep.
He's disinterested.
This week's live video in the Alternative Horsemanship Locals community November 4th, Friday at 6pm pst.
You can post questions related to this topic before the live event and I'll try to answer as many as I can during the Livestream. If you're subscribed as a supporter you can access, watch, replay and learn from all live content.
Here's a brief video of a horse that reflects many equines I meet whose owners are struggling to understand what is happening with their animal because the outward behavior looks so quiet.
I often hear things like:
He's bored.
He's going to sleep.
He's disinterested.
This week's live video in the Alternative Horsemanship Locals community November 4th, Friday at 6pm pst.
You can post questions related to this topic before the live event and I'll try to answer as many as I can during the Livestream. If you're subscribed as a supporter you can access, watch, replay and learn from all live content.
5 Signs Your Horse Needs a Trainer
If your horse is spooking, bucking, biting, refusing to be caught or tied up, challenging while trailer loading, or generally defensive, it might be worthwhile to hire a trainer for help. Picking the right trainer is also very important. In this video, Alternative Horsemanship the Remote Horse Coach discusses 5 signs it's time to hire a trainer for your horse - and how you may be misinterpreting horse behaviors that could turn into severe or potentially dangerous responses later. Is your horse resistant to being caught, do they act fearful when encountering something new? Are they challenging to tack up or mount? Do they get nervous or anxious and display dangerous behaviors?
LIVE horse learning with Alternative Horsemanship
Looking for LIVE videos offering Exclusive content with Q & A Opportunities?
Coming in November- Fridays at 6pm pst, 9 pm est, noon ACT
A replay will be available if you can't join the live session.
New topics are posted in the group forum every Monday, comment with your questions, and then join in for LIVE horse-related discussions.
Click the picture below to learn more in the welcome video.
Coming in November- Fridays at 6pm pst, 9 pm est, noon ACT
A replay will be available if you can't join the live session.
New topics are posted in the group forum every Monday, comment with your questions, and then join in for LIVE horse-related discussions.
Click the picture below to learn more in the welcome video.
California Alternative Horsemanship 2022 2023 Horse Clinics
Attention Southern California Horse Enthusiasts...
Looking ahead to the 10th year of the Alternative Horsemanship winter clinic series!
OAKZANITA Ranch
Descanso, CA
2022/2023 Dates:
Oct 26-31
Nov 16-21
Jan 25-30
Mar 1-6
Mar 29- Apr 3
Individual 1-hr sessions catered to the individual student and horse's current abilities. Groundwork, equine behavior, tack fit, rider clarity & confidence, are just a few of the many topics often covered in these clinics. They are the only clinics where I allow free auditing.
Email me for participant and auditing details, schedule availability, or to get on the waitlist.
OAKZANITA Ranch
Descanso, CA
Oct 26-31
Nov 16-21
Jan 25-30
Mar 1-6
Mar 29- Apr 3
Individual 1-hr sessions catered to the individual student and horse's current abilities. Groundwork, equine behavior, tack fit, rider clarity & confidence, are just a few of the many topics often covered in these clinics. They are the only clinics where I allow free auditing.
Email me for participant and auditing details, schedule availability, or to get on the waitlist.
Dear Sam: Horse Help -Spooky Horses
*Spooky Horses
Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach addresses why reacting after the fact or attempting to contain unwanted and dangerous horse behavior does not solve the long-term issues of the horse's insecurity and fear.
New EPISODES every Friday Subscribe to the Alternative Horsemanship YouTube channel to not miss any.
Improve Horseback Rider Skills- Leg pressure and usage
Continued from Connecting the Dots and The Bridle. 
In regard to leg pressure...
I do not want to feel like I’m “driving” my horse forward constantly with my leg; instead, the energy I offer with my seat (before using leg pressure) delegates the energy that should be reflected in the horse's movement.
AFTER that I will use my legs to finesse, fine-tune, and ask for a more specific movement.
AFTER that I will use my legs to finesse, fine-tune, and ask for a more specific movement.
Horseback Rider Help- Improving the Skills: The Bridle & Rein Usage
Continued from the "Connecting the Dots"
In regards to the bridle…
Contact, accepting the bit, not ‘leaning’ on the bit, following a feel, softening to pressure…
Each of the above concepts is used throughout various disciplines.
You may have heard some of these, others maybe not. To me, they all are attempting to reach the same end goal. A horse that softly accepts of the bit, maintains a willing responsiveness when used by the rider, without fear or defensiveness.
In regards to the bridle…
Each of the above concepts is used throughout various disciplines.
You may have heard some of these, others maybe not. To me, they all are attempting to reach the same end goal. A horse that softly accepts of the bit, maintains a willing responsiveness when used by the rider, without fear or defensiveness.
Connecting the Dots of Horseback Riding
Connecting the Dots
(This will be a several-part entry that will be covered over the next week or so...)
When resistant, unwanted, and/or dramatic behavior occurs with the horse, people get distracted by the big-ness of the horse. In my mind, the “big” is an after-the-fact response by the horse. The root of the problem has occurred or began to occur anywhere from minutes to months before the horse finally resorted to undeniably dramatic behavior.
When resistant, unwanted, and/or dramatic behavior occurs with the horse, people get distracted by the big-ness of the horse. In my mind, the “big” is an after-the-fact response by the horse. The root of the problem has occurred or began to occur anywhere from minutes to months before the horse finally resorted to undeniably dramatic behavior.
Finding a Horse Boarding Facility- How to Choose the Right One
Subscribe to the Alternative Horsemanship YouTube Channel for the Tuesday Trainer Tips series and the Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series on Fridays.
Help- My horse suddenly stops moving forward!
The theme of the past few days has been new folks asking for help with horses that are going "fine" and then the horse "randomly" or suddenly stops, or quits, moving forward.
Horsemanship Challenges: The Human Learning Curve
In this horse trainer advice video, Sam discusses in her Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series challenges, frustrations, and understanding of the horse many horseback riders experience as their horsemanship journey progresses.
Subscribe to the Alternative Horsemanship YouTube Channel for weekly videos in this series and the Tuesday Trainer Tips Series.
Horse Buying Check List- Red Flag Behaviors
There are several warning signs to consider before buying a horse, especially to make sure they're a good fit. In this video, Sam shares tips to help horse shoppers understand if a horse is appropriate for their abilities and goals. Are the sellers hiding something? Learn how to spot dishonest sellers and avoid buying a dangerous horse.
What is Alternative Horsemanship?
Samantha Harvey discusses her riding background and education and how she developed her Alternative Horsemanship approach to help horses and horseback riders improve their equine partnership. She shares how her horse philosophy and goal are to help horse riders improve their understanding of equine behavior and communication.
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