Learn horse behavior, communication, and improve horsemanship skills in weekly articles from Alternative Horsemanship™ with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach. Sharing her horse training philosophy developed over three decades. She coaches riders of all experience levels in clinics worldwide and offers distance horse coaching, instruction, and consults. Her horse video learning catalog has webinars, courses, classes and more. Subscribe on all social media platforms #alternativehorsemanship
Horseback Riding- Preparing for the Spring Season
Preparing for Spring Riding Season
Looking ahead to the upcoming riding season, whether you ride for pleasure or are a competitor, you can strive to offer a supportive partnership towards your horse. I will touch on two concepts that you can start considering, without even having to battle the outdoor winter conditions!
Looking ahead to the upcoming riding season, whether you ride for pleasure or are a competitor, you can strive to offer a supportive partnership towards your horse. I will touch on two concepts that you can start considering, without even having to battle the outdoor winter conditions!
Improving our Horsemanship- One Step at a Time
One Step at a Time
It is very easy to be overwhelmed by everything that "isn't" or is challenging, frustrating, and exhausting with the horse.
Confidence Building in Human and Horse Webinar
Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach presents this 60-minute two-part webinar addressing building confidence in the horse and rider. It is split into two segments: Part 1 Recognizing patterns of reactive interaction. Part 2 What proactive practices build confidence in the horse and rider. Click here to watch on the Alternative Horsemanship Remote Horse Coach Video Catalogue
Addressing the Horse's Concern- Alternative Horsemanship the Remote Horse Coach
The Horse's Concern
What if we recognized and addressed the initial signs of concern before it erupted into:
Bucking
Bolting
Kicking
Spooking
"Over-reaction"
Biting
Fixating
Fleeing movement
Biting at the Air
Pawing
Jigging
Stomping
Weaving
and so many other moments responded to as, "OH, he just does that, he's being a ____."
Bucking
Bolting
Kicking
Spooking
"Over-reaction"
Biting
Fixating
Fleeing movement
Biting at the Air
Pawing
Jigging
Stomping
Weaving
and so many other moments responded to as, "OH, he just does that, he's being a ____."
Mental Distractions- Opportunities for Building the Equine Partnership
Mental Distractions- Opportunities for Building the Equine Partnership
In this session on day 3 of the six-day Oakzanita Ranch Winter Clinic Series we embraced the distractions of nearby horses, grass in the round pen, unseen movement creating sounds coming from above, as this three-year-old learned to mentally check-in with the human.
Many people get triggered by distractions and mentally go far away from the horse as they get lost in the stories or potential anticipation of what might happen. When this occurs, they are unintentionally teaching the horse that they are no longer offering support to the equine. This then teaches the horse to take over and delegate how to protect/handle himself.
I'm constantly trying to switch the words and associations that so many people have in how they avoid potentially uncomfortable situations, and instead of using the tools of clear, specific communication to help the horse mentally work through distraction and chaos to offer physically reasonable behaviors.
Many people get triggered by distractions and mentally go far away from the horse as they get lost in the stories or potential anticipation of what might happen. When this occurs, they are unintentionally teaching the horse that they are no longer offering support to the equine. This then teaches the horse to take over and delegate how to protect/handle himself.
I'm constantly trying to switch the words and associations that so many people have in how they avoid potentially uncomfortable situations, and instead of using the tools of clear, specific communication to help the horse mentally work through distraction and chaos to offer physically reasonable behaviors.
Challenging the Horse vs. Supporting Him- Horseback Rider Mindset
"Let's see if he..."
"I wonder if he..."
"Will he..."
"Maybe he will..."
"What if he does..."
"Why won't he just..."
Our words influence our actions. I meet many people who use the above statements unintentionally and are unaware of how much it influences and diminishes the quality of the equine partnership.
Horseback Rider Help- Letting go to feel the Horse
"Letting Go" to Feel the Horse
Learning to ride and becoming clear in the mechanics of aids to communicate can be a challenge in itself. And that is what a majority of folks limit their riding goals to. The experience is solely about the human.
But for those seeking connection, balance, and fluidity, they have to "let go" of gripping, holding, bracing, making, leveraging, and constantly driving the horse with pressure.
The willingness and connected feel of the horse comes from "letting go" of containing him in order to feel his feedback, acknowledge it without criticism, and address it, without it becoming a fight.
The "with-you-ness" of the equine partner- where the rider feels they have options to ask anything at any time- and the horse offers to try- comes from the human mentally "letting go" of and replacing hopeful, passive, reactive communication with the mental presence and proactive interaction with the equine.
Finding the peaceful, calm, quiet, and softness in the horse experience comes from the human "letting go" of their emotional chaos and distraction before they are ever in proximity to the horse.
But for those seeking connection, balance, and fluidity, they have to "let go" of gripping, holding, bracing, making, leveraging, and constantly driving the horse with pressure.
The willingness and connected feel of the horse comes from "letting go" of containing him in order to feel his feedback, acknowledge it without criticism, and address it, without it becoming a fight.
The "with-you-ness" of the equine partner- where the rider feels they have options to ask anything at any time- and the horse offers to try- comes from the human mentally "letting go" of and replacing hopeful, passive, reactive communication with the mental presence and proactive interaction with the equine.
Finding the peaceful, calm, quiet, and softness in the horse experience comes from the human "letting go" of their emotional chaos and distraction before they are ever in proximity to the horse.
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