Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach Articles and Advice Blog

Horse Training Help- Tying the Equine

In this horse learning episode of the Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series, join Alternative Horsemanship™, the Remote Horse Coach, as she delves into the critical topic of teaching the horse to tie. Discover effective techniques that educate horses in a way that builds his confidence and readiness for learning. This episode addresses the shortcomings of traditional training methods that often instill fear and teach the equine to have defensive behaviors. Gain valuable insights to enhance your horsemanship skills and create a more positive training environment.

Unwanted Horse Behavior and Sleep Deprivation

When we say "horse" the initial image in our mind is that of the horse galloping through a field, or some other majestic movement. But there's also the aspect of considering the horse's mental and emotional state, and how that will affect his ability to learn and willingness to participate with humans.

Horse Mirroring Behavior

Sharing a short video of a neighbor's horse mirroring what the client's horse I was working with was experiencing during her session. The more we raise awareness of the horse's mental and emotional state, the more relevant addressing their subtle, reasonable feedback becomes.

The Uncomfortable Topics: Money, Horses, and Future Planning

Looking at the books... The number of established, long-time equine professionals shutting down their businesses is occurring at an alarming rate. Many who are continuing to operate have taken massive income cuts in their attempt to keep prices the same for clients. Many professionals are having to work second jobs to cover horse business expenses.

For anyone who missed February's live events:

Why is my Horse doing that?

Horse Skills: Defining Boundaries without Anger

Please use this LINK to access the videos.

Please note: After a livestream has ended, the original link to it will not work. To view or replay any previous livestream filmed in the current month, you must view them in the Livestream Replay page on The Remote Horse Coach video catalog through the link shared above.

Improving Horse Skills- the Check-In

I often encounter people who are surprised or overwhelmed by their horse's responses. There tends to be a major gap in the human's perception of when/what/how things have occurred rather than an understanding of all the ongoing, continuous equine communication that was ignored, overlooked, or criticized and how the animal's feedback would "tell" the person what behaviors were coming next.

In trying to help people become more aware and considerate of what the horse was experiencing during human interactions, I came up with the idea of the "check-in."

Let me preface this post by saying I am NOT any of the following: veterinarian, equine nutritionist, equine dentist, farrier, equine chiropractor, equine naturopath or any other medical-related equine professional.

What I am is an equine professional who sees/handles hundreds of horses a year of varying ages and breeds, with differing degrees of training and exposure/experience in both competitive and pleasure disciplines.

Developing the Horse's Confidence

Confidence- just because a horse is going through the motions of "doing things" and is "learning" does not mean that he is gaining confidence and feeling secure from his experiences.

The horse may "quietly" tolerate a situation a few or even many times before he starts to show more obvious signs of stress, insecurity, or fear about what is being presented if he is being coerced to physically comply.

A great example is the famous "wet saddle blankets" theory. Does a horse learn better though numerous physical repetition? If the person is solely focused on the physical movement/tolerance of the horse, without assessing the quality of his mental availability- or willingness- and the softness of his movement, they may not realize that repeating something is actually making things worse for the horse and teaching him to be defensive in the future.