Rewild Equine

Positive reinforcement horse trainer in Lexington Kentucky. Let me help you reach your goals and enjo Let me help you begin your journey! doesn't fix the issue.
(6)

I can help you and your horse have the relationship you always dreamed of when you were a horse crazy child longing for the adventure and magic of horses. Intro to Positive Reinforcement Training 4 sessions*
These four classes will cover
Gaining the building blocks to teach any behavior in a stress free way
Discovering the joy of teaching your horse fun & easy ground manners & other skills
Learn

ing effective communication that is fun and rewarding for you and your horse
Understanding how to use target training & bridge signals to fasttrack your horses learning
**This course can be adapted to a horse who is on stall rest**
Ground Manners workshop- This course can include many of the following or be geared to a specific ground manner issue you are looking to make better. 4 sessions
Teach your horse to lead nicely
Give the a reason to stand still in cross ties and work towards ground tying
Mounting block etiquette
Backing from the ground
Self haltering or brideling

Topline & Core bootcamp - Improve your horse's topline, core stability, rider carrying power 6 sessions* This session will cover
Standing core posture work
Core work in motion
Science & evidence based skills to motivate your horse to work hard in a way that is fun
Teach your horse that core work can be fun through groundwork games and positive reinforcement
Build and maintain your horse’s topline during time off
**This course can be adapted to a horse who is on stall rest**

Behavior or topic Specific Training 4-6 sessions*
Let me help you break down a training goal in a way that makes it fun & enjoyable for you and your horse to learn. Let’s bring the joy back to being with your horse! Lateral work
Ground manners
Trailering
Standing while tied
Desensitizing to_______(insert scenario here)
Many other training issues not listed
**This course can be adapted to a horse who is on stall rest**

Proprioception body awareness course 6 sessions*
For horses who
Are a little crooked or clumsy
Lack hind end, front end, or spatial awareness
Are recovering from a Neurological issue
This course is a passion project that I, along with a Neurological Rehab Physical Therapist, designed to help my horse Ben recover from nerve damage left behind by EPM. I have continued to develop this course to help others. It uses proven equine exercises in combination with current movement & motivation science to pave a way for a joyful rehab process. More info on Proprioception course:
Many horses with long lasting crookedness, lack of body awareness, or those recovering from a neurological issue do not have a strength problem. Think of it more as a wiring problem. Their brain doesn't have the right connections or a clear enough connection to organize their muscles in the way they should. This is why more: strengthening, circles, leg, rein, whip etc. Science tells us that for issues like this, authentic (or chosen) movement can create new neural pathways (fix the bad wiring issue). Forced movement may strengthen a muscle but it doesn't help the horse better coordinate that muscle with a lost or bad connection. So how do we get a possibly lazy, nervous, ataxic, or unmotivated horse to move in an authentic way to create new movement patterns? That what this course is for. I will help you unlock your horses motivation and give you tools and exercises disguised as play. I will teach you how to create movement puzzles combined with positive reinforcement to improve your horses joy of movement. This course can be adapted for horses on stall rest & restricted movement. Back in Shape Boot Camp: Bringing a horse back into work after time off 4-6 sessions This course uses a progressive approach that empowers the rider to bring their horse back into riding. Whether from a break, an injury, or just trying to ramp up for show season this plan will build in progressive steps that build your horses fitness providing a strong foundation to build your other skills on. Standing core/posture work
Inhand core work
Progressive training plan strategizing
Flexible training to best suit where your horse is and where you want them to go

1 day workshops/clinics ½ day or full day message for pricing (can cover other topics just ask)
Intro to positive reinforcement
Intro into Core work
Intro into ground tying standing on a mat
Long and low ground work
Fun with Lateral work

Individual lessons-Can cover any of the topics above and more $60 + travel fee

Each course Includes
4-6 in person(travel fee may be associated) or video lessons
4-6 follow up calls or email/text q/a times to check in and troubleshoot between sessions. Written strategy plan tailored specifically to each horse/human pair

Other information
4 session courses $195**
6 session courses $275**
Each course may be extended at any time to include more topics and continue to refine skills (add: 2 sessions $95, 4 sessions $185, 6 sessions $275)
You will get the most benefit from these courses when doing sessions weekly or every other week. 4 week courses expire after 60 days 6 week courses expire after 90 days
Courses & individual lessons must be paid in full before scheduling
Any rescheduling must happen 48 hours in advance

*Number of sessions is the minimum for each course and may be extended at any time to continue training

**Travel fee may be associated

Q: What should I expect out of these courses? A: I am all about empowering you to communicate better with your horse. The majority of these courses will involve me coaching you towards your goals with your horse. I will provide you with the tools to overcome challenges in fun and creative ways that build a stronger relationship and create buy-in from your horse. Q:If I start using positive Reinforcement for training do I have to use it for everything even riding? A: No, as long as you are consistent with what you use positive reinforcement for and what you don’t you don’t have to change the way you ride. Many people use +R for groundwork only or only for a specific skill like trailer loading etc. You can incorporate it into many areas when it comes to working with your horse like riding if you want. Q: Won’t my horse get pushy or grabby around food if I train with treats? A: +R training (if you follow a few guidelines) usually makes a horse better around treats & less grabby because they come to learn that they only get a treat reward after hearing the Bridge signal. With good +R treats are delivered in a consistent way that reinforces the horse being patient and polite around food. Q: What’s with the clicker? Do I always have to have one? A: The clicker is a bridge signal. A bridge signal is a marker that tells the horse “yes!” or “good Job” and lets them know a treat or reward is coming. You don’t have to use a clicker, you can use a word, or other noise that you horse will easily recognize. Many trainers use a word said a specific way of click with their mouth. Q: How does my horse know what the bridge signal is? A: Introducing an animal to the “bridge signal=food reward” concept is covered in the first session. Most horses pick it up quickly. We will work together to build the association between the noise/bridge signal and the food reward. Q: What equipment do I need to get started with this type of training? A: On your first session we will go over what equipment is needed to accomplish your goals. Typically a clicker, food reward, and possibly a target stick. I will provide you with a clicker on your first session & bring treats (I use timothy hay pellets and Blue grass oat nuggets) to get you started.

08/29/2024

08/07/2024

Finnick :)

06/28/2024

I’m not like a regular horse girl, I’m a cool horse girl 😅
today I did a little liberty work & tackless riding.

02/29/2024

Send Wells some good vibes… he’s been dealing with a lingering abscess for over a month now😩 raise your hand if you’re ready for mud season to be over🙋🏻‍♀️

02/24/2024

Happy gotcha day for this sweet boy! Happy three years!

01/20/2024

12/12/2023

Wells doing some yoga on his box. His balance & agility is getting better all the time ☺️

11/18/2023

Wells says happy Friday!

11/12/2023

This guy is pretty cool sometimes!

09/06/2023

Check out Finnick!!! I can’t say enough about how smart and brave he is.

Oh,

09/04/2023

That golden hour be like 🤯

07/26/2023

Wells shows off his range of motion. You don’t have to be moving quickly to get some excellent balance and flexibility work in. These hot summer days make it challenging to do higher intensity activities, so I love finding ways to sneak in good exercise when it’s frankly pretty miserable out. Walking over large objects is one of my favorite challenges. Mini horses will hop over them because it takes a little bit more balance and effort to move slowly and deliberately.

07/22/2023

The upside of flies. Annoying? yes, but they can also be a powerful motivator for some unique movement and balance challenge. Sometimes it’s the annoying & hard things in life that make us better.

07/04/2023

… when you realize where the hay is stored.

06/24/2023

Brothers gotta hug! The horse trailer bond is strong with these two ☺️

06/03/2023

Wells was very concerned by the horses in the distance but he was fantastic for his first off site trail ride today:)

05/30/2023

Finnick is feeling proud of himself after being mostly OK for the Farrier this morning. His feet look fantastic though!

05/15/2023

Swipe left to see how finnick feels about Monday mornings.

04/12/2023

Hey, IG Sam! I will be manning the GG Equine booth at equine affair this weekends. Come and say hello I’d love to meet you!

03/31/2023

Sunsets & pantherwalks

03/08/2023

8 Likes, 0 Comments - Kara Musgrave () on Instagram: "We had such a fun time, playing with figure eights and the long target stick. Chasing the stick g..."

02/14/2023

Happy Valentine’s Day from my ponies to yours😍

02/13/2023

0 Likes, 0 Comments - Kara Musgrave () on Instagram: "Finnick is always ready to show off:) it’s nice to come back from being gone for a week and realize that sometimes the break can do them some good also. Both horses were bright eyed, bushy tailed and ready to get back to thei...

02/03/2023

20 Likes, 0 Comments - Kara Musgrave () on Instagram: "Check out our first attempt at simple lead changes. With mostly been cantering on a straight line without a ton of emphasis on leads but he Had a lot of energy and so I decided to see if we could Cantor in smaller circles and....

01/28/2023

I have no footage of our fabulous ride yesterday but he felt SO STRONG! I realize it had been a while since I’ve really looked at him without a blanket or ring sheet on and was amazed when I saw how filled in his hips and whole hind end was. The top photo is from this last summer about six months ago and the bottom one was from yesterday we honestly haven’t done that much in the last few weeks because the weather has been far too wet but slogging around in the mud is an exercise all on its own.

01/22/2023

Holy range of motion Batman! Field exuberance is > arena exuberance.

01/13/2023

A little ray of sunshine to get the weekend started:)

01/06/2023

Actual audio of my training session😜

Address

Lexington, KY
40502

Telephone

+18285514573

Website

https://sites.google.com/view/musgraveequestriancom/home?authuser=0

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Videos

He used to really struggle with the skinny bridge and we worked on it today for the first time at our new digs. Even though it was a little wobbly, he did great as long as he didn’t rush:) it’s good to be back at it!

Actual audio of my training session😜

It’s that time of year again check on your horse friends they’ve all been working their hands to the bone. 💀😅

Ground driving with no tack! Sound on:)

We have rhythm ladies and gentlemen! The combination of rhythm and relaxation in the trot is a sign of improved strength and coordination. We have been on a long slow journey of meticulously building back his core strength and this trot tells me we’re headed in the right direction. Also here is your sign to not delete the ugly early photos and videos. I’m on the hunt to find his early ugly hollow trot to compare with but so often we (I)delete those things because we aren’t proud of them… They’re important to hang onto to help reinforce ourselves on how far we’ve come. also let’s continue to normalize the improvements that with longer and move in non-linear ways. #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #lexingtonky #draftcross #drafthorse #ahorsenamedben #painthorse #paintdraftcross #spotteddraft #epmhorse #horsefitness #clickertraining #horsetraining #horserehab #rehabbinghorses #horsegirl

Today is our 5 year anniversary of our life together😁 happy gotcha day Finnick!!!! #horse #horses #gotchaday #horsesofinstagram #lexingtonky #equestrian #horselover #finnickthehorse #horsefitness #clickertraining #horsemanship #forcefreetraining #dressage

Sometimes external motivators come from unexpected places. Turns out my herding dog is less of a herder and more of a herdee. #finnickthehorse #draftcross #dogandponyshow #drafthorse #intrenzenstudents #functionalmovement #horsefitness #clickertraining #horsetraining

Don’t get me wrong, I think the information about recognizing stress, pain, and discomfort based on our horses facial expressions is incredibly important and more education and information like this needs to get out into the world. Much like everything it’s never the whole picture. When the horse has choice and autonomy we can allow ourselves to be less concerned with what their face is showing us because the horse knows they can stop or say no. This is where we need to be incredibly accurate and how we respond to Horses saying no and be very honest with ourselves about whether or not our horses do actually have a choice. For me though moments of relaxation are pleasant they are rarely the things that bring me joy. The things that I enjoy doing most are often challenging and effortful. When I am concentrating my face is far from happy or relaxed. Again I think it’s great that we’re starting to understand that horses are not all “enjoying their job” just because they are compliant but I also don’t feel like weaponizing a lip wrinkle or ear flick is productive either. Especially without understanding the context. I think it’s fine to ask questions and be curious as to why our horses are doing what they’re doing and continue to examine & refine how we offer autonomy but facial expressions just scratch the surface. I for one would give up a life of pure relaxation for a life of adventure, challenge, & desirable difficulty. It’s the reason why our no longer hunter gatherer selves have turned to sports, hiking, & exploring. Movement is such a huge part of what we & they were created to do. Although the need to roam for food may no longer be there, there is still a desire for challenge & nature. Adventure is calling! #horses #intrinzenstudents #horsefitness #clickertraining #horsetraining #clickertraininghorses #positivereinforcement #horsemanship #forcefreetraining #autonomy

Today I had an epiphany while watching Wells climb the pile of squishy things. His less than ideal movement has served him his whole life. Its not ideal as far as being adaptable, agile and in particular for carrying the weight of a rider it has gotten him through to this point. Change from routine usually requires a catalyst. We got creative and adaptable during the pandemic because of constraints and there Are likely things each of us will hold onto even when those constraints are gone. The same with movement. Wells hasn’t needed to super self organize because he hasn’t *needed* to. Giving him autonomy in climbing squishy mountain, making it fun and rewarding put his body in a position where his parked out and somewhat hollow stance was no longer serving him and so he adopted. As he strengthens the neural pathways to this type of self organization it will begin to trickle into his every day life even when the constraints of an unstable surface are not around. THIS is the magic of the constraints lead approach combined with reactive neuromuscular training. If we want horses to be adaptable they need a reason to adapt. That reason should come with autonomy and choice always or it doesn’t come from a place of adaptation it comes from a place of fear and survival. When we can create these scenarios for our horses in low risk ways we make them resilient to the high-risk’s world. What are you holding onto that *has* served you but maybe is wearing out its welcome? Could it be time to Adapt? #horse #horses #draftcross #intrenzenstudents #horsecrunches #horsefitness #horsept #clickertraining #forcefreetraining #constraintsledapproach #reactiveneuromusculartraining

I love activities like this because if Wells steps over the pole then we get some good hind end proprioception work but if he doesn’t he usually ends up getting into a more crunch like position. His default is a lot more parked out typically so any time I can tempt him to hold a position where he’s a little more camped under both for balance and abdominal activation I will take it! Sorry for the weird camera angle it’s zoomed out a little bit and you can really see his hip angle and how he still has a little bit of muscle building to do in that area looking from the ground up. #paintdraftcross #spotteddraft #intrenzenstudents #epmhorse #forben #functionalfitness #antifragile #proprioception #horsefitness #clickertraining #horsetraining #positivereinforcement

Finnick wanted to work on effortful movement under saddle today. So I did my best to stay out of his way and let him be fancy. #lexingtonky #equestrian #horselover #draftcross #drafthorse #intrenzenstudents #horsefitness #clickertraining #horsetraining #clickertraininghorses #positivereinforcement #forcefreetraining #autonomy

It is Well. Wells is named after a song that was written in heartache about perseverance. To see how far he’s come and how wonderfully sweet and trusting he is sets my heart soul on fire. If you know the story of how I got him know why that resonates with me. What sets your soul on fire? #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #lexingtonky #draftcross #drafthorse #ahorsenamedben #painthorse #paintdraftcross #spotteddraft #intrenzenstudents #epmhorse #horsefitness #clickertraining #horsetraining #positivereinforcement #horsemanship #forcefreetraining #horsept #horserehab #rehabbinghorses #itiswell #horsegirl

Finnick was showing off in front of a new friend and though he had climbed on this box once or twice before he had never attempted it with a rider. I was not sure if he would try or not but he rarely turns down an opportunity to show off his strength. #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #lexingtonky #bridleless #bridlelessriding #intrenzenstudents #clickertraining #clickertraininghorses #positivereinforcement #horsemanship #forcefreetraining #libertyhorsemanship

This is what 10 minutes of liberty leading looks like. I work on this with him a lot because his Spatial awareness isn’t great. He loves to be right on top of me so I’m working on teaching him to move himself in relation to me at a safe distance. This becomes both mentally and physically challenging and the combination of the two has really helped his body awareness. Because of his past I tend to not do as much of the high energy things with him because he can get fairly anxious really quickly but focusing on Games that involve movement and thinking seem to really be his sweet spot. #LibertyLeading #ClickerTraining #PositiveReinforcement #Proprioception #HorseTraining #ClickerTrainingHorses #libertyhorsemanship

He started to feel so strong and confident recently. Today is the first time we’ve attempted any type of jump that he couldn’t easily try it over. I’m super proud oh how he did. After the first one he lit up and even got just a little fresh which I don’t mind at all from him. The future is looking bright😁

Wells gets a turn with the box, you can see him testing out standing up on it but he’s not quite ready yet. He will muscle his way up there someday soon and it will be epic! He got really confident with our other box which was about half the height but sadly that one did not make it through the winter. #paintdraftcross #spotteddraft #intrenzenstudents #epmhorse #forben #functionalfitness #antifragile #proprioception #horsefitness #clickertraining #horsetraining #positivereinforcement

Finnick likes his new box!

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Our Story

My story is still hard for me to tell as my horse Ben, who was the driving force for changing my ideas around horsemanship, passed away in July 2018. He had a neurological disorder that started in October of 2016 and needed to move to stay alive but was afraid to move because his Central Nervous System told him everything was risky. I had already been adapting techniques from human nuro-rehab for him but the piece I was missing was the motivation. Using pressure to force the exercises I knew he needed only made him more scared, & confused. I spent many months struggling & trying to explain to him with the only tools I had that I was trying to help him. Then I found positive reinforcement(+R), I got a clicker, I put a feed bag on a string...instant engagement! it was magic. I had my horse back in so many ways. He went through many ups & downs after that but what changed was that our sessions together weren't a struggle, they were play. He traded fear for curiosity & hesitations for playfulness. He had really started to improve & I noticed he was getting dirty again meaning he wasn't afraid to lay down any more I even saw him roll a few times which he hadn't done in months. He passed away in 2018. Though I miss him terribly I have total peace knowing that I gave him his best life. Together we rediscovered his confidence and strength and joy of movement. This lit a fire in me to, regardless of the risks, empower each horse I work with to be strong, brave, agile fighters. In 2017 I got a young horse Finnick. He and every horse I work with in the future will be the benefactor of what Ben taught me. Here's a picture of Ben before he got sick. You can follow Finnick and my other training horses’ journey here or on Instigram @musgraveequestrian.