Cohesive Horsemanship

11/30/2024

I've had many requests for something to help keep us motivated and inspired. A place to get support and have meaningful discussions. A community of passionate and supportive Equine People. A roadmap or process to work through with your equine.... And THIS IS IT!

The Monthly Journey will start January 1st with the first Live Coaching call January 9th. Pre-Purchase NOW to get 50% off your membership.

The Monthly Journey includes monthly focus exercises and movements presented at different levels both on the ground and from the saddle. You will have ongoing support and discussions and Live Coaching calls for in depth discussions and to answer any questions.

Find out more here: https://cohesivehorsemanship.com/the-inspired-membership

09/07/2024

This is one of my favorite graphics for the training scale. I'm not sure where it first appeared... I've seen it in several different publications and have always liked it. If someone know where this first came from I'd love to give credit to it... But... Why do I like it so much?
I like the drawings of the horses in different stages of training. The drawings help me 'see' those different steps along the way... I'm a visual learner... I learn best by seeing diagrams, watching others do it, observing and noting things. After I 'see' something I have an easier time 'doing' something and trying it. I also need to know why. I like understanding why we do what we do when and how. That's what works best for me... but it's different for all of us. Understanding how we learn can be very helpful in finding different courses and ways to grow our understanding of any subject, including our horsemanship and riding.
As an instructor it is my responsibility to find many different ways to explain and show different concepts and help students understand WHY we are doing what we are doing.
I teach two Online courses - 1 - The Cohesive Foundations Course, and 2 - the Cohesive Rider Course. The Cohesive Foundations course focuses on building Relaxation, Willingness, and Balance both on the ground and while in the saddle. It builds the foundations for the first 3 phases on this dressage scale. The Cohesive Rider course then takes this further to build more flexibility, Mobility, Straightness, and the ability to collect. In each course we have the option to Listen, Read, See (with videos and diagrams), try it, and get feedback on all our work. This has proven to be very helpful to students.
Right now Enrollment for the Cohesive Rider course is open!!!
What about the WHY??? This Dressage Training scale may seem linear, but in practice we go back to foundations often as we keep building our equine athlete. For example, as we start to work on connection, often our rhythm and relaxation gets wonky and we have a stiff (not supple) horse... so we circle back down and work through those while teaching and learning about connection... we always circle back down in order to circle back up this scale. The Cohesive Rider Course goes through each of these with exercises and shows WHY we do what, when and how as we move up this scale. Enrollment is open now - Class starts September 11th!

Building Partnerships!

09/06/2024

The Shoulders... In these pictures we can see the left shoulder is higher, but what is striking to me is the dip behind the shoulders, behind the scapula - and how filled in it becomes!
I try to look at all my horses from this angle (and several other angles) and look for asymmetries and any muscle atrophy. This helps me make a plan for how to work on building balance and releasing any areas that may have been constricted. In this case we changed saddles to ensure no hinderance of the scapula and incorporated exercises to target the lifting of the thoracic sling while encouraging suppleness and straightness.
Do you want to learn more about how to do this? The what to do when, how, and why for this type of work is the focus of the Cohesive Rider Course. Enrollment is now open for the next 10 week Interactive Course! Learn more here -

Building Partnerships!

09/01/2024

Happy September!!! The shadows are getting longer - here are some upcoming clinics and shows... Come Join Us!!! All riding levels are welcome!

September 6th and 7th - Working Equitation Clinic Saturday and Private Lessons Sunday in Flagstaff AZ

September 13th and 14th - Rim Rider 2 Working Equitation Clinic and Show in Payson AZ

September 21st and 22nd - Working Equitation Clinic Saturday and Private Lessons Sunday in Prescott Valley AZ

October 12th - Working Equitation Clinic in Apache Junction AZ

October 19th and 20th - Working Equitation Clinic Saturday and Private Lessons Sunday in Prescott Valley AZ

October 25th and 26th - Rim Rider 3 Working Equitation Clinic and Show in Payson AZ

you can sign up for any of these events at

Building Partnerships!

08/01/2024

There's a lot of Gold in this article. Personally I tend to lean into option 1 in this article, but I also believe this very unfortunate event can serve as a catalyst for all of us to really REALLY prioritize our partnerships with our equines above any ambition for competition, goals, etc.. as a absolute non-negotiable in our lives.

British equestrian Charlotte Dujardin withdrew from the Paris Olympics on Tuesday when a video showed her abusing a horse. The discovery marks a moment of deep sadness for horse lovers everywhere. Fortunately, the international and national associations governing equine events acted immediately to p...

07/30/2024

If you are looking for a versatile, fun, safe, and beautiful partner to compete in Working Equitation, Western Dressage, and trail obstacles... IRISH is IT!

Irish loves obstacles and is a very fun and safe horse.

9 year old (foaled June 14th 2015) Morgan Gelding for sale. This is a safe, fun, talented horse. He has an engaging and curious personality. Loves people, and loves to please. Stands about 15h3... dark beautiful bay. Currently barefoot. Has competed in 1st level dressage with scores in the high 60's, was Western Zone Champion in Level 1 Working Equitation in 2022, Has won several shows in Level 2 Working Equitation. Loads, hauls, clips, bathes, etc with no issues.... he's a easy keeper and all around great horse.

Videos available Here:
Obstacles - https://youtu.be/bBGW7gtaQcE
Flat work - https://youtu.be/LS2fMPI8eD0

Email me at [email protected] with questions etc...

07/03/2024

Join us for some Working Equitation in Flagstaff AZ! Fort Tuthill is a great place to camp and spend some time in the pines. Stalls are available for the weekend.
Friday Clinic, Saturday show 1, Sunday Show 2.
Join us for all or just one or two!
Entry Forms Available Here: https://form.jotform.com/241626950321149

06/21/2024

Clinics in Flagstaff and Prescott Valley in June, July and August. Find out more here:
https://cohesivehorsemanship.com/clinics-and-events

04/04/2024

Are your Foundations with your mule or horse Solid? How do you know if they are or not?

The Foundations are the building blocks for EVERYTHING you do with your equine. These are the most important things you will work on, EVER. With a solid foundation you can successfully try anything with your mule or horse. The foundations build a shared language that takes away the confusion and fear so that we have a strong partnership even under pressure.

Are you interested in developing relaxation, willingness, and balance in you and your equine but don’t really know how to start or what might be next? How can you help your horse or mule not be so spooky or reactive? How do you know that you have successfully built that foundation and are ready to move on? How can you learn what exercises will help build that foundation? Can YOU train YOUR horse or mule to be that extraordinary partner?

Hi… My name is Tessa - and I’ve been in situations where my foundations were tested and failed…

And, while I don't claim to know it all or even close to it, I HAVE helped many riders work toward their dream of transforming their partnerships with their equines. I started my horsemanship journey young, riding English at the pony club and having, unbeknownst to me at the time, some strong French classical dressage sprinkled in. But I also competed in Reining and worked on ranches. I’ve started many many horses under saddle and competed in Cowboy dressage, Western Dressage and Working Equitation. I blend my experiences with ‘natural’ horsemanship, Classical French Dressage, and the life lessons from horses and mules into my teaching. I am continuously still learning and I invite you to join me!

I’ve been surprised by the ‘bombproof’ horse that suddenly spooked violently at their shadow or perhaps it was a squirrel - I don’t even know because I did not have time to look around before being ejected. I’ve had the horse that was terrified of leaving its herd and going on a trail ride. I’ve had to hang on to the runaway mule that may have saved us from the apparent doom that lived under that rock…. It took many of these experiences before I really asked for help and started to learn a way to teach myself and my equines to trust each other and build a partnership that overcame these challenges.

Let me share with you what took many horses, mules, incredible horse women and men YEARS to teach me. Let me save you some time… and lots of frustration!

Let me show you that YOU and YOUR horse or mule can be an incredible partner with a strong foundation.

REGISTRATION is NOW OPEN: The 10 week Interactive Cohesive Foundations Course - my Interactive Cohesive Foundations Course to build awesome partnerships with our equines based on trust, confidence, and respect.

I am looking for 20 students who want to learn to build an amazing foundation with their equines and work on developing extraordinary partnerships.

If you are interested in knowing more - comment with a

03/17/2024

Entries are now Available for the Schooling Show at American Ranch in Prescott on May 18th!! https://form.jotform.com/240745291338156

03/15/2024

Join us in Scottsdale on March 24th for a great WE clinic!

01/03/2024

Oh… and this is McCrae’s 6 month old c**t, Jasper. Learning to stand on a pedestal… he prefers to hold his own rope!

01/03/2024

RG Gus McCrae…. Just standing there in his herd… being himself… looking fabulous. I can’t help myself to share pictures of him… he’s kinda pretty and is the kindest horse I’ve ever met.
McCrae is a 7 year old Morgan stallion

01/01/2024

It's 2024!!!! Happy New Year Everyone! I, for one, am super excited about 2024 and all the possibilities it brings. I hope it brings you all lots of joy, love and incredible horsemanship!

Become that Elegant, Connected, Refined Western Rider without sacrificing your partnership with your equine or spending hours in circles.

“As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man or woman who grasps principles can successfully select his or her own methods. The man or woman who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson (with some gender help from me) This is soooo true with equines!

REGISTRATION is NOW OPEN: The 6 week Intensive Cohesive Rider Course

Yesterday I revealed information about my Intensive Cohesive Rider Course to develop an extraordinary equine and rider while building an awesome partnership.

The response was AMAZING.

So here’s what’s going to happen…

I am looking for 20 riders who want to learn the benefits of Dressage for the Western horse or mule without the confusion.

On January 24th, these founding members will start working closely with me to build their personalized road map toward building an athletic, connected, elegant equine and rider. These 20 riders will KNOW how to do what when and why so that they have the ingredients to apply this to any horse or mule and fix issues as they come up.

Does that sound exciting to you?

These 20 Founding Riders will get:

✅ 6 Week Intensive Cohesive Rider Course so that Riders know how to do what, when and why to develop an athletic, connected, elegant equine.

👉 The Course takes you on a deep dive where you will:
Learn and apply the principles that can guide you as you apply ANY technique or method.
Riders will understand key bio-mechanics in the horse and rider,
Master the basics in a few minutes each ride,
Know how to combine the basics to build more complicated movements and
Understand How to do What, When, and Why to use these movements to help a horse find balance, relaxation and willingness.

Plus these 20 founding members will get:

✅ Weekly group coaching calls to customize the journey to each rider and equine pair

✅ Mastering the Basics workbook and A Road Map of the Exercises for developing the athletic, connected, and elegant equine and rider to keep during your journey.

✅ The Cohesive Horsemanship Network to keep you motivated and share your progress.

✅ Discounted monthly coaching including all access to all new content, Monthly challenges with weekly progress patterns and exercises, Monthly coaching calls, and the Cohesive Horsemanship Rider community.

The best part is, you will get all of this for a HUGE discount as a founding member!

If you are interested in becoming that elegant, connected rider…

Comment below with & I will personally send you the details.

Until I see you - Ride on!
Tessa Nicolet

PS: You may be thinking… What’s the catch? Well there is no catch. I’m simply looking to test out my new program and get some testimonials before releasing it to the wider public at the price it deserves.

12/31/2023

Are you a Western Rider trying to learn dressage?

A mentor of mine once said something similar to “There’s nothing more rewarding than helping an ordinary horse to become extraordinary”!! And I want to add to this …… Helping YOU to do that with YOUR own equine partner is even more rewarding!

Are you interested in competing in Western Dressage or Working Equitation but don’t have a road map on how to develop you and your equine partner to successfully learn the movements? How can you learn what steps to take to develop your horse or mule, using sound bio-mechanics, to be an extraordinary athlete? Can YOU train an ordinary horse to be extraordinary without fully understanding the dressage terms? And most importantly can you do this while strengthening your partnership with your equine and not destroying it with unreasonable demands or misplaced and confused cues??

The good news is…… YES! .... YOU can train your own horse and mule to be extraordinary without the confusion while building an amazing partnership.

There’s videos on YouTube that make it look easy. You might even have tried an online course or taken private lessons with a dressage trainer, but maybe you still don’t know what to do when, and how, and why. When to start renvers vs. halfpass and why is halfpass so different from a leg yield. Which would help with a weaker left hind or what exercise should you try to help lift the withers and thoracic sling? And what is thoroughness???? Is that even a word?

And….

How do you find the ⏰ TIME ⏰ to not only learn new terms and new exercises but then try them on your horse or mule and not even know what it should feel or look like …

How do you justify spending so much money on lessons and subscriptions and still don’t understand HOW to do WHAT, WHEN and WHY for your specific equine and situation. Should you buy an English saddle? You could hire a trainer and they make it all happen, but you have a hard time replicating it once you are riding- and still don’t really - REALLY - know how it should feel and where your left hip goes and how to even get your left hip to go there…

And how do all these ‘dressage’ things affect the western horse. Are the movements the same when working cows? How can you develop your horse or mule to do amazing dressage things but keep the responses you need to work cattle?

If these are some of your questions… or confusions… Maybe I can help!

Because - YES!!!! … YOU, and I mean YOU, can learn the HOW, WHAT, WHEN, WHY of developing the equine athlete while building an amazing partnership!!! . YOU can teach your body to help you feel when the movements are correct. YOU can know the differences between western movements and classical dressage movements and use both when you need them.

HI… My name is Tessa - and I’ve asked these questions…

And, while I don't claim to know it all or even close to it, I HAVE helped many riders work toward their dream of transforming their equines and themselves into elegant riders with a strong partnership that know and understand dressage and western riding. I started my horsemanship journey young, riding English at the pony club and having, unbeknownst to me at the time, some strong French classical dressage sprinkled in. But I also competed in Reining and worked on ranches. I’ve started many many horses under saddle and competed in Cowboy dressage, Western Dressage and Working Equitation. I blend my experiences with ‘natural’ horsemanship, Classical French Dressage, and the life lessons from horses and mules into my teaching. I am continuously still learning and I invite you to join me!

I’ve been confused by the jargon, I’ve not been sure when to do what, how and why. And I’ve been that rider that wasn’t sure if I really was doing a shoulder-in and hoping that no one was watching as I struggled through it. And… MORE IMPORTANTLY - I’ve pushed my partnerships with mules and horses too far, being too focused on the wrong things at the wrong time…

You don’t have to go there…

Let me give you a road map, so that you stop hitting dead ends or getting lost on back roads, and instead take the fast lane to being an elegant and educated rider with an extraordinary equine that you can be proud of.

Let me show you that YOU and YOUR horse or mule can develop into an athletic, confident and refined rider and equine.

As I’ve worked with many students in this situation I’ve built an intensive yet simple coaching plan that will walk you step by step through the terms, the bio-mechanics, the prerequisite basics, and the why of each more advanced movement. I’m calling it the Intensive Cohesive Rider Course. I want you to feel these movements in your body and in your mule or horse. I want you to ride away knowing How to do what, when, and why so you can be an extraordinary pair in and out of the competition ring.

In order to customize this course to each individual - I will limit the number of students I can take at once.

If you are interested in knowing more - comment with a

👉 More details to follow tomorrow,

Until I see you, Ride on!
- Tessa Nicolet

12/30/2023

2024 is coming!!! For me a new year is a time for reflection. 2023 was full of learning for me. Instead of new goals for 2024, I want to continue on my learning path and I want to continue to share as much as I can with all of you! I'm excited for a few new projects starting very soon.

I hope you look back on 2023 with a smile and are ready for an amazing 2024!

If you are interested in an amazing learning opportunity to take a deeper dive into dressage for the western horse... comment below with and I'll send you more information. More to come!