Equine Connection Freelance Training

03/02/2025

On Saturday at 6pm ET on Zoom, we have our 3rd of the 2025 Webinar Series with Annemieke Buis!

In Mental Posturing Techniques, we will discuss how horses learn, and how to develop a healthy relationship and understanding of contact and the aids. I'll teach the foundational exercises your horse will need to know to have success on the ground and under saddle in any discipline! This is the language you'll use to physically posture your horse-- the topic of the final 2 webinars.

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/qwZLojicNpQZ5FEP8

02/23/2025

This is a fantastic visual to understand basic biomechanical principles of the horse’s balance! If you want to learn more, I highly recommend joining my 2025 Webinar Series with Annemieke Buis to learn about physical posturing!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IyTyFuntmZI

Link in the comments!

“Oldie but goodie.

Good example of what is happening to the rest of the body when our horse’s head tilts and he is improperly rotated, instead of having a proper flexion and rotation to the inside like we see in the crest flip.

Inside rotation, coupled with the lateral step to the outside instead of falling in, shoulder-in, is what actually prepares the horse to elevate in the thoracic sling and start to engage and collect, because he’s doing so unilaterally, meaning one side at a time.

We can teach the horse to elevate in the thoracic sling one side at a time by positioning with correct rotation and flexion, engaging the inside hind up under the center of gravity with shoulder-in. Here we get unilateral elevation, unilateral engagement.

As we develop the horse physically, advancing into different unilateral work, unilateral elevation and unilateral engagement naturally develops into bilateral elevation and engagement and collection.

This is what dressage is. This is why we teach these movements in dressage, to strengthen the horse one side at a time so he can carry us in a healthy way, not to show off that he can go sideways.”

02/18/2025

https://www.equineconnectionfreelancetraining.com/blog/the-half-halt

Check out my new blog post about the Half Halt! I discuss what it is, how it works, and how to train it from the ground to the saddle. I also respond to the wide variety of responses I got to my question of what a half halt means to you!

If you're interested in learning more about this, I highly recommend signing up for my 2025 Webinar Series with Annemieke Buis, which is all about postural training from the ground up! If you missed the first one, you can still receive lifetime access to the recording simply by signing up and submitting payment!

In my early equine education, I remember being told to half halt my horses all the time and only vaguely knowing what it meant. Some trainers seemed to want me to pull back on the reins, some squeeze the horse down with my seat, and one even told me to bear down, as if to p**p on the horse. These ar

02/15/2025

A week from today at 6pm Eastern Time, we have our 2nd Webinar of the 2025 Webinar Series with Annemieke Buis: Emotional Posturing! If you can't be there live, you can watch the recording.

Last week we talked about how the mammalian nervous system connects visceral feelings of safety to physical posture, and the biomechanical patterns associated with a variety of nervous system states. If you missed it, it's not too late to sign up and receive lifetime access to the recording.

In the next webinar, we will go into depth of how feelings of safety, connection, and attunement are the foundation for all postural work with horses. Participants will learn how to help their horse achieve and maintain an emotional state where they are available for learning and using their bodies in a healthy way. We will discuss relaxation, Polyvagal theory, relationship to contact, and so much more!

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/ErKbFdQayfwHi6H89

02/07/2025

Sneak peak into some of the topics we'll delve into in Saturday's Webinar: Intro to Postural Training!

*The purpose and function of the Mammalian Nervous System
*The Tendon Guard Reflex: understanding how our (and our horses') bodies unconsciously and involuntarily take on postural patterns governed by feelings of safety
*Postures associated with 6 nervous system states
*Biomechanical implications of prolonged sympathetic nervous system activity
*The Thoracic Sling- function and dysfunction
*The Hyoid Apparatus- function and dysfunction
*The Equine Stay Apparatus and what happens when it's not working
*Training your eye to read physical, mental, and emotional patterns from a horse's postural presentation

Sound interesting to you? Sign up at the link below. If you participate in the first 4, the last webinar is free (even if you sign up one at a time)-- so this first one isn't one you'll want to miss!

https://forms.gle/F9yMeUVhxd5actrBA

02/04/2025

“Harmoniously bent in forward motion, the horse advances his poll which will be vertical to his mouth. Here we have the makings of a bringing to hand, the result of lateral flexibility in impulsion rather than forcing by the reins.”
-Philippe Karl from Long Reining

While I’m home sick, I’ve been studying and reading. I found this simple passage so profound, and a refreshing way of describing proper poll flexion.

I always teach my students that poll flexion comes last in all that we do to help a horse develop a supple and healthy neck and back. First we teach the mobilization of the jaw. Then lateral flexion of the neck. As we practice these while building strength in the thoracic sling, the horse becomes able to support and lift the base of the neck. This lifting makes it possible (and natural) for the horse to advance the poll as Phillipe describes— so instead of thinking of poll flexion as the nose coming BACK, think of it as the poll coming up and FORWARD over the nose. Because we have engaged the thoracic sling, opened the back, and elevated the base of the neck. So, we become round through correct lengthening.

If you want to know HOW to do all this, sign up for my webinar series!

02/04/2025

I am so grateful for the amazing community I’ve found and grown. I’ve met some of the most generous, empathetic people through my work with horses, and I am blown away by how much they give back.

Last week one of my q***r clients donated half the cost of lessons to another q***r student. Because it’s a hard time for all of us, but especially minorities right now.

I’ve been sick for several days now, and a client just sent me money, saying she gets paid sick days and since I’m self employed and don’t, she wanted to share that with me. I was going to try to pull myself together and work with at least one of her horses today, but she wanted me to get well more than she wanted the training.

What beautiful acts of kindness. ❤️

01/25/2025

You know you’re a posture nerd when you look out the window and see your horse (finally) resting with vertical front legs and you think to yourself, “this is the best birthday gift ever”…. 😉

Thank you Shannon Runke Lmt for showing me a simple way to improve a front leg stretch through a proprioceptive touch so that he can enjoy better rest with the lovely thoracic sling we built up! Yay for functioning stay apparatuses 🎉

01/24/2025

New Blog Post Just Published!

"Sometimes we focus so much on the horse that we forget about ourselves in the training process. We want to see what the horse is doing and how they are moving. We want to help the horse move and feel better. We want to study the horse and know the horse. But if all of our awareness is on the horse, we cannot support them. Part of that awareness needs to be on ourselves. Our own sensations in the body. The thoughts in our heads. The breath in our lungs, diaphragm, and pelvic floor. Our balance and alignment. Our posture and muscular engagement. These are the things which we use to connect with and influence the horse, so we are ineffective guides to them when we exclude ourselves from our focus...."

Read more at the link below

https://www.equineconnectionfreelancetraining.com/blog/energy-feel-and-attachment

(Blog post on the half halt coming soon. I'm hoping more will engage in the discussion first!)

Sometimes we focus so much on the horse that we forget about ourselves in the training process. We want to see what the horse is doing and how they are moving. We want to help the horse move and feel better. We want to study the horse and know the horse. But if all of our awareness is on the horse,

01/23/2025

In case you missed it... RECORDINGS ARE AVAILABLE

for the 2025 Webinar Series, starting in just over 2 weeks on Saturday, February 8th. So if you're not available at any of the scheduled times, you'll still be able to access the material.

Just sign up at the link below:
https://forms.gle/29kxzAVmgJnSogdq5

01/22/2025

What is a half halt?

I’m working on my blog post about the half halt and would love to hear what you all have learned or heard about the half halt.

I’ve found it’s a something riders are almost constantly coached to do, but have very little understanding of, and I hope my upcoming post will help clear the waters!

I will be using your answers in my blog post. If you want to be named, just let me know. I’m imagining an exposé of all the different definitions and procedures people have been taught, followed by my take on the matter! Thanks for your input 🥰

01/21/2025

I'm so excited to announce the 2025 Clinic Schedule, including clinics both in person and online! Keep an eye out for sign ups as these clinics roll out!

I would love to travel to other farms to offer clinics, so if you or someone you know would like to host me, let's talk!

You can already sign up for the Webinar Series at the link below. If you can't make it live, you can watch the recording any time after!

https://forms.gle/n76WTQQeYR6m6cQC6

01/20/2025

That's a wrap on our Unmounted Rider Biomechanics Clinic with Annemieke Buis and Shannon Runke! What an incredible day. Participants learned how each piece of their body can move to harmonize with and influence the movements of the ridden horse. They all identified their body's movement patterns, restrictions, and asymmetries and found their center through unmounted exercises and bodywork from Shannon.

Sharon, one of participants said the "clinic was a blast. You are so articulate, well researched, and easy to understand. That was a fun group. Shannon is great. The atmosphere was light, fun and soo educational. Makes learning a great enjoyment."

Shannon and I are planning a clinic where we address the biomechanics of both the horse and the rider through in hand work, bodywork, and riding-- combining the concepts we've presented at previous clinics.

Want to attend a future clinic? The 2025 Clinic Schedule will be released soon!

01/16/2025

While winter doesn't always bring the best weather for riding, you can still work on yourself to become a better rider! On this cold and rainy Saturday, join us indoors for our Unmounted Rider Biomechanics Clinic with Annemieke Buis and Shannon Runke! We can still take a couple more participants.

Here's some of what you'll learn:
~How the aids impact your body and your horse-- hands, legs, seat, breath, voice, etc.
~How to find a neutral pelvis and neutral spine
~Where your asymmetries and restrictions are in your own body-- Shannon Runke Lmt will apply hands-on bodywork techniques to bring you back into balance, and we will give you tools to maintain that on your own!
~How to post correctly-- which leads right into how to sit the trot correctly
~French classical flexions-- how the rein action impacts the biomechanics of your horse

Lunch and hot drinks provided! Sign up here: https://forms.gle/cWufEq9rKQZSdHSq6

Photo credit Alexandra Taylor