Pure Horse

09/01/2024

♥️

08/31/2024

“There is meaning in every journey that is unknown to the traveler” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

08/31/2024

September 7: Dressage for the horse Workshop

🕤 9:30 - 12:30
🏠 Whitefish, MT
🐴 Auditing workshop

All info in link below ⬇️

https://www.purehorsemontana.com/event-details/dressage-for-the-horse-workshop

08/24/2024

🌲🧡✨ Equine Connection Retreat ✨🧡🌲
********* September 13 - 16 *********

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to sign up for this year’s ✨Exclusive✨ retreat! Only 2 spots left!!

🐴 Create a deeper understanding with yourself and your equine partner

🦄 Ride your horse (or one of ours) in the Bob Marshall Wilderness

🙆‍♀️ Unplug, reflect and practice yoga in nature

🏠 Spend the weekend staying in a rustic cabin and eating chef prepared meals

🩷 Meet other amazing equestrians

✨ And so much more!

Please find all the info you need in the link below ⬇️
Or click in the link in the bio of Instagram!

https://1e842a82-9d35-4bb4-98d1-90b24c28d264.usrfiles.com/ugd/1e842a_71c12af9d27d49efb63a60e8b65047bb.pdf

08/23/2024

September 7: Dressage for the horse Workshop

🕤 9:30 - 12:30
🏠 Whitefish, MT
🐴 Auditing workshop

All info in link below ⬇️

Come join this spectator-only workshop where I'll work with 3 different horses of various levels. My main focus is always the combination of the mental and physical balance of the horse. But in this particular workshop I'll talk more about the style of dressage that I'm doing when I w...

08/12/2024

🌲🧡✨ Equine Connection Retreat ✨🧡🌲
********* September 13 - 16 *********

🐴 Create a deeper understanding with yourself and your equine partner

🦄 Ride your horse (or one of ours) in the Bob Marshall Wilderness

🙆‍♀️ Unplug, reflect and practice yoga in nature

🏠 Spend the weekend staying in a rustic cabin and eating chef prepared meals

🩷 Meet other amazing equestrians

✨ And so much more!

Please find all the info you need in the link below ⬇️

https://1e842a82-9d35-4bb4-98d1-90b24c28d264.usrfiles.com/ugd/1e842a_71c12af9d27d49efb63a60e8b65047bb.pdf

08/01/2024

🧡🌲 Equine Connection Retreat 🌲🧡

Two spots left for this special weekend that you don’t want to miss out on!!✨

** you don’t have to have a horse to participate 🐴♥️ **

Please find all the info you need in the link below ⬇️

https://1e842a82-9d35-4bb4-98d1-90b24c28d264.usrfiles.com/ugd/1e842a_71c12af9d27d49efb63a60e8b65047bb.pdf

07/05/2024

🌲 Equine Connection Retreat 🌲
Sept 13-16

** Only 2 spots left **

Somewhere along the way, we lose it. Between the goals we set for ourselves, the pressure to preform, our peers, the industry, just life… we get lost.

That enchantment that first drew us into a relationship with a horse is gone, forgotten. This weekend is all about finding that magic connection again. Just you and a horse, the building up of your relationship and the mindfulness needed to maintain it.

Please click on the link below for more info ♥️

https://1e842a82-9d35-4bb4-98d1-90b24c28d264.usrfiles.com/ugd/1e842a_71c12af9d27d49efb63a60e8b65047bb.pdf

Together with

Picture by Kylanne Sandelin

06/17/2024

I want horses to have opinions.

A horse with an opinion will express when they do not feel safe - because they are being pushed too hard, because they are hurting, because we’re asking for something incorrectly, because our energy is off. An opinion can tell me that something is not right - and it is my job to do my best to figure it out.

Leslie Desmond famously said “What value does yes have if no is not an option?” If we don’t give them the ability to express themselves, how will we have a clue how they are feeling? Do we actually care? How will they be able to learn willingly verses through submission? And yes, there is a difference. A BIG difference.

A horse with an opinion is thinking for themselves, verses blindly doing what is asked even when they are not mentally or physically capable. Better to refuse a fence rather than jump it in such a way that is going to be dangerous. Better to be unsettled in warm up and try to figure it out before entering the show ring. Better to act up in smaller ways, rather than push them through until the bigger explosion or the really unsafe risk happens.

In my practice, the horse is a feedback loop. How she moves and reacts, in addition to what I feel under my hands and see, tells me things. I need to be willing to let the horse have an opinion, to express how they feel, so that I do not push beyond boundaries to ask too much. I try not to get to “no”, but no is okay. No is important, just as important as yes.

A teacher recently said to me that the way we train and ride horses is often separating their sensory and motor functions to the point that they really don’t know where their bodies are in space. The way we strap down their heads and prevent full range of eye sight; the way that we restrict breathing and mouth movement (which impacts the entire body) by cranking nosebands tight; the use of harsh bits; when we drug them before we ride; the way that we simply ask for constant submission.

I have not really stopped thinking about this.

We are, in essence, teaching horses to ignore their nervous systems when we are on their backs.

No thanks.

No “dead broke” horses for me. If my horse, or any horse I’m working with, is feeling fear or pain or sweet release, I sure as hell want to know it.

Photo credit: Olia Gozha

06/08/2024

It was a good first day of the Pure Horse Intensive weekend. I always try to give my all to the horses and the people, all the info all the details all the tools in order to help them. I feel that’s all we can do, is give it our all. Thanks for coming out, looking forward to tomorrow 🩶.

Thank you (Kylanne Sandelin) for the beautiful artsy pictures.

06/06/2024

🌲 Equine Connection Retreat 🌲
Sept 13-16

** Only 2 spots left **

Somewhere along the way, we lose it. Between the goals we set for ourselves, the pressure to preform, our peers, the industry, just life… we get lost.

That enchantment that first drew us into a relationship with a horse is gone, forgotten. This weekend is all about finding that magic connection again. Just you and a horse, the building up of your relationship and the mindfulness needed to maintain it.

Please click on the link below for more info ♥️

https://1e842a82-9d35-4bb4-98d1-90b24c28d264.usrfiles.com/ugd/1e842a_71c12af9d27d49efb63a60e8b65047bb.pdf

Together with

06/06/2024

This work is not for everyone

It is for those driven enough to do whatever it takes to learn,
But willing to relax and wait for things to come.

It is for those who are tough enough to persevere long enough to get what they want
But soft enough to let go and relinquish control

It’s for people with enough grit to get through the hot days, the cold days, and the bad days
But enough sensitivity to know when to take a break, stand in the shade, or warm up under cover.

It is for people who desire greatness and aspire to reach the top
But see the value in the mundane, day to day interactions, and perfecting the basics

It is, above all, for those who’s fondest desire is to develop the horse to their potential and create a sense of serenity in everything they do.

06/04/2024

One spot left for the Pure Horse Intensive of upcoming weekend!

Would you love to have one on one time with me and learning intensively with your horse, while camping? Than this might be just the weekend you’re looking for.
You can find all the details in the link below:

https://www.purehorsemontana.com/event-details/pure-horse-intensive-one-spot-left

05/13/2024

This weekend will be the Pure Horse Dynamics weekend. If you’re planning to come audit, please make sure to sign up via e-mail: [email protected]

Auditing is $50 per day. There’s also one participant spot left. Follow the link to get more info:

https://www.purehorsemontana.com/event-details/pure-horse-dynamics

05/12/2024

New video on Patreon where I work with Kevin, it’s a 20 min video with a voice over to explain what I’m doing. ♥️

Get more from Pure Horse by Aimee on Patreon

05/10/2024

A few spots available for the Pure Horse Dynamics weekend May 18-19!

All the other weekends are booked (except for one spot in June), this will be the only chance to come and learn with your horse under my guidance. If you want to get a boost with your horse, make sure to sign up for this one.

**Auditors welcome for $50 a day, please make sure to sign up **

Please visit the link below for all the info:

https://www.purehorsemontana.com/event-details/pure-horse-dynamics

05/06/2024

A few spots available for the Pure Horse Dynamics weekend May 18-19!

All the other weekends are booked (except for one spot in June), this will be the only chance to come and learn with your horse under my guidance. If you want to get a boost with your horse, make sure to sign up for this one.

Please visit the link below for all the info:

https://www.purehorsemontana.com/event-details/pure-horse-dynamics

05/02/2024

A few spots available for the Pure Horse Dynamics weekend May 18-19!

All the other weekends are booked (except for one spot in June), this will be the only chance to come and learn with your horse under my guidance. The schedule for private lessons is completely booked with current clients. If you want to get a boost with your horse, make sure to sign up for this one.

Please visit the link below for all the info:

https://www.purehorsemontana.com/event-details/pure-horse-dynamics

Picture: Neam with neckrope in a collected canter towards canter pirouette, Kevin just auditing 💕

05/02/2024

Kisses from Wesley💕

04/29/2024

Such a good way of explaining that we can never really undo unwanted learned behaviors in horses.

CAN A TRAINING PROBLEM BE ERADICATED?

If we dig deep enough to find the root cause of a training problem we find the vast majority of them stem from psychological/emotional trouble with some caused by physical issues such as medical, conformational, or equipment. But in my work I find most problems are rooted in the way a horse feels and thinks. So that’s what I want to talk about today.

Horses are a mixture of their genes and their experiences - nature versus nurture. We can’t do much about their genes. My horse is stuck with the way his genes are expressed forever and there is nothing I can do about that.

Likewise, we can’t do much about the experiences our horse has lived through. Those experiences are stuck in the emotional memory bank for life. Our horses can’t unlearn whatever they learned from experience.

The only thing I can influence is my horse’s experiences going forward into the future.

These are important parameters to remember when working with a horse to solve problems. We can’t eradicate their genes and we can’t remove their history. The horse that comes to us with emotional problems on day one is the same horse we have years later because genetics and history are still there ready to influence how our horse responds to what comes next.

I say these things because I want to make the point that training never works to unlearn something.

When a horse comes to me for help, my job is NOT to eliminate anything it already knows. My job is to either minimize the triggers that cause the problem or to help a horse find a better way to respond to the triggers that caused the problem. But the trigger is still there and the old ways of responding to the trigger are still there. All that training has done is to help a horse find a different way of feeling and responding, but not eliminate the old way.

As an example, a client told me that when she had finished working her horse at home and took it back to the paddock, her horse would pull away and kick out the moment the halter was removed. Removal of the halter had become a trigger to pull away and take off. The pattern needed to be changed. I decided to fit the horse with 2 halters (and only 1 lead rope). When I took the horse to the paddock I removed the top halter and kept the lead rope attached to the bottom halter. When the first halter came off the horse went to pull away and was shocked to learn I was holding the lead rope with the second halter fitted. I was able to block the horse from leaving. I rubbed the horse, gave it some scratches, and let it graze for a moment.

Then I put on the two halters again and took it for a walk. I repeated the exercise several times. Soon the horse did not try to leave when the first halter was removed. Then I repeated the exercise with only 1 halter, but a rope around the horse’s neck to encourage it not to run away. When that was working well I repeated the exercise with 1 halter and only my arm rubbing under the neck to encourage the horse to stay with me. The entire exercise took about 30-40 minutes. But I had the horse at work for a few weeks, so I was able to reinforce the lesson nearly every day. The horse never tried to pull away when I took it back to the paddock. Similarly, it was perfect when the owner took it back to the paddock.

But alas, after a few weeks of the horse being home, the behaviour returned when the owner’s daughter started to work with the horse. I never eliminated the problem. All I did was suppress the trigger and help the horse find a response that felt better.

By avoiding the triggers we avoid the behavioural problems. However, the moment the reasons for the bad behaviour (triggers) come to the surface again, the instant the old problem will return. Nothing is ever eradicated.

For this reason, we must be vigilant not to fall into old habits. If we let our guard down and fall into the old habits, so will our horse. Those problems that got us into so much trouble are still lurking deep below and ready to surface if we let them. Don’t betray your horse. As your horse gets better, you be better.

Photo: Working with Sara's beautiful gelding, Rain at a clinic in 2013 (I think?). It looks a more exciting session than it actually was. Although maybe Rain would have a different view.

04/28/2024

I love the way this lady can describe things. She’s so accurate.

Bad information, given with confidence-

A lot of amateurs struggle with self confidence. This makes them prone to giving everything over to a professional. The assumption is the professional knows, and the amateur does not.

The sad reality is that many pros also do not know, but with no lack of confidence, are free to tour around giving unhelpful, or plain wrong information.

How is an amateur to know? The first important thing I think is a healthy degree of skepticism. Don’t jump in headfirst to a new religion without a fair amount of vetting. What do their own horses look like, in physical condition and expression? How do they teach the beginners, the untalented horses, the ones who are troubled or struggling? If the teaching can be adapted to suit many, that’s a good indication. If the teaching or program falls short on the outliers, it’s something to take note of.

The other important thing here is confidence - just because you don’t have THIS skill yet doesn’t mean you don’t have powers of observation and reasoning.

Giving complete trust into a program is more common with women than men in my experience, and without getting into all kinds of societal commentary here, is an interesting phenomenon- women basically keep my lights on and pay my bills- and they are the largest part of the equine industry. So you have some purchasing power here-

It never hurts to ask why. Don’t assume a public platform is a sign of expertise: anyone can have a voice and say whatever they like confidently. It all comes down to you: are you going to be helped or harmed by the information given?

Healthy skepticism: my favorite students are the ones who didn’t trust a word I said for a while until they saw results. Those are my kind of people.

Ask why, and do it often. Then ask for proof.
You can’t be hurt by losing people for asking why- not in the long run anyway

04/26/2024

Don’t miss out on TOMORROWS Problem Solving Workshop on April 27th. I’ll be working a horse that is unfamiliar to me and you’ll get to see the first steps I take into helping this horse.

Get your tickets online to secure your spot!

https://www.purehorsemontana.com/event-details/problem-solving-workshop-new-location

📷 by

04/22/2024

Trustworthy horse for sale by my friend Mandy in the Netherlands. For the right owner she’s willing to have him shipped. I rode him when I was in the Netherlands and he felt so solid on the trails, not one spook. Pretty neat horse for only 5 years old. He’s located in the Netherlands, if you’re interested please contact The Red Pony - Horsemanship for more info.

04/17/2024

🌲 Equine Connection Retreat 🌲
Sept 13-16

Somewhere along the way, we lose it. Between the goals we set for ourselves, the pressure to preform, our peers, the industry, just life… we get lost.

That enchantment that first drew us into a relationship with a horse is gone, forgotten. This weekend is all about finding that magic connection again. Just you and a horse, the building up of your relationship and the mindfulness needed to maintain it.

Please click on the link below for more info ♥️

https://www.purehorsemontana.com/event-details/equine-connection-retreat

Together with

04/13/2024

Join TODAY’S Problem Solving Workshop! Get your tickets via the link below ⬇️.

I’ll be working a mare who I’ve worked once during my last workshop. This particular mare struggles with some braces and defensiveness, which can create dangerous situations.
She could definitely use some more help and it will be interesting to see the changes in her.

You will be able to see how I start out and get to experience the raw process. Both on the ground and in riding ♥️.

Don’t miss this one!🍀

https://www.purehorsemontana.com/event-details/problem-solving-workshop-2

04/12/2024

Join TOMORROWS Problem Solving Workshop! Get your tickets via the link below ⬇️.

I’ll be working a mare who I’ve worked once during my last workshop. This particular mare struggles with some braces and defensiveness, which can create dangerous situations.
She could definitely use some more help and it will be interesting to see the changes in her.

You will be able to see how I start out and get to experience the raw process. Both on the ground and in riding ♥️.

Don’t miss this one!🍀

https://www.purehorsemontana.com/event-details/problem-solving-workshop-2

04/11/2024

Join the upcoming ✨Problem Solving Workshop✨THIS Saturday April 13. Get your tickets via the link below ⬇️.

I’ll be working a mare who I’ve worked once during my last workshop. She could definitely use some more help and it will be interesting to see the changes in her.

You will be able to see how I start out and you’ll get to experience the raw process. Both on the ground and in riding ♥️.

This particular mare struggles with some braces and defensiveness, which can create dangerous situations. This is a common problem I see with people and their horses. Let’s remember that horses by nature are very peaceful creatures. We don’t have to dominate the horse, however we can still set boundaries. With that in mind I work each and every horse.

Don’t miss this one!🍀

https://www.purehorsemontana.com/event-details/problem-solving-workshop-2

📸by

04/07/2024

Join the upcoming ✨Problem Solving Workshop✨THIS Saturday April 13. Get your tickets via the link below ⬇️.

I’ll be working the mare shown in the video who I’ve worked once during my last workshop. She could definitely use some more help and it will be interesting to see the changes in her.

You will be able to see how I start out and you’ll get to experience the raw process. Both on the ground and in riding ♥️.

This particular mare struggles with some braces and defensiveness, which can create dangerous situations. This is a common problem I see with people and their horses. Let’s remember that horses by nature are very peaceful creatures. We don’t have to dominate the horse, however we can still set boundaries. With that in mind I work each and every horse.

Don’t miss this one!🍀

https://www.purehorsemontana.com/event-details/problem-solving-workshop-2

04/01/2024

A little change..

Sometimes it’s scary to change a little and especially when it comes down to turning people away. Looking at what I really want to do when it comes to my horse business, it narrows down to three things:

1. Spending as much time as I possibly can with my own horses
2. Learning and understanding as much as I can about horses
3. Helping horses and people that are on a continuous horsemanship journey, people that value the relationship with their horses over any other goals they might have.

Thinking about all this has helped me to make the decision to not accept any new private lesson clients as of right now. My schedule for private lessons with current clients is full. It is only possible to get private lessons with your horse after you’ve committed to at least one month of training for your horse or joined one of the clinic weekends. It has been my experience it works better if the horse understands how I work first, before teaching you together with your horse.

For current Pure Horse clients I am still available for private lessons, however my time will be limited.

If you have had your horse in training in the past 2 years, or I have given you private lessons, you’re considered a Pure Horse client.

I’ve decided to make this change because time is precious and I am really looking for people that are committed to this journey. They understand it’s not just a trick or an exercise they are learning in one lesson. It’s a never ending journey where the horse is not the problem or the blame. People that keep educating themselves, not only about horse training but about the whole horse. The body, their needs, their movement, their feet etc. People that remain critical and open minded.

I am so blessed that I have those clients, and this decision is helping me to keep it like that.

Also, please check the website for updated prices for private lessons. I don’t travel anymore for lessons (except for the ones that are already on the schedule).

Www.purehorsemontana.com

Thanks for understanding ♥️