Enlightened Horsemanship

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Enlightened Horsemanship Horsemanship education, unmounted and mounted lessons for the horse enthusiast. I am an advocate for horses.

I endeavor to see things from the horse's perspective, with compassion and understanding. Guided by general knowledge of horse nature, learning and behavior, I consider each individual in each moment. I strive to offer horses experiences that genuinely benefit them and create partnerships based on safety, trust and understanding. I am a lifelong student, continuously seeking knowledge that is true

, proven and reflected in the horses around me. I believe that, when we choose to be responsible for horses, we accept the responsibility to provide species appropriate care, meet their individual needs, and interact with them in a way that is safe and positive. I share this approach with others in the hope that we can all offer a valuable partnership to our equine companions.

Restraint can look like a lot of things - some ostensible, some quite subtle, some somewhere in between. For so many hor...
03/10/2025

Restraint can look like a lot of things - some ostensible, some quite subtle, some somewhere in between. For so many horse handlers, various forms of restraint are the primary tools in their toolbox, rather than perhaps a worst-case scenario emergency tool. OR an advanced, well developed skill for both horse and handler that is not used to leverage the horse into complacency in order to accommodate the handler at the horse’s expense.

I wonder what those restraint-leaning handlers would do if restraint wasn’t an option.

I wonder if they even realize how much they rely on restraint to force their will on the animal.

I wonder if they can even imagine the beauty that is a cooperative horse that opts in to conversations and tasks and yes, even challenges, because the relationship was NOT reliant on restraint..

So much of what people believe about horses is based on horses in unnatural conditionsWith suboptimal careIn unhealthy r...
01/10/2025

So much of what people believe about horses is based on horses in unnatural conditions
With suboptimal care
In unhealthy relationships to people (or even other horses)

Before we make claims about horses
What’s true for them
What they need
Their very nature
We have to first recognize the reality of the horses we see
And the difference between that and how horses are actually meant to live and be.

“Facts” and opinions about horses are more often than not a reflection of those less than ideal factors
And not a reflection of the innate horse or its true needs.

⭐️ Horse training tip ⭐️Prioritize your horse’s experienceTHEN the task within the experience. This sets both you and yo...
21/09/2025

⭐️ Horse training tip ⭐️

Prioritize your horse’s experience

THEN the task within the experience.

This sets both you and your horse up for success and limits barriers to learning.

Bonus - it makes for an enjoyable time together ♥️






20/09/2025

Lady and I are proud members of the Saturday morning messy-hair-don’t-care club.

Beware the gentle horse trainers. We are fierce ⭐️Strong enough to own our responsibilities in being with horses - respo...
11/09/2025

Beware the gentle horse trainers. We are fierce ⭐️

Strong enough to own our responsibilities in being with horses - responsible for our knowledge, our education, our bodies, our emotions, our actions, our energy, our shortcomings, our missteps, our failures.

Brave enough to be kind in the face of contempt, understanding in moments of discomfort, patient even when being ridiculed or dismissed.

Wise enough to know when and how to de-escalate, or hold the line, or clarify, or walk away.

Resilient enough to be disciplined and hardworking, while staying lighthearted with a sense of humor.

Secure enough to detach our worth from other’s input.

Principled enough to keep showing up, hold true to our values, think critically about what we see and learn, and uphold our commitment to the horse.

Wild enough to take the uncleared path, to go it alone if necessary, and shine a light for others along the way.

Beware of those gentle horsemen and women out there. Our gentleness does not make us soft, or weak, or incompetent.

Our gentleness is what makes us powerful. Exceptional. Fierce ⭐️

I don’t consider myself a contrarian.But it seems these days, in any conversation about horses, I have an opposing view ...
09/09/2025

I don’t consider myself a contrarian.

But it seems these days, in any conversation about horses, I have an opposing view to the other party.

It amazes me how vastly different views can be when it comes to how we think about and understand our horses. Even when it would seem we are “on the same side”.

When I turn it around in my head, the most simple explanation I come to is this -

I continue to learn and expand my understanding of horses, from the perspective of the horse.

NOT how I or others perceive them.

NOT how pleasing or accommodating they are to my interests and requests.

Now of course - I make observations and draw conclusions and study observations and conclusions from others I trust.

But always, anything we come to, I hold up to the horses and see if it rings true.

And while it shouldn’t be necessary to state, I do so with a generous view of the horse that affords them the benefit of the doubt.

We’ve come a long way in our understanding of horses. What most of us grew up with, is no longer relevant. We now know better, so we do better.

AND.

We have a long way to go, if we so choose.

Along that way I suppose I will continue to be the contrarian to mundane beliefs around horses. And that’s ok. I’m looking ahead, not behind, along with my valued peers and a growing community who do the same.

How are you coping or integrating the growing body of knowledge that draws us forward to a new level of understanding and doing right by our horses?

Creating an environment where our horses can move freely, dynamically, unforced, through varied terrain in a balanced he...
05/09/2025

Creating an environment where our horses can move freely, dynamically, unforced, through varied terrain in a balanced herd is the single best thing we can do for their health and wellbeing.

“Horses need a job.”“A horse that can do a job will be better cared for.”“The most responsible thing is to prepare a hor...
01/09/2025

“Horses need a job.”

“A horse that can do a job will be better cared for.”

“The most responsible thing is to prepare a horse to ride so that it finds a good home.”

—————————————————————

I have read or heard a variation of each of these this week. And while I have a lot to say about them individually, what I’ll share here is the common thread amongst all of them.

What do these have in common?

They have nothing to do with the horse and what is good or true for them.

Behind each of these statements is the underlying assumption that horses must serve human interest to be worthy of a good life, good care. To be safe from harm.

I realize that may be true for some horses in some places.

But from my little corner of the world, I see it quite differently.

I see horses that are “easy” and “useful” being used up, passed around, and completely taken advantage of to serve human interest and ego. Little consideration for how they experience the world or what they actually need to thrive as, well, a horse. And when every drop has been extracted from them, they are discarded, left suffering, forgotten. Either ostensibly, or bit by bit.

Alternatively, I see horses who can’t perform or don’t have “jobs” being tremendously loved and living wonderful, vibrant lives.

The key factor here is not the training and capacity of the horse.

It’s the heart and knowledge and capacity of the human.

Let’s really question the narrative that we are somehow doing a service to the horse by shaping them into something desirable and amenable to human ego.

Let’s START seeing horses for the beautiful animals that they are, simply in their existence, and celebrate that we get to walk beside them in life. Care for them well. Honor their true nature. Hold people accountable to that.

In doing so, we might find that the need to do something with them, make them “useful” in some way, drifts away like a summer breeze.

Alternatively, we might find ourselves at the starting point of the magical experience that is a horse going all-in on our (ethical) version of the Equestrian Things.

Either way, we can rest well knowing that our lives - both the horses AND the humans - were enhanced, not compromised, by being in relationship with one another.

Everyone that participates in the equine industry - professional, owner, trainer, rider, parent to horse crazy kid, barn manager, etc - contributes to how horses are seen, valued, and treated. Imagine if we all did our part to support a better life for horses and the people who love them.

Pictures of my beloved horses being horses this morning.

Hi, it’s me 👋🏼👋🏼 That girl who almost solely posts pics of herself googly eyes with a horse. Just sitting, visiting, soa...
27/08/2025

Hi, it’s me 👋🏼👋🏼 That girl who almost solely posts pics of herself googly eyes with a horse. Just sitting, visiting, soaking each other up with warm fuzzies. And not the same horse, but all sorts.

What’s that all about?

I could go into my training style or horse keeping approach or ethical priorities and all that good stuff… they all matter. But what it really comes down to is this -

If we want to spend time with horses
Do things with horses
Call ourselves a friend or advocate of horses

The most important piece of all that
Is the horse 😉

Have we ***earned their desire*** to spend time with us
Do the things with us
Be friends with us?

It’s the secret sauce of any healthy, ethical, enjoyable relationship between horse and human (not to mention a key piece of nonviolent training). Truth be told, it’s a hill I’ll die on.

And it’s where I spend A LOT of my time with horses. Especially those who have learned the hard way that people in fact are NOT a good friend to have.

To be clear - it’s not just about sitting around and doing nothing and letting the magical fairies wave their happiness wands. The most talented horse people I know are those that know how to embody, practice, model, and continually evolve their technical skills of building rapport with horses.

No fairy dust here.

✨ But it does feel quite magical ✨

Looking around, the horse world (ahem, world at large) needs a lot more of whatever it is that leads to two different beings, coming from vastly different backgrounds/life experiences etc, finding themselves in deep comfort, true safety, and honest connection with one another.

Uncomfortable POV: it’s not helping if we aren’t listening. It’s something else. Force. Control. Good intentions, maybe....
01/08/2025

Uncomfortable POV: it’s not helping if we aren’t listening. It’s something else. Force. Control. Good intentions, maybe. Ego, perhaps insecurity. Lack of connection, for sure. Do we really know better than the one we are trying to help?

These two came home a week apart, 9 years ago.  Lucy, scrawny and underdeveloped, having narrowly escaped death by negle...
12/07/2025

These two came home a week apart, 9 years ago. Lucy, scrawny and underdeveloped, having narrowly escaped death by neglect twice in as many years of her young life. Lady, sensitive and stunning, whose owners saw in me a kind hand and gentle approach for her soft nature. We for sure were not planning on two, and as much as I wanted them I remember that anxiety in my gut when we committed to both. It’s a powerful reminder today that the things that feel like a stretch and indeed scare us can end up becoming as right and true as can be.

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