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.
