06/18/2026
Learning is hard. First, we need to learn the skills our horses are begging us to learn, so that we can promise them our goal is to understand them, to see things from their point of view, and to give them the communication they need to be able to say yes or no versus get tight, bracey, spooky, pushy, etc. In order for us to learn them, we need to practice the skills. In practicing the skills, we need to remember exactly that: we are practicing skills so that we can be a better partner. Then, once we learn the skills and are confident with them, it's all about learning when to use that skill to better our relationship with our equine partner. Some skills are used 1% of the time and some skills are used 100% of the time for an individual horse. The same skill might be needed 40% of the time for another individual horse. My goal for my students is to help you learn all the necessary skills to be seen as a partner (herd member) for your horse and then learn which skills are more important for your individual equine partner and for you personally.