Horsekinship w/ Colleen Hallett

02/08/2025

I use the three finger rule (yes, I’ve reached the point of making up my own rules😅) or no noseband at all when schooling and the two finger rule when applicable for the show ring. Never tighter. Never a negotiation.

Why?

👉 three finger rule for schooling: horse can lick, chew, and yawn which are important functions for your horse to be able to release emotional and physical tension during your training session

👉 no noseband: for educated horses. If they are truly educated to seeking and accepting the contact, you don’t need one so why have another piece of tack to clean?🤷‍♀️ (spoken by a former pony clubber turned adult who’d rather cloud gaze with her horses than scrub pieces of tack she doesn’t need)

New research shows cranking the noseband hurts your horse's gait.

There are always many opinions about nosebands. Too loose, and a trainer might call it sloppy. Too tight, and it becomes a welfare concern. There are studded and crank and chain and traditional, and all kinds of gadgets and gizmos designed to keep our horse’s mouth shut, but what is best for the horse? Is cranking that extra hole doing more harm than good?

A 2025 study published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science examined the impact of noseband tightness on pressure and performance. The results are eye-opening if you believe that a tighter noseband means better performance in the ring.

Most riders are familiar with the standard: leave two fingers’ space beneath the noseband. It’s even outlined in guidelines from the FEI. And according to the study, 85% of riders say they know this recommendation. But when researchers actually measured the fit using a standardized taper gauge, only 15% had their nosebands adjusted to the proper tension.

The vast majority were too tight. Sometimes dramatically too tight.

The Hidden Pressure on a Horse’s Face
In the study, eight horses were fitted with a simple cavesson noseband and tested at three settings: a standard two-finger fit, a snug one-finger fit, and a cranked-tight zero-finger fit. Under each setting, researchers measured facial pressure and evaluated gait.

- The one-finger setting increased pressure on the nasal bone by 54% over the two-finger baseline.
- The zero-finger setting? A staggering 338% increase in pressure.

Imagine trying to do your day job with a belt cinched tight around your nose and jaw. Now add that your success relies on body movement, and you have no way to say, “This hurts.” That’s similar to what the horse might feel like being asked to perform in a fully tightened noseband that more than triples the force exerted on its face.

Unfortunately, changes to tack and equipment don’t typically come solely from the perspective of the horse’s comfort. So let’s look at performance as well.

In addition to pressure data, the researchers measured each horse’s trot stride. As the noseband got tighter, the stride got shorter—by a lot. On average:

- Horses at the one-finger tightness lost 6.2% of their stride length.
- With a fully tightened noseband, stride loss jumped to 11.1%.

In real-world terms, that’s about 24 centimeters, roughly the length of a hoof, disappearing from every stride. While that may not sound dramatic at first, consider how it compounds across a full course. Shorter strides can mean rushed distances, flat movement, and a horse that never quite gets to “flow.” In the hunter ring, 24 centimeters could be the difference between pinning in a highly competitive under saddle class.

And this wasn’t just about stiffness or resistance. The study found a statistically significant negative correlation between noseband pressure and stride length. In short, the tighter the fit, the shorter the step.

Sure, a longer stride is helpful in the show ring. But this research highlights deeper concerns about what that level of pressure does to the horse’s face and nerves. The noseband sits directly over sensitive structures, including branches of the trigeminal nerve, which help regulate posture and proprioception. Excessive pressure here doesn’t just hurt. It may also interfere with the horse’s balance and coordination.

Previous studies have shown that pressures as low as 32 kPa can damage tissue. In this study, the tightest noseband setting reached an average of 115.8 kPa. That’s far above what’s been associated with pain or injury in other species. That number isn’t just theoretical. It’s happening under tack, often unnoticed, every day. And unlike overt lameness, this kind of pressure flies under the radar, making it easy to miss, but just as impactful.

🔗 Read the full article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/07/30/new-research-shows-cranking-your-noseband-hurts-your-horses-gait/

🔗 Read the full study here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0737080625003120?via%3Dihub

18/07/2025

And just like that ✨POOF✨ all spaces have be claimed💖

If you’d like to join our next event DM me; I already have women signing up for that one.
The horse magic is real🐴💫

16/07/2025

Someone ✨PINCH ME✨!!

Only 6 spaces left.
DM to join💌

I can’t wait to introduce you all to the Epona Wisodm herd. This herd of medicine horses truly is something special. Each on bringing their own unique gifts to the circle, their personality and presence really shines through💖

👉Did you know - A horse’s heart is about five times the size of a human’s—and their electromagnetic field is enormous. Studies show that being near horses can help regulate your nervous system, reducing anxiety and promoting calm.🫀🐴💫

15/07/2025

Huge shout out to the first woman to say ✨YES✨ to joining our first Sound Bath with the Herd🐴💫

28/06/2025

DM me if you want this; my July spots are filling fast!

✌️❤️🌻

21/03/2025

"I didn't even know you were here!" 😱 I hear this so often from new people when I come out to their barn in the Eau Claire area for the first time, that I've decided to pop up in your newsfeed today just to say "HI 👋 I’M HERE!"

It's so great to meet you.🥰

After new people do finally find me, they often tell me things like this:

✨ “Colleen is absolutely incredible! I was hesitant to get back to riding after my injury, but Colleen made it such a healing experience. Her patience and kindness helped me rebuild my confidence, not just as a rider, but as a person. Highly recommended!”

✨ “PERFECT in every way! Colleen’s connection with both rider and horse is unmatched. From the first lesson, I knew my daughter was in the best hands. Her growth in confidence and communication with her horse has been amazing to watch. Thank you, Colleen!”

✨ “Thank you, Colleen, for the amazing experience with our OTTB today! Your guidance was just what we needed to get over some troubling behaviors. I feel more confident in our journey together. Can’t wait to work with you again!”

So, there you go!

Now that you know that I’m here, if you'd like to meet me one day, hop over and check out the pinned post on my page to see my current new client special offer!!

Phone: 530.383.2604
www.ColleenHallett.com/Horsekinship
Eau Claire, WI

Heart-Centered Horsemanship 🐴✨
Building Trust, Connection & Harmony Between Horse & Rider
Training for Mindful Equestrians
Join the Journey 💫

21/01/2025

I learned a long time ago to leave my judgement at the gate. To stop believing that I knew everything and had all the answers and that the way everyone else is doing things is “wrong” and “problematic”.

These days I focus on teaching owners skills that will serve them in the long run. No quick fixes. No trying to get it all “right”. No performative allyship.

Today I help women like you get to know the relational sensation in your body of what having soft hands feels like. There’s no “your hands have to be here or they are wrong”. But truly teaching you how to seek and cultivate a feel in your hands that invites your horse into connection rather than bracing against or tuning the contact out. It’s learning to develop feel from the inside out.

We ground your nervous system. Through a trauma informed lens we create space for you to open to your own hearts wisdom, the wisdom of your body, by deeply grounding into the somatic experience of the present moment. Horsemanship is a somatic experience. It makes sense to approach it from your own bodies somatic experience.

Cultivating an open mind helps us see what we aren’t looking for. When we think we know how it “should” be we close ourselves to the opportunity of our horses showing us something unexpected, novel, new. An open mind makes growth, exploration, and curiosity possible. I’ll never try to indoctrinate you. I want you to open your own mind, go on a journey with your horse, and follow the nuggets of wisdom that will inevitably present themselves along the way.

Horsekinship is about returning both horse and human to sovereignty❤️‍🔥

What's something you used to believe about horsemanship/horse training that you no longer find to be true?

05/01/2025

We were totally head over heels with one singular obsession: our love horses.

Somewhere along the way we are taught that loving horses is:

👉 Riding horses
👉 Competing horses
👉 Making sure the horses talent isn’t wasted

And it became less and less about the pure, simple love of being in their presence and more and more about what we do with them.

As I reconnected to the great well of love that loves in my own heart, I learned love is a state of being, kind of like a flow state of sorts, and when you’re connected to it, in flow with it, it unbuttons what you think you desire and dresses it down to its simplest form…

Love looks a lot like letting go.

✅ Letting go of an arbitrary timeline.
✅ Letting go of what others think.
✅ Letting go of people pleasing.
✅ Letting go of perfectionism.
✅ Letting go of thinking I need to have it all figured out.

And the more I let go, the more it all came to me.

✨ The connection I was seeking.
✨ The self carriage.
✨ The willingness.
✨ The gentleness.
✨ The coercion-free, joyful willingness I didn’t even dream was possible!

This heart-centered, consent-based way of being with the horses ended up gifting me all the things that I had sought endlessly through various training methods. That thing that seemed so impossible to nail unless I got it all right and worked my horse up into a lather, was right there waiting for me to slow down and unplug enough for me to hit my head on it.

👉 Love isn’t control.
👉 Love isn’t coercion.
👉 Love isn’t me knowing what’s best for you.
👉 Love doesn’t feel dense and hard and closed off in my body.
👉 Love isn’t getting it all right.

Love is a flower.
If you make sure its needs are met, it will inevitably unfold itself and bloom✨

And when I learned to embody this with the horses, that little horse loving girl I’ve always been at my core, found her joy again.

Yes, I’m the 35 year old skipping down the barn aisle on a Sunday morning feeling light, playful, complete, bursting with joy and mirth *after* working my horses.

After years of frustration, roadblocks, and heartbreak, what a gift to have access to this level of joy because of Horsekinship.

Ready to find your joy again?
DM me, I’ve got small gift for you💖

📸: photo of little Colleen circa Halloween 1996. I bought this cowgirl hat on my first ever visit to the Cow Palace in San Francisco.

10/12/2024

"... Full disclosure - I like control. [...] I realize the severe limitations to this affinity. I’ve created an organization where I have a tremendous amount of responsibility[...] That has perpetuated and deepened my control tendencies. I’m grateful for my deep sense of responsibility and accountability - but I also recognize the limitations and the ramifications.

Your session with me and with Cecil, a highly reactive, often extremely insecure and also a tremendously intelligent and kind horse with whom I have a long standing relationship with took me to the edge of my comfort zone and then some. To be the student and not the teacher, to be the passenger and not the driver, to the one receiving help and not the giver of assistance, to give the reins to someone and to expose myself to looking foolish, insecure, and uncomfortable was difficult and refreshing.

Thank you for holding that space for me.”

-Joelle D.

✨Let go to create true connection.✨

Joelle’s story is a beautiful reminder that harmony with our horses begins when we embrace vulnerability and release the need for control. In a Horsekinship session, I specialize in helping owners of highly reactive, sensitive horses find a path to a pressure-free, consensual partnership.

🐎 Why does this matter?
Reactive horses often mirror our inner states—stress, tension, or a need to micromanage. By taking a whole-body approach to horse and human health, we work together to cultivate trust, mutual respect, and authentic connection without coercion.

🌿 What’s holding you back?
Maybe you’re worried about “doing it wrong,” being judged, or stepping outside your comfort zone. Let me assure you—this is a safe space where you and your horse can explore new ways of being, free of criticism or pressure.

💡 The result?
A harmonious partnership with your horse built on communication and understanding, not fear or force. If you're ready to shift your approach and unlock the potential in your relationship, I’m here to guide you.

🌟 Drop "horse love" in the comments below to learn more about how I can help you and your horse thrive together.

08/12/2024

I have a confession… I used to have a love/hate relationship with my horse bombarding me for treats.

I hated the lack of respect.
I hated them invading my space.

But subconsciously I loved the attention.

And so no matter what I did, I had cookie monsters.

These days? My horses are respectful of my space, don’t bombard me when I have food, and easily take direction without me needing to apply pressure/release tactics to get them respecting my space.

What shifted?

✅ I became aware of my unconscious drivers
✅ I learned to match my behavior to my feelings aka I became congruent
✅ and when I have a feeling that isn’t conducive to what behavior I desire, I know how to easily both honor and shift the feeling in the moment
✅ I became attuned to what my body, aids, and intention were both consciously and unconsciously telling my horses
✅ I helped my horses unwind the tension in their bodies and regulate their own emotions

Horses bombard for treats for very simple reasons:

👉 they think it’s what you want
👉 they don’t know how to emotionally regulate themselves

That’s it.

Help them with these two things and your cookie crazy ponies (yes, even the ponies) ditch their monstrous antics and become well mannered citizens without all the rope swinging and moving their feet.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

05/12/2024

"I didn't even know you were here!" 😱 I hear this so often from new people when I come out to their barn in the Eau Claire area for the first time, that I've decided to pop up in your newsfeed today just to say "HI 👋 I’M HERE!"
It's so great to meet you. 🥰
After new people do finally find me, they often tell me things like this:
✨ “Colleen is absolutely incredible! I was hesitant to get back to riding after my injury, but Colleen made it such a healing experience. Her patience and kindness helped me rebuild my confidence, not just as a rider, but as a person. Highly recommended!”
✨ “PERFECT in every way! Colleen’s connection with both rider and horse is unmatched. From the first lesson, I knew my daughter was in the best hands. Her growth in confidence and communication with her horse has been amazing to watch. Thank you, Colleen!”
✨ “Thank you, Colleen, for the amazing experience with our OTTB today! Your guidance was just what we needed to understand our horse on a deeper level. I feel more confident in our journey together. Can’t wait to work with you again!”
So, there you go!
Now that you know that I’m here, if you'd like to meet me one day, hop over and check out the pinned post on my page to see my current new client special offer!!
Phone: 530.383.2604
www.ColleenHallett.com/Horsekinship
Eau Claire, WI | serving all of WI & MN

Heart-Centered Horsemanship 🐴✨
Building Trust, Connection & Harmony Between Horse & Rider
Training for Mindful Equestrians
Join the Journey 💫

05/12/2024

I think we miss the point when we strive for perfection. It’s a heavy weight to bear trying to “get it all right” for our horses and it’s the number one best method for sucking all the joy out of your time with your horse.

So instead, shoot for incremental shifts.

Does your horse want to be with you when you have nothing to offer?
Do they want to work for you even when there is no pressure?
Are they willing even without coercion?

And if you really want to take your entire horse training and horse keeping to the next level there is one simple thing I recommend every horse owner do:

Take photos.

Once a month or once every other month stand them on level ground and take confirmation shots.

And then compare them to the previous set of photos.

Is there more or less tension in their body than last month?
Are there wrinkles above their eyes?
How is their resting posture?
Are their lips tight?
Is there a dip in front of the wither?
Are they building muscle in the right places?
Or are they strengthening compensatory patterns?
Are their muscles both soft and strong?
Are they able to stand square without help?

The number one most important skill to develop as a horse owner is open-minded, heart-centered curiosity.

The answers you need are out there, but they can only be found when you begin asking the right questions.

A photo doesn’t lie and your horse won’t either.
Start this one simple habit and reap the rewards.

Not sure what to look for? Drop “photo op” in the comments below and receive a free 10 minute photo consultation so you know what markers to look for each month in 2025 to track your horse’s progress.

Happy horse-ing!