Equine Connection Freelance Training

06/19/2026

Aleesha Bees is such a gifted, knowledgeable, and compassionate trainer; her feedback means so much to me! Her insights always enhance the clinics and even my work at home-- it's such a gift to be able to exchange ideas with other professionals without judgement or tension, just fellow students of the horse trying to learn as much as they can. We need more of this in the horse world!

Photo Credit: Richert-Burke Photography

06/18/2026

Stacey was an "Intro" Level participant in our last clinic. 🫑

She's a testament that you truly can get so much out of these clinics without bringing a horse or staying for both days. I'm committed to meeting each student where they're at to offer them an in depth understanding, and connection to their own life and horse experiences, whether or not they are able to bring a horse to participate more fully.

We would love to share these incredible learning experiences for more people in Aiken, or for those who aren't in that area, you can access my clinic lectures on my Patreon!

Photo credit: Richert-Burke Photography

06/12/2026

Another wonderful testimonial from one of our dedicated clinic participants. Irene is taking what the horses are showing her to all aspects of her life— learning to move and think in a less linear way. Being more present. And trusting her incredible feel. It’s beautiful seeing such knowledgeable, skilled horsewomen willing to adopt a beginners mindset to wholeheartedly evaluate if/how what we do is serving the horse and our partnership. These lessons go far beyond horsemanship and apply well outside of the arena. ❤️

Photo credit: Richert-Burke Photography

06/11/2026

Hey Aiken, I’ll be back in less than 3 weeks for an immersive clinic in Rider Biomechanics!

We’ll learn to stack our spines in neutral, and relax our muscles so we can ride in our bones and be easy loads for our horses to carry. We set our horses up for success in-hand and then riding becomes the art of getting out of their way!

For more information and to register, click the link below:

Dates July 1-2, 2026 About Through classroom lecture and discussion, unmounted exercises, Qigong, and riding lessons, riders become more aware of the influence they have on their horses, from the language of the aids and our posture. Students will learn to identify their strengths, weaknesses, facil...

06/07/2026

Another thoughtful testimonial of my clinics just came in from Maria Glinski, DVM. It’s so rewarding working with students who are so well-read, knowledgeable, curious, and loving like Maria. She always comes with such good questions that really make me think critically about the work, and then deepen everyone’s understanding as we unpack them through theory and experiential learning through movement in and out of the saddle. Thank you for your participation and feedback, Maria!❤️

Photo credit: Richert-Burke Photography

06/06/2026

Arlene Swindle, one of my most dedicated students in Aiken, wrote this heartfelt testimonial about my clinics there. It makes me so happy to see horse-human partnerships thrive like these 2. I can't wait to see them continue to progress together.

06/05/2026

It's been an incredible week at the Riding with the Hearts in Your Hands: Education to the Hand Clinic at Undasa Farm in Aiken, SC.

On the first day we talked about everything that lies at the end of our reins-- the bit, the tongue, the bars, the TMJ, the upper cervical spine, and how those structures are connected via myofascial kinetic lines, muscles, and bones all the way to the hind legs. Apollo's scull, lent by Equus-Soma helped us visualize even better, sporting my Connection Cavesson and a very fat bit that would have broken the mouth seal and caused all sorts of issues we discussed in our classroom!

We discussed what contact is, deepened by Qigong exercises that allowed us to really feel our classmates, meeting heart to heart, thanks to Anna Lewis of Embraced Soul.

Then we learned all about the contact on the reins from the horses perspective and practiced developing a soft, elastic feel with one another.

The second day we discussed the classical rein aids and how the actions promote relaxation and change in balance through the horse, and the care we take in training our horses to avoid compressing the tongue and blocking the body from the inside out.

The private sessions each day with the participants were absolutely beautiful. So many ah-ha moments and transformations in both horses and riders. See my captions for more information.

Huge thanks to Richert-Burke Photography for the incredible photos and of course to Samantha Charles for being such a gracious host, welcoming all of us to your farm so we can learn to be better guardians and trainers of our horses

05/31/2026

In preparation for my clinic next week in Aiken, SC, I'm brought back to an older blog post I wrote on Education to the Bit. In our clinic, we will go into much more detail, and far beyond this, learning what all we can feel through our hands, and what our hands can offer the horse. We will take a deep dive into anatomy and biomechanics as usual. There are still a few spots available, so if this blog piques your interest, you should at the very least join us for our classroom sessions in the mornings!

https://www.equineconnectionfreelancetraining.com/blog/ihaxax3p2decahe0j9iyeh4f6di45d

Samantha Charles

Educating the horse to the bit in-hand is a kind, rational approach to training. Through soft, intelligent hands, we can teach the horse to unlock their jaw and tongue, thereby unlocking their whole body from the neck, chest, belly, back, to the hind legs. We can teach the horse to bend and extend t