Enlightened Horsemanship

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.

15/06/2025

“Where the Wild Things Are.” AKA our Healthy Horse Habitat. AKA my Happy Place. Even in this crazy hectic season, when projects go undone and horse time is scant and overwhelm hovers close, I am honored to live in this space and enjoy this beauty every day.

29/05/2025

When we truly see and honor
the horse as a horse
this impacts everything about how we care for
interact with
and train them.
Technical skills come only after
we have established a healthy life
and a safe foundation.

Safe to be together
safe to approach
safe to speak and be heard
Safe to learn and grow and try new things.

All too often
we have a need
or see a problem
with our horse
and wants to jump straight to the fixing,
the technical skill.

But without that firm foundation
of felt safety and understanding,
our efforts will fall flat.

The horse needs to be shut down
or in obedience mode
to do what is told and not feel.

But that’s nots seeing a horse as a horse.
That’s seeing a horse as a tool
a machine
a robot.

But we know
when we see horses as they are
that they have robust
mental and emotional
capacities and needs.

Meeting them there
in those needs
is the first step
towards creating the ability
to learn and train and grow.

What would you do differently
if you saw your horse fully
And accepted their needs
As the most true horse your horse can be.

25/05/2025

Lockie has a gift for bringing science and truth to the heart of our horsemanship and our deep desire to be in relationship with horses.

Gentle training IS the safest way to be with and develop horses.

Care and nurturance ARE ABSOLUTELY compatible with safe and enjoyable equestrian activities, with relaxed and confident horses.

There are simply no excuses anymore to turn towards force and commodification of our horses, towards convenience and self service, when the facts are out there in the open.

Don’t take it from me… or even the exceptional trainers out there sharing this important message.

Go ask your horse, with a warm heart, an open mind, and a willingness to set aside the voices in your head of how it “should” be done.

24/05/2025

One of the many unexpected delights of sharing our home with horses has been the connection to the land and appreciation for all the natural beauty surrounding us.

While there’s not much I love about summers in Texas, I’m so excited for the long season of vibrant growth and countless bouquets like this.

🌸

23/05/2025

What does it say about our culture that prioritizing our horse feeling safe and their mental and emotional wellbeing is radical? Ridiculed? So easily tossed aside?

What would change in us
If we embraced a robust understanding of safety
Physical, yes, but equally mental and emotional
Safety in the environment
Safety in the relationship
Safety in the lifestyle

Safety that lets the body relax
The mind soften
The breath deepen
The joy sparkle
The spirit come alive

Who am I
Who would you be
If we found ourselves consistently in this space

Imagine how are horses would feel if they found us consistently in this place.

20/05/2025

Believe your horse.

Even when you don’t understand.

Even when you disagree.

Even when you have every good reason to believe the horse shouldn’t be feeling, behaving, struggling, reacting the way they are.

Believe them.

Friends, on behalf of your horse, I implore you to give this a really solid try. And then try again. And again.

Believing our horse is a critical piece of creating a safe foundation for relationship, learning, and wellbeing. In fact, so many problems that I see people have with their horses is because they didn’t believe what the horse was telling them.

Haven’t you ever felt misunderstood, dismissed, disregarded, run over by someone? Did that experience leave you wanting to connect with them, try harder, and open yourself up? Or did it cause you to step back, remove yourself all together (by whatever means necessary), and create a barrier between you? Did it lead you closer or further away from healthy relationship with that person?

Believe them.

It really, truly, 100% matters.

15/04/2025

More and more I am aware that what I do, what I believe and my intention around a life with horses is contrary to 99% of the horse involved population. Everything I see and hear contradicts what is true for me and my herd and the countless experiences I have had with these beautiful animals.

What gives? I’m sure it has something to do with my intention to facilitate true felt safety and trusting relationships, and my absolute belief in horses - in their intelligence, intuitiveness, their relational nature, and so much more. I genuinely believe horses don’t need our fixing/controlling/manipulating, but they do need our understanding, our growth, our ability and willingness to challenge all the detrimental beliefs that perpetuate a compromised life with people.

Perhaps you are like me too. Perhaps you too cringe when force is so readily on the table. Perhaps you too cringe when you hear people, people who promote their love of their horse, speak of that same horse with disparaging and demeaning language. When people have a view of the horse that has nothing to do with the horse at all.

Are you tired like me? Do you hold that frustration inside? Do you confronted directly? Are you leading the revolution, in whatever way you do, to bring the true and perfect nature of the horse to the forefront of every shared experience with them?

27/03/2025

I’m here for the horse ♥️

Claire beautifully shares the important responsibility of all of us equine pros out there to put the horse’s needs and interests front and center of everything we do, plan, work towards.

I am a horse first professional, but I’d like to expand on that.

The equine industry is in the midst of a long standing welfare crisis. To this day, too many horses face too much hardship. So why is that? Where does it come from? Simply, it comes from too much human first thinking.

When a human’s wants are put before a horse’s wants, the horse is almost always, well, left wanting with their needs not met. And mind you, this is for all levels and all indiscretions. No horse person is innocent here, yours truly included.

In my opinion, if we are to truly improve horse welfare, then equine professionals need to be making more efforts to be truly horse first. So what does that mean? What it means is client second and not turning a blind eye to things that could be improved upon.

Wait. What? Us horse pros are here for the people aren’t we?! Well, no, not to me.

Hear me out.

Don’t get me wrong, so much of what I do is with and for my clients. I have wonderful, loving, and kind clients who think the world of their horses. However, every time I am there with them I am there for their horse, not for them. I fully consider their horse’s needs way before I consider theirs. You want to ride? Great! Let's be sure to not shortcut your path to a healthy riding partner. You need a new saddle ASAP? Let’s find a properly fitting one and in the meantime here are appropriate groundwork exercises. Your horse is sore? A massage AND time off to understand the cause of the soreness is advised. I’ve noticed that your bit is causing pain. Let’s talk about why and find you a new one.

Pointing clients in ethical directions and not shying away from voicing what needs to be changed, those are the building blocks of a horse first pro. I put effort into finding what can be done to make the horse’s situation better (no matter how good it already might be!) And, to no real surprise what this does is vastly improve the human’s life too.

📸 Maggie Stolzberg Photography