Ethical Equine Academy

06/22/2026

From feeling alone, pressured, and uncertain... 😥

➡️ To feeling supported, encouraged, and excited for every next R+ lesson with your students. 💃🏼

Because implementing positive reinforcement shouldn't feel like something you have to figure out on your own.

With the right guidance and practical tools, you can teach with clarity, confidence, and joy!

🐴✨

(Positive Reinforcement Instructor Mentorship - aka ✨PRIM✨ is coming this Fall 🍂 🍁🎃)

(Yes, I will share more on Substack very 🎉soon🎉)

(Yes, please do so inquire in the meantime if you are intrigued)

(Thank you for coming to my Ted talk)

(Parenthesis end)

06/13/2026

Before, between, and after lessons...our horses get opportunities to forage, explore, play, and simply be horses.

Because enrichment, choice, and species-appropriate care aren't extras...

they're ✨ essentials ✨

and happy horses make better partners 🐎

What's your horse's favorite form of enrichment outside of training and riding?

Mine love the hay pellet ball!

06/12/2026

"They're worth their weight in gold..." 🥇

Usually that refers to the obedient lesson horses. They tolerate much and speak up little. They comply under all circumstances. The seemingly resilient ones.

But my lesson horses have taught me differently -

They've taught me that progress isn't measured by obedience—it's measured by trust and connection.

That confidence grows when horses are listened to.

That behavior is communication, not defiance. Not personal.

And the horses we rely on to teach our students deserve to be taught with the same patience, compassion, and understanding that we hope our students receive.

My lesson horses remind me to be a better advocate for them.

And for that, they certainly are worth their weight in gold to me 🐎

05/29/2026

Comment FORM and I'll send you my Instructor Insight Form for R+ Programs 👍🏼

It's a pressure-free, short questionnaire that is helping me refine how this Mentorship will serve ethically minded equestrian instructors 🐎

Your feedback is so valuable and appreciated in helping shape the future!

05/29/2026

05/27/2026

Ok, I know the *scientific* definition of "positive" in the context of horse training, but I couldn't help but resonate with this, too.

The original audio is talking about this in terms of mindset for parenting our children - and if there's anything I've learned as both a mother, R+ horse trainer, and an R+ youth equestrian instructor...it's that there are many parallels in how we can shift our mindset to set ourselves and our learners up for better success each time we foster our interactions.

I want to be known as a mother, trainer, and instructor that does exactly this ☝🏼

Having a nature within me that:

Pauses.
Holds space.
Considers.

And I'll add:

Empathizes.
Focuses on connection and clarity over degrading correction.
Builds confidence towards resilience.
Sets a more successful path forward.

R+ is not inherently going to provide a better way in training, but it does provide more opportunity for this shift in mindset.

It helped me become curious. It helped me stay humble when I wanted to "know it all." It helped me understand my horses better. Gave me a perspective I was never taught before. Helped me become a better advocate, a better student, and a better trainer through the process (and still continuing).

It's why I chose this path forward 6 years ago in my youth academy and for my training clients over traditional approaches.

Because once you dig in to unlearning and relearning through a different lense, your expectations will shift. Your priorities will change.

All for the better for my horses and students alike 🫶🏼

05/15/2026

Riding lessons that are safer, kinder, more ethical, more fun, and reinforces young equestrians to be more than *just* a rider.

They are...

🐴 Equine advocates that put their horse's needs in front of their own wants
🐴 Independent critical thinkers and problem solvers
🐴 Welfare-focused over results-focused
🐴 World changers 🌎

Yep, that's how we do things here 🙌🏼

And BOY I just can't wait to share more details on what the mentorship is going to look like for other riding instructors who want the same for their young students 😍

Comment MENTORSHIP and I'll get you on the waiting list for when I release more info!

04/30/2026

I need your input!

I’m currently developing a mentorship for equine instructors and lesson programs who want to thoughtfully integrate positive reinforcement into their youth programs.

I have a short, pressure-free questionnaire to better understand your experiences, challenges, and what kind of support would actually be useful to you.

I would appreciate your feedback SO. MUCH!🙏

See comments for the 🔗

Thank you!

04/27/2026

A little sneak peek into a Youth Academy lesson using talk buttons 🔵🟡

We are reintroducing talk buttons to our horses. We began this process about a year ago but then dropped it for other training priorities.

We know that horses communicate through their body language all the time, even subtly, and it's up to us to notice what exactly they are communicating through their behavior.

So can horses really talk and understand what our words mean?! 🤔

Well, learning to use talk buttons with animals is more about helping them pair associations of our verbal words with the activities that follow.

Going a step further and offering them a choice of selecting talk buttons to press on their own can help us get an inside look at what their real preferences are.

This is helpful for us to know what is reinforcing to them on a day-to-day and even moment by moment basis.

It also makes for fun horse lessons for youth students!