Remote Horse Coach Blog | Alternative Horsemanship™ Horse Behavior, Training & Riding Tips
Alternative Horsemanship™ with Samantha Harvey

Alternative Horsemanship™ Blog & Articles

Learn Equine Behavior, Horse Training Tips, Owner Mindset Help with The Remote Horse Coach Blog

Welcome to the Alternative Horsemanship™ – The Remote Horse Coach blog, a leading educational resource offering virtual horse learning, professional horse advice, and in-depth guidance for solving common horse behavior problems. This horse learning blog provides riders and handlers with equine behavior insights, including human mindset analysis, practical horse skills help articles, and relevant horse training tips to develop safer and more effective horsemanship.

Each article is designed to increase your confidence, deepen your understanding of equine psychology, and help you develop a consistent, calm, and effective approach to working with your horse. With a focus on clarity, safety, and long-term skill development, the Remote Horse Coach blog supports riders at every level looking to refine their horsemanship through trustworthy, accessible, and high-quality information.

 

Learning Horse Skills with Empathy

 

There is a constant human imposition upon each other and horses...

Unrealistic ego-based demands without having accountability as to how a person's clarity of thoughts and intention, quality of communication, adaptability in energy, accuracy of timing, and everyday mindless interactions, are constantly "teaching" horses unwanted responses that people then criticize and chastise the equine for.

 

Common complaints I hear:

  • The horse is "still" responding in an x, y, z unwanted manner.

  • The horse is getting more amped up and anticipative sooner during the ride.

  • Things the horse used to do "fine" he now resists.

  • Every time he passes x spot on the property, he always_______.

  • It feels like we have to keep starting over despite having practiced this many times.

  • Instead of criticizing the unwanted horse behavior...

 

What if we had empathy to recognize that the horse's "dramatic," resistant, or unwanted responses were pleas for clear, supportive communication?

 

What if we had empathy to recognize the horse's physical behaviors were reflecting his mental and emotional state? 

 

Or that we learn to acknowledge that our past "training" approaches had not taught him the skills to think through, or time to physically work through whatever was being asked of him.

 

What if we recognized how often in the interaction we were abandoning the horse as we were mentally distracted, socializing, or emotionally triggered by the equine's behavior?

 

Learning and valuing checking-in with the horse eliminates all "guessing" or "hopefulness" during the sessions. 

 

The horse's responses to the check-in will often reflect the need for the human to slow down to assess and address all of the equine's initial (honest) indicators displaying his defensiveness towards their communication, which increases his anticipation, and then creates his physical tension and resistance.

 

Taking time to check-in is an empathetic behavior that gives crucial feedback to the human that offers information about the horse's mental, emotional, and physical state. This then "tells" the person what FIRST must be addressed to help the horse get mentally present, emotionally calm, and physically balanced BEFORE they ask him to do x, y, or z.

 

 

 

Begin Your Alternative Horsemanship™ Journey

Whether you're ready to deepen your understanding of equine behavior or want personalized guidance, Alternative Horsemanship™ offers professional support through on-demand educational videos and private coaching. Choose the option that best fits your learning goals and take the next step toward safer, clearer, and more mindful horsemanship.

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Gain clarity in your communication with your horse, improve your training approach, and build a more trusting partnership through supportive guidance from the Remote Horse Coach. Start learning at your own pace or receive one-on-one coaching tailored to your unique needs.