Sally & Freya – Session 4

Helping a Shutdown Horse

This session marks a real turning point in Sally’s training journey. While earlier sessions focused on building trust, connection, and giving Sally choice, we’re now laying down real foundations: consistency, communication, clarity, and essential groundwork skills. It’s still slow and thoughtful, but now we’re laying bricks instead of just clearing the ground.

We focused on spatial boundaries and redefining personal space – a key for both safety and mutual respect. Freya continued practicing “Leading with Energy,” learning how to guide transitions using her body language and intention. We ended with “Small Circles,” a groundwork exercise designed to promote bend, softness, and emotional regulation – all essential precursors to riding.

🧭 In this episode, we explore:

• Set clear boundaries with horses using spatial pressure
• Respond when a horse gets anxious, pushy, or disconnected
• Use intention and energy in groundwork transitions
• Teach Small Circles for softness, bend, and calm movement
• Develop feel, timing, and body language as a handler

🎯 Why it matters:

This session is about building a calm, responsive horse by creating emotional safety and clear communication.

🎥 No quick fixes. No fancy edits. Just honest, real-time horse training exactly as it happens.

📍 Filmed on the Mid North Coast of NSW, Australia.

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Reaction vs. Response: The Key to Training Anxious Horses

Sally is reacting, not responding and it shows in her speed, tension, and worry. This clip breaks down how we spot the shift from mindless movement to thoughtful action.

💡 Learn the difference between compliance and true engagement.

Clear Boundaries Create Safe Horses: Why Soft Isn’t Always Kind

Sometimes “being nice” creates more confusion than comfort. In this clip, we shift from softness to clarity. Not with harshness, but with grounded leadership that helps Sally relax.

💡 Horses need clear structure to feel safe and regulated.

Stuck in Training? Ask Yourself This One Question…

Feeling blocked in your training? Here’s the one question I always come back to: “How can I be clearer to my horse?” In this moment, we reframe frustration as an invitation to lead with clarity.

💡 Clarity builds trust and trust builds progress.

When Obedience Is a Cry for Help: The Fawn Response in Horses

Sally responds “correctly” to pressure… but she’s not present. Her obedience is actually a nervous system survival response. This moment explores how we can misread fear as softness.

💡 A horse doing the thing isn’t always a horse feeling safe.

Progress Isn’t Perfection: Pushing for One More Try

In this moment, I ask Sally for just one more thoughtful step. Not just obedience, but real engagement. The key isn’t getting it perfect, it’s helping her try again with softness and curiosity.

💡 A small ask done with the right energy can unlock lasting breakthroughs.

Boundaries Without the Drama: Let the Horse Regulate

When Sally starts to crowd me, I don’t punish or overcorrect. I simply hold the boundary and let her figure it out. This clip shows how we can teach boundaries without escalating.

💡 Boundaries aren’t about control. They’re about clarity and co-regulation.

BONUS: Groundwork Got Me Like… 😵 “I’m Dizzy Now”

Sometimes training isn’t just hard on the horse. It’s dizzying for us too! 😅 After a few too many circles, I hit my limit and had to pause for a breath (and a laugh). A perfect reminder that horsemanship isn’t always elegant, but it’s always real.

💡 Real moments from real training: sometimes you just need to stop and laugh.

🌀 Can you relate to the “too many circles” struggle?