Helping a Shutdown Horse https://youtu.be/q4JtqERqNbs Sometimes the most important rides are the quiet ones. There’s no drama, no fireworks – just a calm horse learning that having a rider can feel safe. And in the world of first rides, uneventful is often the biggest breakthrough of all. In this session, I focused on making theContinueContinue reading “Sally & Freya – Session 7.2”
Category Archives: Freya and Sally
Sally & Freya – Session 7.1
Helping a Shutdown Horse https://youtu.be/I_t5KH9c1VY Riding starts long before you’re in the saddle – it begins with the trust and confidence you build in preparation. This session is about laying that foundation. I focus on helping Sally feel safe, connected, and truly ready for me to get on. You’ll see how groundwork reveals her tensionContinueContinue reading “Sally & Freya – Session 7.1”
Sally & Freya – Session 6
Helping a Shutdown Horse https://youtu.be/wHFCuQ_da74 The first ride is never just about getting on. It’s the culmination of every groundwork step, every boundary clarified, and every moment of trust built along the way. In this episode, we reach that milestone with Sally, showing how patience and thoughtful preparation create a safer, calmer, and more connectedContinueContinue reading “Sally & Freya – Session 6”
Sally & Freya – Session 5.2
Helping a Shutdown Horse https://youtu.be/wnSLeDvajEA This session is rider coaching in real time. I’m guiding Freya to read the horse and to notice her own body in space. We treat pressure and release as a shared language: a dance of ask, answer, and pause. Feel is how we listen; timing and clarity are how weContinueContinue reading “Sally & Freya – Session 5.2”
Sally & Freya – Session 5.1
Helping a Shutdown Horse https://youtu.be/x3W9y00D6Qg This session captures a quiet but powerful shift in Sally’s emotional state. In earlier work, she tended to freeze or dissociate under pressure – giving the “right” answer without truly feeling it. Today, we see the beginning of something new: subtle engagement, thoughtful tries, and real-time communication through movement. It’sContinueContinue reading “Sally & Freya – Session 5.1”
Sally & Freya – Session 4
Helping a Shutdown Horse https://youtu.be/Y09u9Up8qPs 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 clearingContinueContinue reading “Sally & Freya – Session 4”
Sally & Freya – Session 3
Helping a Shutdown Horse https://youtu.be/43XRMdWBlgo In this solo EquiTrain session without Freya, I spent time deeply observing and exploring where Sally is truly at. This session became a rich opportunity to gather data, reflect, and meet her honestly in the moment. What unfolded confirmed something I’ve been sensing: while confidence-building is still on the horizon,ContinueContinue reading “Sally & Freya – Session 3”
Sally & Freya – Session 2
Helping a Shutdown Horse https://youtu.be/gttsDIp02tA In Session 2 of Sally’s 8-week EquiKinder journey, I dive deeper into her subtle responses to pressure, emotional shutdown, and signs of a possible fawn response. As Freya and I work through groundwork basics like steady pressure, rhythmic motion, and confidence-building exercises, I begin to question whether Sally’s initial shutdownContinueContinue reading “Sally & Freya – Session 2”
Sally & Freya – Session 1
Helping a Shutdown Horse https://youtu.be/KeIS8NKx0Dg Welcome to the first session of our EquiKinder journey with Sally, a sensitive, shutdown Brumby mare who often retreats inward when life gets overwhelming. In this episode, we begin building trust through simple, repeatable exercises designed to gently spark her curiosity and awareness without pushing her into shut down. TogetherContinueContinue reading “Sally & Freya – Session 1”
