Horse Training

Ruby – From Spooks to Ribbons

Ruby, a Quarter Horse mare, was the first horse I consciously trained. We shared a season of ranch riding together, and to be honest, it started off rough. Our very first show was a complete disaster. We were disqualified from every run we entered because Ruby spooked at everything and refused to leave the gate.

This weekend ended in tears for me and became the catalyst for my horsemanship journey.

After that, I went down a rabbit hole. I absorbed every training method I could find. I watched, read, and tested everything from TRT Method to Ryan Rose, Warrick Schiller, Featherlight Horsemanship, Mark Rashid, and the list goes on. I trained with Ruby, tried things out and figured out what worked and what didn’t. My approach back then was miles away from consistent or congruent, but I was learning!

Six months later, we entered another show. This time, we placed in every single run and even took home first place in Ranch on the Rail – the same rail Ruby couldn’t even get close to at our first show. I was also awarded Most Improved of the Season, probably because my bar was set so low at the start… but hey, I’ll take it.

Prince – From Unpredictable to Kid’s Horse

When I took Prince on, he carried a reputation: reactive, hard to handle, and pushy in the paddock. Somewhere along the way, he’d been labelled “too much.” Whether from a moment of fear or misunderstanding, that label stuck. What I saw, though, was a horse that needed clarity, consistency, and a chance to be heard.

It took just under a year of consistent work to change his reputation.

Today, Prince is our reliable schooling horse, giving children safe, positive experiences in their first riding lessons. He’s also become my heart horse.

Prince didn’t need fixing. He needed boundaries that made sense, a routine he could rely on, and someone who could stay anchored even when he tested the edges. Once he learned that communication didn’t have to mean escalation, he softened. He began to enjoy the attention from me and from the kids.

Now, he lets us know when something doesn’t feel right without losing himself. He shows up, tries hard, and trusts that we’re listening. I trust him completely; not because he’s perfect, but because he’s honest.

He never needed to be put in his place; he just needed someone to hold the space.

Little Ears – From Panic to Thoughtfulness

When I first started working with Little Ears, an off-the-track Thoroughbred, he was easily overwhelmed and quick to react. He had a tendency to push through pressure, often rushing forward or tuning out when unsure. Challenges like trailer loading or unfamiliar obstacles could quickly overwhelm him, making handling unpredictable and, at times, unsafe.

Rather than forcing compliance, I focused on teaching him to think through pressure. Learning how to pause, process, and respond. Through calm, mindful exercises, we worked on body awareness, emotional regulation, and teaching him that pressure could lead to understanding, not conflict. It wasn’t about yielding just to escape, but about learning to find release by making thoughtful choices.

Today, Little Ears faces new challenges with curiosity instead of fear. He can now load into a trailer without stress and stand calmly in complex environments that once would have triggered him. His transformation has made him more confident, and safer for the humans around him. This is a testament to what’s possible when we trade force for feel and clarity – anchored attunement.

He didn’t need to be pushed; he just needed time to learn how to think.