“horses of HAPPINESS”
When all basic needs of the horses are met we can begin to talk about interacting with horses in an authentic way. When we realise the need for the horse to become a willing participant in a relationship we can begin the path towards true partnership.
Ask yourself- not what the horse may do for you, but what can we offer to the horse? How to facilitate, encourage, support and inspire the horse to become hero in his/her own story.
I invite you to open your eyes to different way of being with these magnificent beings not just riding and using them for our own purposes.
Training horses and being trained by horses since 2016.
I went on to study with worlds leading holistic, heart centred horse trainers. It gave me a varied tool-set and understanding to inform my own unique approach to horsemanship. These are some of the guiding principles, methods and tools I use in my work.
Appropriate education for young horses - The Art of Walking
It has been a sacred job giving these young horses the best upbringing - with focus on groundwork and hundreds of long walks. Cooperation, subtle cues and ease comes all by itself after spending undemanding time together, taking care of them and matching steps.
During those simple walks next to the horse what develops is Attunement, the ability to notice and respond to the tiniest concern or question that horse has, by responding early we avoid the extreme behaviours that come if the horse feels unheard.
Go slow to go fast.
Paddock Paradise track system
Emphasis on species appropriate living environment.
Featuring:
200m2 open entry shelter within the paddock
Haymatic automatic feeding (gives access to hay on automatic timing)(happy(rested) people=happy horses)
access to straw (to keep the weight down yet provide roughage as well as bedding)
+800m of tracks
automatic heated water fountain
salt/mineral/supplement licks
grooming station
humble sand arena
Heart to heart connection - Relationship based training
Sahara teaches me in each session- doesn't matter what we DO together as longs as we ARE together.
Nothing cheesy or old-fashioned in the beauty of developing long-lasting relationships.
It all begins with relationship to contact, relaxation, presence, energy, intention and attention.
Horse Speak
Horse Speak is the art and science of the micro-gestures of Precise Equine Body Language Skills based on 20 years of evidence-based research with domestic and wild horses.
(see HorseSpeak for details)
Practicing HorseSpeak within the herd, so no one gets lost in translation. This has become the foundation behind all other modalities and tools that we use in both daily situations and training sessions.
Horse-centred training tools
Sure Foot pads, Equiband and balance seesaw swing are three tools we use regularly in training sessions.
The Sure Foot Pads challenge the horse's balance, activate proprioception, work the small postural muscles, and creates awareness.
The Equiband™ system has been designed specifically to stimulate receptors in the horse's skin and hair follicles. In response to this stimulation, the abdominal, oblique, sublumbar and deep neck and back muscles are activated. These muscles stabilize the spine, and engage the hindquarters during movement.
Training with seesaw swing (horse rockers) promotes the development of muscles (including the stabilising deep muscles), coordination skills, body awareness, balance, sure-footedness and confidence.
Intrinzen inspired agility play
Positive reinforcement - Liberty - Autonomy - Play
The horse you see here (Harmony) has severe Kissing Spine. Through autonomy and liberty I invite her to collect and engage in such a profound way like caught in this picture. A self-organised posture to “catch and strike” the pool noodle. A movement challenge, achieved in a playful way, but ohhhh, we are Serious about playing :)
Manual therapy, Masterson method, massage
My role is to offer and to stay open to what might be needed from me. Small, intentional and intuitive touches that bring healing. It’s a daily preventative kind of medicine.
Keep learning from the best
Over the years I have taken lessons/courses with some of the worlds best holistic horsemanship trainers:
Tara Davies - Unbridled Goddess - online course Herd
Lockie Phillips - Emotional Horsemanship (MFB,Hoofcare,Home)
Humminghorse Equestrian- online course Contact Zone
Alexa Linton- The Whole Horse apprenticeship
Anna Marciniak- Onehorselife (RTRT, Relax that Stomach)
Lucie Klaassen (Lateral Movements course)
Intrinzen/ Pantherflows course Project Proprius
Equine Nutrition course “Confident Horse Feeding”
Active member of the HorseSpeak club (Sharon Wilsie)
Active member of the BalanceTroughMovementMethod (Celeste Lazaris) community
LONG-TERM LEARNING and being opportunities with horses
one DAY group and individual LESSONS with horses
OUR HORSES
Harmony
2011- , Hannover mare
the mother and lead mare of the herd, after a short 1 year long career in being a jumping horse, she found me and I found her and she came to be my first horse and the inspiration and motivator towards all my learning.
She definitely wasn't an Easy first horse and it took me years to find her softness and cooperation. Many traumas, generational ones even, and many “first impressions” of the human-kind to be overcome- a massive undertaking for a total beginner that is simply madly in love. Luckily I had no idea what I got myself into :)
To her - come humble, come simple, simply breathe, be grounded. Don’t invade, don’t demand, don't expect. The joy of simply being next to each other, no more and no less.
Her challenges are: Kissing Spine, thin hoof sole
Chinese element: Metal (/Wood)
Sahara
2019- , PRE mix mare
born and raised on the farm, her eagerness to engage and her trainability make her a delightful partner, it doesn’t matter what is the discipline as long as she can be together and connect! Curious, brave and sweet. Our loving princess, the first to line up for a session and a real prodigy.
Her challenges are: she took a nasty fall in 2022, with 4 stitches on her hind leg hip area, something we are rehabbing to this day. It’s giving her compensatory movement patterns and back ache.
Chinese element: Fire
Livino de Gredos
2017- , PRE gelding
arrived on the farm as 1yo and grew to be a gentle giant, self-assured and sensitive. Our steady rock with a great sense of humor. Mapmaker. His character really shines when out and about in the real world. The Ultimate Introvert.
AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.
Chinese element: Earth (/Metal)
Personality type: Steady Eddy
Miervaldis (Lord of Peace)
2019- , PRE/Hannover mix gelding
the only son of Harmony, born and raised on the farm.
AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.
Chinese element: Water