Equine Connection Freelance Training

06/07/2026

Another thoughtful testimonial of my clinics just came in from Maria Glinski, DVM. It’s so rewarding working with students who are so well-read, knowledgeable, curious, and loving like Maria. She always comes with such good questions that really make me think critically about the work, and then deepen everyone’s understanding as we unpack them through theory and experiential learning through movement in and out of the saddle. Thank you for your participation and feedback, Maria!❤️

06/06/2026

Arlene Swindle, one of my most dedicated students in Aiken, wrote this heartfelt testimonial about my clinics there. It makes me so happy to see horse-human partnerships thrive like these 2. I can't wait to see them continue to progress together.

06/05/2026

It's been an incredible week at the Riding with the Hearts in Your Hands: Education to the Hand Clinic at Undasa Farm in Aiken, SC.

On the first day we talked about everything that lies at the end of our reins-- the bit, the tongue, the bars, the TMJ, the upper cervical spine, and how those structures are connected via myofascial kinetic lines, muscles, and bones all the way to the hind legs. Apollo's scull, lent by Equus-Soma helped us visualize even better, sporting my Connection Cavesson and a very fat bit that would have broken the mouth seal and caused all sorts of issues we discussed in our classroom!

We discussed what contact is, deepened by Qigong exercises that allowed us to really feel our classmates, meeting heart to heart, thanks to Anna Lewis of Embraced Soul.

Then we learned all about the contact on the reins from the horses perspective and practiced developing a soft, elastic feel with one another.

The second day we discussed the classical rein aids and how the actions promote relaxation and change in balance through the horse, and the care we take in training our horses to avoid compressing the tongue and blocking the body from the inside out.

The private sessions each day with the participants were absolutely beautiful. So many ah-ha moments and transformations in both horses and riders. See my captions for more information.

Huge thanks to Richert-Burke Photography for the incredible photos and of course to Samantha Charles for being such a gracious host, welcoming all of us to your farm so we can learn to be better guardians and trainers of our horses

05/31/2026

In preparation for my clinic next week in Aiken, SC, I'm brought back to an older blog post I wrote on Education to the Bit. In our clinic, we will go into much more detail, and far beyond this, learning what all we can feel through our hands, and what our hands can offer the horse. We will take a deep dive into anatomy and biomechanics as usual. There are still a few spots available, so if this blog piques your interest, you should at the very least join us for our classroom sessions in the mornings!

https://www.equineconnectionfreelancetraining.com/blog/ihaxax3p2decahe0j9iyeh4f6di45d

Samantha Charles

Educating the horse to the bit in-hand is a kind, rational approach to training. Through soft, intelligent hands, we can teach the horse to unlock their jaw and tongue, thereby unlocking their whole body from the neck, chest, belly, back, to the hind legs. We can teach the horse to bend and extend t

05/23/2026

"Dressage is not to have only the movements, to show half-pass, shoulder-in, flying changes, passage and piaffer.

Dressage is to have the horse relaxed, with a good feeling, and if dressage is good, the horse becomes better balanced for other things, such as jumping.

That's dressage.

The body is relaxed because the mind is relaxed. Both things are important."
- Nuno Oliveira

05/18/2026

We have some amazing clinics coming up this year, thanks to my incredible host Samantha Charles in Aiken! It's such a blessing to get to work with her and her community of deeply curious and empathetic horse people. I can't wait to continuing growing and learning together each month! If you can make it to either of these locations for the remainder of my 2026 clinics, please join us! The classroom workshops always lead us into deep discussion of biomechanics, energy, feel, classical theory, and so much more. You don't have to bring a horse to participate in a meaningful way in my clinics-- they're not your usual clinic format. They're intensive community learning experiences. I'm so grateful that I get to do this work, thanks to everyone who has trusted me with their horses and supported me

05/13/2026

We still have open spots in our clinic this weekend! If you can’t bring your horse, Saturday is a perfect opportunity to delve into the material and practice basic positive reinforcement skills so that you can bring them back to your horse with clarity and in-depth understanding.

This clinic is perfect for people with horses who are:
🐴Pushy
🐴Anxious
🐴 Unmotivated
🐴Dull, Frozen, or Shutdown
🐴 Learning Liberty
🐴 Needing clarity in advanced movements
🐴Struggling to stand for the farrier
🐴Difficult to provide basic medical care for
🐴Troubled with trailer loading

This list could go on forever. Knowing how to use positive reinforcement effectively is a basic skill you should have in your toolbox! 🧰

Sign up link in the comments⬇️

12/30/2025

This is one of the reasons I love the passenger game that Heather Lomax taught me! Getting on your horse and telling them "you choose the direction, I'll choose the speed" allows you and your horse to get centered. The horse has the liberty to scan the environment and explore the space as they feel safe and able to do so. You can gather information about the choices they make, and have a better sense of where their nervous system is at. It keeps you from micromanaging and helps you find that "forward first" feeling, and the ability to give up control. When your horse goes to a corner or hangs their head over the fence, instead of grabbing the reins and twisting your body to send them somewhere you want to go, you can just ask them to go forward and choose a direction. When you and your horse begin to flow, then your aids can actually be helpful and create more harmony and meaning in the work!

The Art of Not Making It Worse😆

Sensory gating is the nervous system’s filter. It controls how much information gets through so the brain does not get swamped.

When that filter opens too wide, sensory gating failure occurs. Too much comes through at once. Not because something is wrong, but because the nervous system thinks it needs more information to stay safe.

You already know this. Think about driving in fog or heavy rain. The music goes off. No one is allowed to talk. You lean forward like that helps. Less distraction equals better control.

That is not panic. It is competence.

Now imagine that same filter opening because you are tired, sore, stressed, or overwhelmed. Suddenly noise is unbearable and tiny irritations feel personal.

Same filter. Different reason.

Horses are no different. Away from home, separated from the herd, dealing with novelty, fatigue, or pain, their sensory gate opens. They scan, spook, react, and struggle to focus. Not because they are difficult, but because their nervous system is monitoring for risk.

Here is where humans make it worse.

We add more. More talking. More patting. More correcting. More control. More micromanaging. The system is already flooded and we turn up the volume.

This is why “look up and ride somewhere” is such powerful advice. It reduces noise, stops micromanagement, and gives the horse time to feel safe, secure, and able to focus.

If you always seem to end up with spooky, sensitive horses, it might not be bad luck. You may be unknowingly overwhelming their nervous system.

Calm does not come from more control. It comes when the system no longer needs to monitor everything.

Just like driving in fog, you don’t close the filter. You reduce the noise so you can cope with it.

Collectable Advice 113/365
Ideas worth saving, sharing, and thinking about. Not copying. And definitely not running through AI and reposting with confidence.