Hart's Horsemanship

Over the 20 years, while I have been working with equine and human behaviour, I have met so many people who just want a better relationship with their equine. Often, it is not like there is anything really wrong, although sometimes there is, people just feel something is missing, their horse, donkey or mule is just not as happy, content or connected as they would like them to be.  

Often there is a nagging thought that they aren't good enough, or aren't sure what they should be doing to have a better relationship. People want their horse, donkey or mule to be more content, to be more relaxed around them and to feel like they enjoy the company of their human.

Sometimes people tell me something is wrong because they can't do the things they should be able to do like, catch, pick up feet, lead safely or ride out. Other times they can do these things, but they just feel their horse isn't quite as content or connected as they could be.

When people don't seek help, I see their relationship slowly spiral downwards into a fog of misunderstanding, mistrust and resentment. First, the owner starts to listen to all the advice they receive from well-meaning "experts." This advice conflicts with the owner's own principles, and they become more confused and frustrated as it becomes impossible to know who to believe. As conflict and confusion are reflected in their body language their horse, donkey and mule begin to respond to this negativity and inconsistency, and the relationship breaks apart further. 

These frustrated, anxious, confused animals change their behaviour, and this can result in accidents as owners end up overreaching their animals and pushing them passed their thresholds. Sometimes the relationship breaks down completely, and the situation continues to spiral downward.

The truth is, I have seen that people know their equine partners better than anyone else. You know your equine partner better than anyone else. They, like you,  know the right thing to do, they just need permission to do it. Once they can cut themselves some slack and take the pressure off, they can view the situation without all the intense emotions. Then they are ready to develop their own plan, and build their confidence.

Loretta Wright "The four-week course How to have a better relationship with your horse has been so interesting, thought-provoking, motivational, and fun! Ben brings the science of behaviour but makes it easy to understand and enjoyable.
It is far more in-depth than I thought it would be but still easy to understand. The weekly chats are really sociable. Especially at this time of lock down. I’d recommend it to anyone interested is equine behaviour and how to improve your relationship."

This course  will help you:

• Understand your relationship with your equine like never before.
• Discover the keys to confidence, communication and connection.
• Banish uncertainty and finally find the direction you are looking for.
• Learn to feel joy when you spend time with your equine partner, no matter what happens.
• Find the gaps in your relationship and fix them forever. 
• Have the relationship with your horse, donkey or mule that you both deserve.
• Learn the foundations of building any equine relationship. 

A relationship is not something that can be forced or made. It develops from the actions that you take and how you behave. Your horses' behaviour is a reflection of their feeling about the situation. If you can learn to listen to their message, no matter how uncomfortable,  you should be able to build a better relationship.

My job has been to understand the unique combination of equine and human behaviour and to encourage humans to follow their own path to a more connected relationship. I see relationships blossom as people learn to think with their animal's minds.  As they work in a more empathetic way, they build trust and confidence and learn to be more consistent. I don't want people to be reliant on me. I want you to become independent, so you can learn how to think rather than teach you what to think.

Even if you lack confidence or vast experience, you can still learn that your problem is not the problem you think it is. You can accept that wherever you are now is an opportunity to build a better relationship. The way you work is the solution to wanting a better relationship. When you stop forcing the issue and stop trying to fix things, you take the pressure off and enjoy the journey more. You end up with a relationship you and your equine are happy to be in.

We will explore the journey, starting with understanding where you are now and where you want to go. Identify how your mindset, language and labels will create your relationship for better or worse. How changing our language will change our relationship.

If you want a better relationship with your equine even if you don't have a specific problem, but just a feeling of something missing. Even if you have an issue that you have been trying to fix for a while, changing your focus on your relationship should reduce the problem with less effort.

You can explore these topics with like-minded people who are in the same situation and understand what you are going through. You should be able to enjoy your equine time more and feel like they really want to be with you. If you are still stuck, having already tried different things, the fact is the relationship is a reflection of their emotional response to you. By working on understanding your relationship, you can become the person you want to be for your equine.

What's Included?
The on-demand online training sessions designed to fit around your life, means you can learn at your pace and not be overwhelmed. The live session recordings from previous courses mean you can view the lessons at your pace and time scale from anywhere in the world.

You can submit questions, and I will answer them on a recorded weekly video. You can chat with other participants in the discussion elements.

I will throw in some extra resources so you can choose what you want to do, and exercise for you, one for your equine and one for both of you. You can do as much or as little as you want. The materials will be downloadable, and the course will stay open for 16 weeks after you have booked your place.

Module 1 - Putting your foot on the path of change - knowing where you are going before you even start.

Module 2 - How to take the pressure off, and cut yourself and your horse some slack.

Module 3 - How to build trust that will last forever

Module 4 - Tackling problems in a way that enhances your relationship and your equine will love

Because of the situation in the world right now, I am going to offer you pay what you option. It should be hundreds of dollars, pounds or Euros, and in the future, it will be, but right now to help you and your equines you can choose to pay either £25, £35, or £45. You can also spread the cost of the £25 and £35 option over two months if that helps too. No questions asked, I am happy to try and make learning access able. I am pleased to assist equines and their humans, but I feel that there is so much in this course I am practically giving it away. I feel like I am really undervaluing just how much you are going to get.  
   

What previous participants have said about the course

Claudi Becker "Thank you Ben. Definitely recommend this. Really engaging, empowering and inspiring. Changing held on beliefs about own abilities or lack of and looking at my relationship with my animals in a completely different light. So helpful. Thank you. "

Abbie Kaal "Absolutely 100% recommend this course. It really gets you thinking both about how you perceive situations to be and through the eyes of the horse, it’s also great to listen to others’ experiences which are often very relatable to my relationship with my horse. It’s been so helpful to go through the exercises."

Nicky Mitchell "Thanks Ben I would def recommend it ! Learning so much & opening up my thinking in so many ways ...
All the exercises u give us are very helpful & enjoyable to do !
Such good value for money too !"

Butters Conrad "Thanks Ben!! Mostly definitely would recommend. These sessions have help me understand my donkey, myself, and my relationship with my donkey. Changed the way I approach training. Thank you!"