More freedom | More joy | More horse
Dr. Sue Dyson is doing excellent work in an industry that desperately needs a reality check on what a horse in pain looks/feels like. In competitive equine sports it seems like the suffering or injured horse has become the normRead more
An inside look at how I dialogue with the herd and everybody gets to have a voice and a choice, not just me. When we have the trust in ourselves to step outside of dominance/control, and into collaboration with ourRead more
My domestic-born purebred Andalusian, Zorra, moved to the Singing Horse Ranch with us in August and I have to say, she’s had as much difficulty adjusting as we have! Zorra arrived at the ranch and I unloaded her into theRead more
When we think about ‘listening to our horse’ or animal communication, many of us automatically think about telepathy. Receiving pictures, impressions, feelings, ideas, or entire thought packages from our horse. But we also need to remember how horses communicate withRead more
It’s been four years since I adopted 3 wild mustangs after they were culled from their range and loaded onto a truck bound for slaughter. Two pregnant mares and one stallion. I also made the somewhat radical choice of allowingRead more
You can start getting your horses comfortable with aspects of trailer loading – even if you don’t have an actual horse trailer to practice with. In this video, I show you a few ways I co-learn with my horses toRead more
Time to practice your ability to read/understand both herd body language and energetic communication! Remember that the less personal power a horse has, the more energy required to get another horse to move. A horse with strong personal power (watchRead more
I arrive to find most of the horses on this freezing cold day literally bathed in mud to their bellies. What are they up to? Then Ms. Kaliah has some messages for us about holding our own space and beingRead more
If we want to understand how horses communicate in THEIR language, it’s a good idea to spend lots of time just watching/observing them. Observe how they communicate with each other, and see what you can discern. Join me for aRead more
Although I had natural horsemanship training in my 40’s – just to see what it was about, and experience this ‘kinder gentler’ training method, I was originally trained in all things Horse, by my Arab/Morgan mare when I was 8Read more
My discussions with this lovely horse listener, Valérie, in Belgium began when she was having issues with her stallion and wondering how/if she was ever going to be able to find a place to board him where he could liveRead more
Makah-Mahpee and I invent a game together and Xadaa soon joins in. This is not about training, rewards, treats, or manipulation. Just pure fun together and seeing what wants to happen… As someone who’s ridden horses since I was 2Read more
This video encapsulates why I prefer to interact, co-learn, and explore with horses unhaltered. And with no training aids; treats, clickers, rewards, whips, sticks etc. Watch what happens when I have an idea/agenda, but the horses totally do not agreeRead more
If you’ve ever ridden a horse, and you’re now reading this blog, you likely have a more informed, liberated, or expanded view of the whole riding issue. Here’s one more aspect of it: “I felt like sharing a thought IRead more
I was talking to Audelina about riding… if she wanted to do that, how she’d like to go about it, etc. And she assigned me an exercise. She told me to go stand on a tall box, or one ofRead more
How do you feel about riding horses for your own pleasure? And how were you initially taught to interact with horses by a trainer or human teacher? We have written quite a few posts on this blog about the tangledRead more
Ready for some real-time, horse body/energy language communication? Cobra and Zorra are engaged in a very specific, high-energy conversation here. Observe and see if you can figure out what’s happening between them… what’s being negotiated? What are they trying toRead more
This is the first time Jax has ever carried a human. Humour me, and take a minute to watch it, feel it. Notice what you notice, and then I’ll tell you how I experienced it. I’d love to hear yourRead more
My herd of wild and semi-feral horses have never seen a giant horse-sized ball before. What do they think of it and how will they react? I don’t want to ‘train’ them to play with the ball – I simplyRead more
Sometimes our horses ask us to assist them in doing difficult things. Their higher self, or the self that wants to progress, has a desire or goal. But their current horse-self just can’t do it. So the horse asks usRead more
A YouTube subscriber recently asked to see more of how the dogs interact with the horses – and do I treat my dogs with the same respect for their sentience as I do the horses? In some of my videosRead more
We live in a world obsessed with ‘safety’. Even at the cost of joy, connection, vigor and vitality. I view things a little differently. Why would I throw someone who’s never been around horses, into the middle of my herdRead more
I received this email from one of our horse listeners. Afterwards, Kesia, Guliz and I will all give our answer, and I invite you to respond as well. It’s an interesting exploration of perspectives… “I was introduced to horsemanship byRead more
My father bought me my first horse when I was 8 years old. I picked him based on how pretty he was. Within a few months I realized that was completely the wrong criteria for choosing a horse! So afterRead more
How many of us have been in a situation where we are deeply connected to a horse, and the horse is asking for our help, yet we don’t own the horse? And the owner of the horse sees things veryRead more
Xadaa and Posa’s mothers were pregnant wild horses when they were culled from their herd, so their fillies were born in captivity. However, upon my request, they were not touched/imprinted/handled by humans at the rescue and left 100% under theirRead more
There’s an interesting process that I’ve seen each of my wild and semi-feral horses go through. For the wildies that have had almost no human contact (other than severe trauma) they start out being frightened and distrustful. Over time, asRead more
By Tamara Nowlan Working with animals is one of the most enjoyable, soul-fulfilling activities for me. It is just me and my horse and my dog, and a crew of young people I have educated. We work together with theRead more
It’s interesting how many times the wisdom the horses share dovetails perfectly with what I’m learning, or something I’m currently in process with, in my own life. The very next day after I watched a video lecture from world-renowned medicalRead more
Have you ever wondered if your horse needs a winter blanket, a waterproof blanket, a fly sheet, or a fly mask? How do you determine what your horse wants versus your own idea, or fear? And if you’re in anRead more
What happens when the 3 Lads – Montaro, Jax and Juno – are ready to mix and mingle with Kesia’s resident herd of five horses? How does Kesia decide when and how to introduce them to each other, so thatRead more
Oh YouTube… with your anonymous account holders, facilitating the most bottom-feeder comments of all the social media… I’ve actually been publishing videos on YouTube since 2008 for my health company, so trust me when I say I am well-acquainted withRead more
What a journey it’s been with pain – both with my dog Sigh who underwent a major hip surgery, as well as with the herd. We haven’t had many injuries in the herd, but we have had two major incidentsRead more
We are so lucky here at LTYH, because we get the best reader questions! And I know that if 1 person is asking, there’s at least 30 more wondering the same thing. We use initials to protect identity in cyberspace,Read more
If you’ve ever wanted a tutorial on HOW horses talk to each other – this is it! Feel free to watch it at least 10 times as you notice the body language of each horse, their facial expressions, ear positions,Read more
The significance of the exchange shown in this video, was the fact that a month earlier, Juno, Jax and Montaro had escaped and ran down a busy highway, then got stuck in a bog (halfway up their belly) and hadRead more
The back pastures can be a scary place for the horses because a lot of coyotes live back there. And at this point, the far back hasn’t been fenced yet. I’m asking the horses to trust me, and come withRead more
You have probably seen at least 20 different Facebook and blog posts where people talk about a study from the HeartMath Institute, showing that a human’s heart will sync or entrain to the heart rhythm of a horse’s heart –Read more
I invite the horses to join me for a playtime in the woods… let’s see who wants to come and what happens! Rather than ‘training’ my horses to come when I ask, or do things on command, what really thrillsRead more
A reader once asked me: “If you can communicate through energy (telepathically) to your horses, why do you need to use body language, force or pressure etc. to get them to do what you want, and why do they sometimesRead more
The herd and I had a lovely time hanging out with a couple of horse listeners from Chicago and Cambodia – Christina and Maddalena – when they came to visit one afternoon. After spending time with them, they were struckRead more
We occasionally get questions from readers who love learning about this more intimate, spiritual way of being with horses, but they find it very challenging to try and have a similar experience – or even exploration – because they don’tRead more
In my herd of 11 horses, it’s relatively peaceful while the top 2 or 3 powerful horses are receiving their feed – because no one would dare push in on them, or challenge them. But after that, it can turnRead more
Trailer play with the 3 adventure lads together! Jax (white Arab/Belgian), Montaro (Lineback dun) and Juno escaped a couple weeks ago when my barn help left a gate ajar for a few minutes. This video is part of the trailerRead more
Three of my horses escaped last week, after my barn help left a gate unlatched. They galloped down a city road, then onto a highway and then ran up someone’s driveway, into their field and got stuck in a bogRead more
One of our fellow horse listeners in California asked me to shoot some video of the horses in the snow. When I arrived, all 11 horses were in the barn – waiting for my barn help to finish clearing theRead more
If you’ve ever wondered where I get some of the crazy ideas I write about here on Listen To Your Horse… Or perhaps you’ve watched my non-training videos and wondered what made me approach things that way…? Then this podcastRead more
I talk a lot on here about listening to my horses – and pretty much doing what they say, because they usually have better ideas, or greater wisdom than I do. But just as we have both spiritual and physicalRead more
Cobra is one of our wild mustangs who doesn’t like to be touched by humans. However, if you respect him and understand how to position your body and contain your energy, then he likes to explore YOU. My friend CarlottaRead more
She turns suddenly from my outstretched hands, the plea in them hanging, unanswered, between us. I can feel the hard light of the summer sun arrowing through the dappled shade. The back of my neck is moist – like myRead more
I received a most fascinating email from a reader (let’s call her Jill) whose horse is now attacking her after she tried the Trust Technique and Reiki with him. And while her email is unique, at the same time sheRead more
By Mary Walby Rehabilitating the senior horse is a bit of science, with a whole lot of art (and heart!) thrown in the mix. But these same protocols of training, communicating and healing, can work incredibly well with all horsesRead more
I invite the herd to go into the back 20 acres at dusk – just before the coyote pack gets active. Audelina comes along, but doesn’t think that’s a good idea! And guess what happens…? Let’s take another journey intoRead more
Well, since my last video showing herd dynamics and negotiation (in slow motion) had such an enthusiastic response, I was encouraged to do another one for y’all! This one focuses on Makah-Mahpee (Earth-Sky in Sioux) before his castration, interacting withRead more
Some natural horsemanship instructors talk about body language, and energetic communication with horses. But it’s usually with one horse at a time, either haltered or confined to an arena. So what happens when there are 11 horses loose in aRead more
Join Güliz and me as we explore energy bubbles, boundaries and safe zones with Cobra, one of the new wildies, who still does not want to be touched. If you’ve forgotten it, or missed it, I invite you to readRead more
Heart Breathing is a technique that Linda Kohanov created together with her horse Indigo Moon. You may remember Indi is the horse I had a powerful, yet puzzling encounter with at Linda’s ranch. Linda says, “This horse, Karlo, was oneRead more
Posa’s mother is Siyone – one of the wild mustangs culled from the herd north of Vernon, BC. A month after her capture, Siyone birthed Posa in captivity at the rescue ranch. So although Posa has grown up in captivityRead more
My lovely friend Ken Berentzen is visiting and brought his cameras to the barn – where he caught this amazing sequence in slow motion. I give you the chance to watch the clip first, on your own, to form yourRead more
Whether you’re dealing with a wild horse, an abused horse, or a horse that just doesn’t trust you, or want to hang out with you… how can you genuinely shift that relationship to where the horse freely chooses to beRead more
So I have a confession: my horses work for a living. Or I make them work for a living. Or they choose to work for me so that I can continue to buy them hay. Or we co-create experiences forRead more
I scrambled for my phone, realizing I had left it in my car. I didn’t want to miss this precious moment I was quietly witnessing between Jini Patel Thompson and her giant horse Aude. She was sitting on the earth,Read more
I decided to tell you this story in video form. Because you really need to see-hear-feel how ridiculously out-of-connection I am with Montaro as we set out for the day’s adventure! Giving this story a title was equally difficult; becauseRead more
In a reciprocal relationship, there is no need for leadership. – from Equus Lost I believe the biggest, brightest truths are already within us, born in the folds of our brains and the flesh of our hearts and left thereRead more
What can you do to gain the precious trust of a previously abused horse – without using manipulation, pressure/release, or other forms of coercion? I recently received this question from one of our fellow Horse Listeners: “Hello. First thing IRead more
We talk a lot about ‘listening to your horse’ but what does that actually look/feel like, in real life? How do you know you’re actually hearing your horse, and not just making stuff up? And what happens to our horsesRead more
Join us out in the field for the next installment of trailer play (not training!) where we have no agenda and we simply let the horses be in charge of everything! In fact, my real agenda is to help theRead more
If you follow us on Facebook, then you’ll already know I FINALLY got my horse trailer! And actually, this is the first horse trailer I’ve ever owned. I’ve bought and sold cars every few years, for decades. But this purchaseRead more
Note: If you missed Part 1, you can read it here. So after finally getting all four of my horses into a trailer and moved 10 minutes down the road to our new place, we spent the winter settling inRead more
Let me start by saying that I am fully aware that the hands-down EASIEST way to get a horse to happily go into a trailer is to park the trailer in their pasture and put the horse’s hay, or evenRead more
I shot this video on Juno’s 1st birthday, doing what we all love to do best – hanging out and having adventures! Of course while viewing the footage I realized how much interesting stuff was going on at the sameRead more
We know that relationship-based teaching works really well; resulting in an empowered horse, a truly intimate, loving, soul-based relationship, and lots of fun! But can this play-based method stand up to the pressure of a deadline – a vet visitRead more
Last week, Andrea Datz gave us a thorough education in what “no” means in horse-talk and how to work with it. She spoke beautifully on the topic of letting go of expectations and trusting the process – that listening toRead more
By Andrea Datz It’s a lovely idea to give my horse his voice, to take his thoughts, emotions and opinions into consideration. I will never forget the first time I made a conscious choice to connect with my horses andRead more
How accurately can you, your vet, or your trainer, read your horse’s body language and facial expressions to determine whether your horse is experiencing pain – even if your pony is not limping or showing any outward signs of injury?Read more
What if you can’t ride your horse? Or your horse doesn’t want to be ridden? There is such a world of pleasure waiting to be experienced simply by BEING with these magnificent earthlings out in nature. There are few thingsRead more
I’m taking a break in this series from my poetic ramblings about adjusting to life on the land to get my junior scientist cap on and nerd out about horse herd dynamics. I hope you’ll bear with me; don’t worry,Read more
How is it that by doing very little with my horses; mostly meditating, doing chores, and avoiding the rain together… when I put us in scary or high pressure situations, they respond like an old cow horse? You know, oneRead more
What do you do when your horse asks you to go so far out of your comfort zone, that you start counting off a list of all the things that could go wrong…? Last week I told you how myRead more
Jini and I both signed up for Carolyn Resnick’s awesomely priced Chair Challenge (only $15!) and although we’re only on Day 3 of the 21-day program, it’s already stimulated some great discussion and questions. Here’s what we’ve been tossing about: We both reallyRead more
This video from Nicole Lampe in the Netherlands is a beautiful pictorial story of how one horse can teach each another useful skills, support him through facing his fears, and lovingly support his growth and expansion. Not surprisingly, horses don’tRead more
By Pat Rothchild I left the competitive horse world in my mid-twenties, once I figured out that the more successful horses and riders became, the crazier they got. The horses I loved and worked with did the impossible for meRead more
Last week I told you about the Horse As Muse workshop I attended with Linda Kohanov and Kim McElroy and showed you some of the art I created, as the inspiration from the horses informed my artistic expression. I alsoRead more
As many of you know, I was down in Amado, Arizona last week for Linda Kohanov and Kim McElroy’s workshop combining equine-assisted learning with art and creativity. Kim is a well-know equine artist; who collaborated with Linda on the WayRead more
One of our adored readers – Emily MacDonald – asked me to make this video showing the way I teach my semi-feral horses and foals how to lead on a halter. You’ll notice that my way is somewhat backwards toRead more
By Ainsley Beauchamp It seems a small thing, to lend a friend a book. We don’t necessarily recognize when life changes. Trumpets and fireworks don’t usually accompany the quietly profound moments, when we may hold a catalyst for change inRead more
For those of you who found my post about healing trauma stored in the horse’s body from previous riding experiences (using equine chiropractic, bodywork and Psych-K) weird… here’s another one to throw in the pot. Australian trainer, Jenny Pearce, tracksRead more
Last week I had the fine priviledge of visiting my friends on a ranch I used to work on in the beautiful Cariboo region of BC, and trimming the hooves of a couple lovely equids I’ve known for years. IRead more
When my new mare arrived, some people called her “food oriented”, I called it NUTS! She used to be so crazy for treats that I was thinking about getting her a big bag of carrots and dumping them in aRead more
Klaus F. Hempfling has made his new movie available for free – all 1.5 juicy hours of it! Have a look and then below I’ll get into my thoughts about the film… I have read a number of Klaus’ booksRead more
By Ainsley Beauchamp Three different people warned me this client’s mare would bite. The leasee, who’d arranged the appointment, said in her message that the mare was wonderful under saddle, but would bite at the least provocation. Having worked withRead more
I’ve written about the trauma my Andalusian mare suffered from her brief Dressage training before. And I thought we had pretty much processed and healed that trauma – through several bodywork and EFT Tapping sessions. Followed by me giving herRead more
I rode my horse the other day. This sounds fairly unremarkable, but it’s been awhile. I wrote about this a while back – I gave up riding as a singular goal, or right as a horse owner, several years ago.Read more
I received this beautiful question from one of our readers in Europe. I say the question is “beautiful” because it shows this woman is in that precious space of opening, transition, and transformation. And yes, this space also feels veryRead more
By Ainsley Beauchamp I read an article on Facebook, the gist of which was, I am enough. Such a small statement, yet profound if you just sit with it for a few moments. At least it was profound for me.Read more
By Ainsley Beauchamp I feel so confused. This morning my horse and I went to war. Maybe I should explain what that looks like. Make the wrong thing difficult, right thing easy… you know, that whole horsemanship deal. So itRead more
I just returned from an Equinisity retreat up near Kamloops, BC, featuring trainer/filmmaker Elsa Sinclair. Elsa talked about the difference between using Extrinsic Motivation with your horse (pressure/release, whip, flag, etc.) and Intrinsic Motivation. Intrinsic motivations include things like matchingRead more
So in my continuing hunt for great horse books – and may I put in a plug here for anyone who is thinking about writing a horse-themed memoir or novel – please do so! Every month I comb Amazon lookingRead more
In my experience, the root of violence, bullying, aggression, etc. is often FEAR – because the being has been wounded and is super afraid and armored against being wounded or suffering again. We see this in the human world andRead more
By Ainsley Beauchamp I was thinking about horses and how sensitive they are to our thoughts and intent… As an equine therapist, I’ll be happily massaging away, some sweet horse melting into the strokes, and sometimes, just as I think,Read more
