Lessons

NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP LESSONS

Working throughout Scotland on a one-to-one basis.

I specialise in Natural Horsemanship ground work online and at liberty and also bitless bridle riding techniques.


Safety Stage 1:
This involves getting to grips with horsemanship tools and a basic understanding of communcation with your horse. Teaching you to teach your own horse how to be calm and relaxed whilst having respect of your space and requests. lessons involve ground work and ridden work in walk and trot. Riding skills are started by learning to use your seat connection well and for the horse to learn to listen to your body aids.

Equipment: For good results use a natural rope halter, 12' lead rope and a short training arm with string attached. I teach bitless riding with a rope halter and lead rope made into reins.


Confidence Stage 2:
In this level I bring in teaching about true alpha phases of intent and work towards more lightness, understanding and communication between you and your horse. This level is about having more fun and will help you and your horse find more confidence with obstacles and tasks. Learning how to help your horse become more flexible and balanced with willing obedience and a better understanding of impulsion. The ground and ridden work at this level is in walk, trot and the start of canter. Ridden work is getting more refined with the body aids and that can be taken to riding with a bit as well. It is also the stage that liberty work can be started if the connection is good. 

Equipment: For good results with this stage a 22' lead rope is required. Bitless riding with either a halter/rope, natural rope hackamore or bitless bridle that suits your horse.


Experienced Stage 3:
This level is for those that have already gone through stages 1&2. We start working with the 45' line and long reins and the three gaits of walk, trot and canter are now used. Everything is becoming more refined and the liberty work is fun and checks our 'connection' with our horse. Ridden work is bitless either with a rope halter/clip on reins or a bitless bridle and we use much more subtle aids now. The start of lateral work can now be applied when riding (which can be transferred to riding with a bridle/bit if you so choose to do at home). I personally teach riding lessons bitless to help reinforce the body aids but all ridden work is about getting that weight/seat/leg/hand connection with lightness.

Equipment: For good results with this stage a 45' line and two 22' lines (either normal or featherlight) are required. Rope halter/clip on reins and bitless bridles are recommended.


Video Service:
I offer a service to video Natural Horsemanship Auditions which insludes editing and uploading to YouTube to send off for grading. Coaching and choreographing auditions is available if needed.

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All lessons are at the student/horses own pace and unconfidence/fear issues worked on before accomplishing goals. I also am very safety conscious and insist on the wearing of hard hats for ridden work. Any pictures of me without a hat are from before I became an instructor, hats are always required for insurance reasons for ridden lessons ;)

I have Freelance Horsemanship Instructor insurance cover.