I am always looking to evolve and improve how I connect, not only with my horse Azuro, but also with all of the horses that I meet in my equine physio practice and teaching work! And what I know is that more subtle ways of communicating and connecting with horses suits them better. Loud voices, loud yards, loud radios on, shouting etc, can all encourage the horse to either shut down (I can see this in action when horses go internalised to shut the noise out) or go into flight mode (also seen...

As we head towards winter here in the UK, we are already experiencing dark nights, much shorter days, the weather is turning, our horses routines are changing....lots of changes with our horses as the seasons change. 

And it can feel quite negative and difficult. So I'm here to help you with some mindset and motivation tips as we head towards winter! 

You can either give up for winter OR make a plan!! 

The winter months can be a great time to re-assess your rehab/exercise plans...

Good question isn’t it?!

The further I go in my work with myself and with horses, I have learnt so much about connection, disconnection, energy (ours and theirs), and how our thoughts can create either positive or negative outcomes directly.

And it all works together…your mindset, your predominant thoughts, your energy, your emotional state, all combine and this is what your horse picks up and ‘reads’ every moment they are with you.

And what your horse reads creates...

Your connection with your horse is one of those 'intangible' things isn't it...BUT...it's a massive part of horse ownership and affects everything we do with them! 

If our connection isn't that good, consistent or trusting, we can just end up feeling like we're not good enough, it's all an uphill struggle, there's no real enjoyment in what you're doing with your horse, and it's either mechanical, all a chore, or you just don't want to do it. 

Or worse than that, your horse becomes...

There's an excellent quote that I share regularly in my trainings, ebooks, courses etc, that I think really helps to crystallise where you are with your mindset...

Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you are right! 

Read it a second time...it really is impactful, and especially in connection with our horses. 

If you have a negative mindset, you tell yourself negative stories and words continually, tell yourself you can't do xyz, creating fear and anxiety in your body,...

We have all been there...making excuses not to ride, sabotaging ourselves so that we don't have to do the xyz that we are nervous about, allowing the overwhelm to take over, and putting focus everywhere else apart from the actual riding...

And it turns into falling out of love with your horse or horse ownership, and it's actually much more common that you might think - lots of the horse owners that I work with in my coaching part of my business are in this exact situation...they have lost the...

...AND how to overcome it! 

• Do you find that whenever issues arise with or around your horse, your brain goes straight to the WORST possible outcome?? 
• And you can't think clearly or logically in those moments, it's like something takes over your brain??
• And the feelings that come along with the worst case scenario thinking are heavy and negative, maybe even staying with you for long periods of time afterwards? 

Well first, you are not alone. This type of thinking, jumping to...

• How do you get in the right headspace when your horse has been diagnosed with kissing spine??
• How do you maintain positive energy and mindset as you go through the rehab?
• How do you stay grounded, and develop your horses confidence after major surgery, when you are out of your depth, feeling alone, struggling emotionally with it all, and scared of getting it wrong??
• How will you know if your horse is in pain again?
• And how do you manage your mind as you prepare to get back on your horse??

...

As a qualified mindset coach, I work with horse owners who are struggling with fear, anxiety, negative thoughts and feelings, overwhelm, procrastination, and feeling like they have fallen out of love with horse ownership.

And one of the crucial pieces of the jigsaw that is usually missing, is trust between the horse and owner. And not knowing how to get that back. Therefore being stuck, and probably avoiding riding, keeping the horse at arms length in terms of connection etc.

Our brain is...

Your horse is super sensitive, and picks up on all of your feelings!

So when you are feeling anxious, overwhelmed, rushed, frustrated, irritated, etc...even if you think you're doing a good job of hiding it, your horse picks up those vibes. 

Horses live in the moment, they are grounded, and very much 'in their body'. They are consciously aware of everything around them, due to them being prey in the wild, so they have awareness of potential incoming danger. 

Sensitive and aware of...