Heartfelt Horsemanship

Heartfelt Horsemanship An empathetic approach to horsemanship focused on connection, relaxation, and communication.

Heartfelt Horsemanship offer an empathetic approach to building communication, relaxation and connection with horses. This approach helps address behavioral issues and makes for safer, happier horses. Instruction can be on Heartfelt Horsemanships horses, with your own horse. We also bring in horses for development and travel for clinics, lessons and trailer loading. Distance education is also available on www.patreon.com/heartfelthorsemanship

What does your horse think of veterinary treatments?If they see you coming with treatments, or know the sound of the vet...
21/09/2026

What does your horse think of veterinary treatments?

If they see you coming with treatments, or know the sound of the vets car from 5 miles out, and head for the hills before they even pull in, you might need to reconsider your approach to veterinary treatments, or even which vet to use.

There are two vets in our area that my horses get excited to see. Those two vets are affectionate, kind and patient, and don't recommend unneccesary treatments. I won't use any others.

This is in sharp contrast to vets that try and economise visits by getting everything done ' while I am here'.

I help with a number of animals that are either only recently halter trained, or have trauma linked to human handling. In these cases it is critical to keep veterinary treatments as short and painless as possible.

I do, however, feel that should be a principle we apply to every horse if we don't want treatments to cause behavioral issues.

We need to weigh up the neccesity of every treatment.

I will never forget talking to a old friend, who was a legendary horsewoman, about rain scald .

I was talking about how I didn't like the conventional approach of removing all scabs to treat the skin.

She agreed and said something so simple in it's truth.
' I have never heard of a horse dying from rain scald, if you can treat it in a way that hurts less, but takes longer, do it. Most people are torturing their horses through treatment so they can get back to riding as fast s possible, then they are surprised when their horse runs away from them when they see them coming'

To this day I recommend topical treatment rather than scab removal for rainscald.

That's about rainscald, but the principle should apply to any ailment, especially if it's one that only inconveniences us.

If you have to do regular treatments to manage a serious injury or infection, make sure you get extra good experiences with your horse. Don't become associated with pain and discomfort.

Remember, your horse probably doesn't understand that you are doing something FOR them. They just feel you are doing something that hurts TO them!

I need to ask the usual suspects for help again..I know.. Every second post these days is a horse professional asking fo...
17/09/2026

I need to ask the usual suspects for help again..
I know.. Every second post these days is a horse professional asking for social media help, but it's a jungle out here..

I need to fill some online coaching spots that have come up as a result of some in-person training contracts ending, and school holidays affecting in-person lessons.
As a general rule posts sharing services I offer don't get much reach, so I would really appreciate likes, shares and comments, but I also want to ask for a little more.. If I am not being too greedy.

If you know someone who might need help with an anxious horse, or who is looking for a deeper level of connection and relaxation, please send them the post directly and ask them check it out..

It's better that unsolicited advise.. A kind offer of ' this might interest you' is better than ' I think you are doing it wrong'.. No-one is doing it wrong, they are just doing the best they can with the information available to them.. Here is a way to offer them access to different information.

I have information on all the services I offer on my website, but the best is always direct message..

I keep my rates low ( €110/ month video coaching $15/month patreon) to make them accessible to anyone who needs them, but even if that low ate is too much I do have a patreon page with access to videos and courses..

You don't need fancy equipment for video coaching sessions, or even WiFi in your riding area. I have students who submit videos weekly that we go through on video call, because they don't have wifi in their arena, and we have great results.

Some people choose that approach over ' live coaching', while others like having ' the voice in their ears' , which live coaching offers as they go through their session with their horse.

I like to be flexible to accommodate the different ways people learn.

I will post the link to my website in the comments if people would prefer to check it out rather than get in touch directly..

Remember.. Like, comment and share.. In that order.. Then share directly to people you care about..
If possible.. Make the comments funny.. I could also use some entertainment

Is it time to change our priorities?I shared this photo that Val Batchellor took a couple weeks back.I made it into a me...
10/09/2026

Is it time to change our priorities?

I shared this photo that Val Batchellor took a couple weeks back.

I made it into a meme, with an inspiring quote. Nothing earth shattering or controversial, just a quote about being grateful for obstacles.

Well, the obstacle I am being grateful for today is that of what the horse industry focuses on.

I had comments about the fact that I asked a horse to jump in a western saddle.
I had someone suggest I use guide poles for the jump to set the horse up better for the jump.

Not one of these people paid attention to he relaxed expression and lack of stress indicators shown by the horse.

No-one commented on the lack of whip, or even any driving pressure.

Technical norms were all that mattered.

Yes, I know that I wouldn't ask a horse to jump above a certain height with a western saddle, ridden or during groundwork. This jump was well within that parameter.

I don't often set up guide poles, unless I actually working on jumping form. We were working on impulsion here, not jump form.

I hope, as an industry, we stop looking for human centred achievements, and start spotting when horses feel confident, happy and willing.

The obstacle is the way.. And that's the way to a bettee world for horses and their humans!

It's time we actively find our tribe.Algorithm hacking has exhausted most content creators I know.We keep getting fed ne...
25/08/2026

It's time we actively find our tribe.

Algorithm hacking has exhausted most content creators I know.

We keep getting fed new lines about what we have to do to increase reach

Those 12 thousand organic followers that took years to build don't matter, unless you're dramatic enough to keep people arguing in the comments, instead of noticing what's actually going on around them.

It doesn't matter that those 12 thousand followers want to read and watch positive, kind content, that doesn't distract people enough

So how do we walk away from the algorithm?
Isn't it just ' how the world works now?'

No. If we are mindful and take responsibility for what we consume, the algorithm has little effect on us.

I have been using social media differently lately

I don't scroll.

I have a list of positive creators who I mostly align with philosophically, and I look them up every single day.
I like and engage in their content. Not with emoji's , but human conversation. Thoughtful human conversation.

I scroll by the horse abusers. Occasionally I might screenshot some misinformation so I can post the truth at a later point, but I don't engage with their content so they get more reach, make more money and continue to pollute the industry with their abuse.

Part of my current list is as follows. I intentionally didn't tag them, in case they don't want o be tagged, but you can go search for them. It's not hard.
Warwick Schiller's Attuned Horsemanship
Shelby Dennis- Milestone Equestrian
Grow Horsemanship
World Bitless Association
Forageplus
Lightrider bitless bridles

There are about 40 that I check daily... If you have some to add, please list hem in he comments.. If I don't already have them on the list I will check them out.

I don't know about other content creators, but I am losing motivation to create content when less that ten percent of my followers actually see the posts.

Let's take back some responsibility for what we put in our eyes and ears everyday.

How does your horse feel around you?If our sessions are focused on what you make them do, or enough repetitions of a ce...
25/08/2026

How does your horse feel around you?

If our sessions are focused on what you make them do, or enough repetitions of a certain movement to have it perfect, it might not have your horse feel great in your presence.

If you go fetch you horse from the field and they walk away, you might want to reconsider the structure of your sessions.

If they walk away unless you have treats, it's not much better. They at least get something out of your interaction, but it might be masking how they really feel.

I have had this discussion with people and there is a common misconception that horses would never want to be with us if we ever asked anything from them.

We can build communication and understanding and work on all the things we ask of our horses, and still have them feel good in our company ( okay, maybe not all, some expectations are too high).

If our focus is on how they feel, before we think about what e can get, we have a more willing and trustworthy partner.

It stops being a battle between a n animal they would rather be anywhere but with us, and the tools that keep them with us, and it starts to turn into partners enjoying their time completing a task.

You are safer when your partner feels safe and comfortable in your prescence. It also takes less effort to have them perform.

How do you achieve this?

Less drilling and more rest between movements is a simple answer, which can make a huge difference. There are studies on ' recess training' which show drilling is less effective that sessions that focus on rest and release

There are also techniques that help horses feel safe and confortabel with humans. If you would like to learn more about these drop a comment or go to the links in the ' about' section to learn more.

Gareth Made

Photo by Val Batchelor

' The obstacle is not in the way, the obstacle IS the way' Marcus Aurelius.There is, however, a right way and wrong way...
20/08/2026

' The obstacle is not in the way, the obstacle IS the way' Marcus Aurelius.

There is, however, a right way and wrong way to approach obstacles with a horse.

Having them get over ' by any means necessary' will cause more harm than good.

Breaking down obstacles into manageable components, and building the language to ask a horse to cross, builds the horses confidence.

Photo: Val Batchelor

'Obedience and dominance is the industry standard because it works'Spoiler alert: it doesn'tIf it did I wouldn't have an...
15/08/2026

'Obedience and dominance is the industry standard because it works'

Spoiler alert: it doesn't

If it did I wouldn't have any work.

I have a career because it doesn't work.

Sure, some people get away with obedience some of the time, with some of the horses, but when that goes wrong you see the reason behind the ghastly safety records in the equine industry.

There is this crazy myth I keep hearing people parrot back, like an industry defending mantra, that the reason safety is poor is because more people aren't doing conventional lessons.

That's not it. It's because the conventional lessons teach dominance over a prey animal.

Safety records in recreational sports have improved since better information about behavioral science and more ethical training practices have started popping up.

' well how is it we only used dominance training when I was younger, and it worked fine', says Karen as she shares another meme about her Ibuprofen muesli, and posts an advert to move on yet another horse that she ' just doesn't gel with'.

Dominance doesn't work. It gets obedience that makes you think it's working, but obedience runs out when something scarier than the punisher shows up, or the level of stress overwhelms the poor horse.

Obedience has a limit, connection is infinite.

Then and now...Yesterday was Martinis 4th birthday.This is a photo from the day he was born and a photo from his first r...
14/08/2026

Then and now...

Yesterday was Martinis 4th birthday.

This is a photo from the day he was born and a photo from his first ride last week.

Don't panic.. I know he still has loads of growing to do, but for now he gets a short ride at a walk once or twice a we. In a couple months we will do short trots, and next year we will add a little cantering..

Every single one of his rides, and the prep for them is up on the 15 dollar tier on patreon, as well as his first faltering at three months old, his first time having his feet done at 6 months and his first ever saddling.

They are high level productions, but if you are intrigued by a more empathetic, science based development of a young horse .. Get Martini a nice birthday present and sign up for my patreon page..

The link is in the about section of this page

The most progress comes from the quiet conversations, not the movements..Whether it's an anxious horse, or an ' aggressi...
12/08/2026

The most progress comes from the quiet conversations, not the movements..

Whether it's an anxious horse, or an ' aggressive horse.. It's the quiet conversation.. Because it's the same motivation behind these different behaviors.. Self preservation..

The quiet conversations are where the horse learns they are safe with us

Photo: Val Batchelor

There is an African Proverb that says:' It is only when a mosquito lands on your testicles that you realize there is a w...
06/08/2026

There is an African Proverb that says:
' It is only when a mosquito lands on your testicles that you realize there is a way to solve problems without violence'.

It's a little crass, I know, but nothing makes men more empathetic than the threat of being hit in the testicles.

Jokes aside, the equestrian world is desperately in need of finding solutions that don't include violence.

The comments sections of some recent posts have been appalling.

In my experience more that 90% of riders and owners genuinely love horses.

I have only come across a few psychopaths that genuinely get their kicks hurting horses, but the idea that needing to use violence, or the threat of violence, is the only way to be safe around horses, still prevails.

This comes down to indoctrination.

People learn this at a young age, from people who were taught it at young age, and genuinely believe it to be true.

So much so that they will campaign against any information to the contrary. Regardless of how much science supports that new information.

The violence taught and perpetuated by the industry plays a major role in the terrible safety standards.

You can call a horse spooky and unpredictable all you want, but I would say it's rather predictable that an animal threatened with regular violence will be inclined to be spooky around their aggressor.

In other words: your violence harms you.

Stop hitting your horses, and learn some new tools, and they might be less inclined to leave you writhing on the ground when something scarier than you shows up.

( gross self promotion)
I can help you with those tools through online coaching, and my patreon page

Photo credit: Val Batchelor

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Alverstone Road
Umngeni

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Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 17:00
Thursday 08:00 - 17:00
Friday 08:00 - 17:00
Saturday 08:00 - 17:00

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+27724703358

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