What is Horsemanship?

  1. the art, ability, skill, or manner of a horseman

  2. skill in handling and riding horses

noun

Being a good horseman is more than just being a good rider. It’s about being someone your horse would choose to be with.

  • Do you want to learn more about horse behaviour and psychology and how it relates to your horse?

  • Do you want to develop a better relationship with your horse, helping them to become a calm, reliable, trusting, willing partner?

  • Do you want to learn more about the building blocks to a solid foundation for riding and competition?

  • Has your horse got some behavioural issues you wish to improve?

  • Do you want to improve you or your horse’s confidence in riding or ground handling?

  • Do you want to train your horse to be confident with a particular skill such as jumping, clipping or with the farrier?

  • Do you want to feel more confident in the saddle or handling your horse on the ground?

  • Do you want to improve your riding – to be more secure, balanced and effective?

Horsemanship helps people help horses in a way that is easy for the horse to understand.

Horsemanship is a foundation education for both horses and their riders/handlers that is suitable for every horse and every discipline, and encompasses ground-skills as well as riding.

Why horses do what they do and react the way they react?

Horsemanship teaches you how to work with each individual horse and know what that horse needs at that moment. A horseman is much more than just a rider. To be effective with your horse it is important to get inside their head. To learn their psychology – so you can read them and know what they need, to help prevent unwanted behaviours such as nervousness, spooking, rearing, difficult to lead, refusing jumps…

It instils positive habits and skills that are required to be safe, understand each other and reach the goals of the partnership.

Be that a relaxed hacking partner or a competition winner. Whether your goal is performance, leisure or work orientated, if your horse understands you and you understand them then the pathway to success will be easier.

Sometimes called ‘natural horsemanship’ we look at things from the horse’s perspective.

That of a prey animal by nature – to first understand their behaviour and then use strategies to gain their trust and willingness for all the many activities domestic horses need to be educated for… from clipping or loading into a trailer, through to hacking out or negotiating a round of showjumps.

Horsemanship teaches you how to have a calm, confident, trusting and willing partner, by teaching you how to train your horse.

Tuition can be taken as regular lessons or targeted help with specific issues.