Positive Reviews Received From Attendees of Connected Horsemanship Clinics

Here at Kilronan E.C we found Laura's knowledge,teaching and enthusiasm fantastic.

Everyone involved in the clinics learnt a lot. They learned especially to look at their horses in a new light and began to pay more attention to their horses opinions.

Laura also worked with some of our junior riders who gained confidence on the ground with their ponies while thoroughly enjoying themsleves at the same time.

Jenny Cruise

I have had my horse just over a year now and was able to load her into the trailer. It wasn't always plain sailing but she went in, then about 6 months ago we started having trouble loading, I was able to get her in but it was always with great difficulty and we would both get very tense and stressed and she would then not travel well either she would come out of the trailer sweating heavily.

Laura helped both myself and my horse build up the confidence she needed to go into the horsebox. I learned that we needed to work together and that forcing her into the box is not the way, that she has got to want to go into it. We had two sessions and I really learned how to read my horse’s actions and work together with her and to build my confidence as a leader and therefore build up my horse's confidence in the trailer.

I learned so much about what it is that horses need from humans instead of focusing on what the horse can’t or won’t do. I learned that having a positive attitude is fundamental to creating a connection with the horse.

Thanks again for all your help

Michele & Sapphire

Below are just a selection of the many positive reports/reviews I have received from attendees of Connected Horsemanship clinics. More information about Connected Horsemanship clinics and how you can attend clinics near your area can be found can be found on our Connected Horsemanship Clinics page.

It was a real blue sky day the morning that I took my horse Buster, along with a friend and her Pony Lola to meet Laura. I was told it was to be a day of learning ‘ how to better communicate with your horse from both on the ground and in the saddle’.

Up until that point my only experience with instructors was in a riding capacity so I was eager for the day to begin. I met Laura and immediately warmed to her. I realised that she did not fit into the usual teaching typecast. She smiled a lot, and talked to us in layman’s terms so I knew immediately that I was going to be able to learn a lot from her.

During the course of a most enjoyable and informal day, I experienced my horse in a whole new light. He went from being quite tense and nervous, trying to anticipate all the time, to being the most relaxed and interested person that I’ve seen in him. His whole attitude and demeanor changed before my eyes. His spirit seemed to mingle into mine and although these were only momentary in time, it was enough of a change to permanently turn my relationship with him into more of a meaningful one.

I’ve come across people who claim to have ‘horsemanship’ but Laura's way is far more absorbing. From listening and studying her actions then putting her teachings into practice, the course turned from learning as much about myself as it did about Buster.

Since that day, I’d say I bought home a different Buster and he, with the encouragement and help that I received from a warm hearted Laura, returned with a much more in tune and aware me . Regarding Buster and including the other horses we own, so much good has come from the day that I spent with Laura. Laura taught a whole different way of being and asking, that I’d not seen or understood before. By explaining and showing in the friendly manner that she has I was able to bring about some amazing changes. Personally, I think having practiced for myself, I can truly encompass the enormous impact that her skills and knowledge can have on both horse and its on the ground and in the saddle companion.

Laura has refueled my confidence with Buster, inspiring me on a level that has managed to rekindle a flame of a childhood dream I’d long left behind as hopeless...and that is of my horse and me in a real interactive relationship, companions riding off into adventures together.

I look forward to our next journey with Laura.

Donna & Buster

The Kilronan Clinics

Comment from Jenny Cruise, Head instructor Kilronan Equestrian Centre.

Here at Kilronan E.C we found Laura's knowledge,teaching and enthusiasm fantastic.

Everyone involved in the clinics learnt a lot. They learned especially to look at their horses in a new light and began to pay more attention to their horses opinions.

Laura also worked with some of our junior riders who gained confidence on the ground with their ponies while thoroughly enjoying themsleves at the same time.

Comment from some of the participants:

Jade

The course was very interesting and very well explained. Learning to stay away from the horses head area and influence the horse from further back was very helpful in gaining trust and respect from my horse. I was having a problem leading him before. Now I am much more confident and we are much more in tune.

Michele

Learning to read the horse was very new to me. I found this aspect very interesting and informative. Great teacher.

Mary

Overall the course was well explained and I found it to be excellent. I would like to recommend you to my fellow freinds

Kathy

What I valued most in the course was learning a natural more compassionate way to work with the horse. I also realised how work on the ground can aid and develop my riding skills.

Jenni

I realise that our body language and energy can actually affect the shape of the horse, it is fascinating but very difficult to do. I can see how this takes lots of practise

Report on Clinics-Laura Domenica

I was invited by Kilronan Equestrian Centre near Swords in Co. Dublin to run a series of clinics to introduce people to the concept of natural horsemanship.

Introductory Talk -Prey /Predator psychology.

An introductory talk was held on a Friday night. My goal with this first session was to inspire people to look at their horses in a different light. We talked about prey/ predator psychology, and how it affects the way horses think and feel and how they perceive the world. We discussed the implications this has for us as handlers and how our attitude and emotional state have a major effect on how the horse feels about us.

This session was concluded with a demo involving a horse that was difficult to catch. Participants were able to see directly how much of what had been discussed could be applied in order to gain the confidence of a horse that was highly sensitive and very wary. The horse responded by following closely and standing quietly while giving several huge yawns.

Much to my delight almost all present on the first night signed up for the course of four further clinics to be held on Friday nights. Some of the participants brought their own horses and some participated with horses from Kilronan.

Session 1 -Horse Behaviour. We talked about how horses communicate through their body language and how an understanding of this can help us relate better to our horses. There was a lot of positive feedback the following week as people related to me stories of how they could now understand their horse’s behaviour more clearly.

Session 2- How horses learn and what motivates them

We looked at positive and negative reinforcement. We learnt about the correct use of pressure, release, rewarding the try, retreat, and creating incentive. We talked about keeping and creating sensitivity.We looked at clarity, consistency, patience and persistence and the difference between having the horse want to OFFER behaviour rather than merely making him do things. We put all this into practice whilst performing basic ground skills starting with approaching the horse, haltering and leading up.

Session 3-Human Body Awareness and Energy Awareness

We looked at the human body and how we use it around the horse. We explored good posture, alignment and focus and became aware of the three energies and the use of our core in influencing the horse. We talked about “taking behaviour and shaping it.” We put this into practice while learning to create soft halts while leading up in hand and learning to influence our horses from further back.

Session 4-Feel and Timing

We emphasized the use of feel and timing while teaching our horses to back up, flex laterally and move their hindquarters. We introduced participants to circling the horse and demonstrated how it is possible to achieve calm forward movement with the horse bent on the circle with float in the line.

Inspiring

It was hugely inspiring for me to see the dedication these students had for learning and for wanting to become better leaders for their horses. They turned up without fail every Friday night, in the freezing cold and gave 100% effort and attention. I would like to say well done to all of them. They were fantastic and achieved a lot.

Special Moment.

There were many special moments for me but one in particular sticks in my mind. After a short break I asked the participants to try a new exercise. One participant however chose not to do so. Instead, she took the time to wait patiently for her horse to “offer” to do the previous task. The time she took with her horse showed she had grasped what is at the very foundation of good horsemanship…having the patience, taking the time and offering the feel to creating willingness from the horse.

Conclusion

Our last session finished with discussion and feedback. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed the course very much and felt they had learnt a lot. Several expressed a wish that it would have been longer and I agreed that it was a lot of information in a very short time. I was sad when it finished but delighted that several of the participants wanted to continue the work in one-on-one sessions with their horses. The group surprised me by presenting me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I would like to thank them all very much.

I would also like to express my deepest thanks to Johnny, Jenny and Suzanne at Kilronnan for organizing the course.

Laura Domenica www.connectedhorsemanship.com