Training
Brittany’s journey with horses started at age twelve by just hanging out with horses and observing them for hours. She started her first horse in a round pen with no one around – quietly working alone with that horse – no words, just being together. Through years of study, Brittany has advanced to working with people and horses with what she calls Innate Horsemanship™ which is a way of putting people and horses on the same page, talking the same language, Equine Lingo™.
“Equine training is all about communication. You have to be aware of your own body language and then know how to properly use your energy centers, your entire being, to communicate to the horse. Working with various riders and horses in the industry from hunter jumpers to western gamers and pleasure trail riders it all comes back to how our horse is understanding us."
“It’s not what we ask our horses to do, it’s how we ask them to do it.” ~Brittany Buchanan~
Brittany's passion and love for horses has led her to explore many aspects of horsemanship. The horse has been her greatest teacher, observing the horse’s reaction both physically and emotionally that has taught her the most. Brittany believes in developing a harmonious and natural relationship with each horse. By offering guidance, encouragement and consistency the horse learns to follow her lead based on mutual trust and respect. The partnership grows because of effective communication and leadership!
Effective communication starts before you saddle up. Communication is more than just the words we speak. According to research more than 93% of communication effectiveness is determined by non verbal cues. This includes body language, thoughts, feelings and intentions. Horses easily and instantly check in and read what we are vibrating. Realizing and drawing parallels between horses and humans helps us better understand ourselves and how we interact with the world around us. When it comes to training, understanding their language helps us communicate more clearly with our equine partners.
Let’s look at our own body language from the horse’s perspective. From the time we enter the horse field to catch him he is reading our body language and even our intention. For all those who have been in a hurry, stressed, even nervous can attest to the fact that the saying “act like you have 10 minutes and it will take you all day; act like you have all day and it will take you 10 minutes”, has some truth. Brittany has learned that it’s important to be honest with how we are feeling and what our intention is. The horse respects this and somehow understands us.
Knowing what our body is saying is key to achieving desired results from haltering, leading, riding to trailer loading. We talk with our eyes, our stance, core, feet, shoulders, knees, hips, our hands and even our thoughts. We also communicate with our words such as whoa, easy, gee or haw. Although it’s more about the tone of our voice, the intention and energy we put into the words. To quote John Wayne, “Talk slow, talk low and don’t talk too much”, there's a lot of truth and wisdom in these words.
A horse can learn and build confidence when we allow him to develop at his own pace in an environment that supports him. This allows him to stay calm, relaxed, open minded and keeps the endorphins flowing so that he feels good. When he feels good he’s in a receptive state he chooses to learn, intrinsic learning. Intrinsic learning, is similar to self-directed or self motivated learning and extrinsic is being forced by an outside influence causing one to take action. Brittany believes that when humans and animals are stimulated to learn from within, intrinsic reasons, the learning is voluntary, rewarding and easily creates the desired results.
Training Can Include:
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“When we approach a horse, it has a way of knowing what our actual intent is. The horse observes our actions and then makes a decision about what to do.”
~Author Unknown~
Brittany's focus is on helping people and horses to develop and build a solid foundation. From a solid foundation stems everything from riding to trailer loading and beyond. Brittany offers training, coaching, demonstrations and clinics. She invites you to experience Innate Horsemanship™, creating partnerships of a lifetime!
Training board is now available at the IH Ranch.
30-90 day programs available. Onsite training is also available at your location!
To book for training or a private session call or send us an email.
"To work effectively with a horse, his true nature must be understood."
~Monty Roberts~
