Equestrian Relationship Coach

I ate a pepper like an apple...

I got looks. So many looks.

Comments. So many comments.

I smiled to myself...

What makes it any less normal than eating an apple?

Seeds in the middle - crunchy stuff around the outside.

For me, I enjoy challenging social norms, and observing the response in others (and myself!)

What we as humans become attached to, or what we see as acceptable and non acceptable.

It can be an empowering growth exercise, to embrace the discomfort of others judgement in small and harmless ways.

So when you speak up and go against a norm in the horse world... you already have grown your muscles!

Happy munching!
Cat x

We only have a few participant spaces for the Lockie Phillips Clinic!

'Results matter.
Results the horse love too, matter more.

In a clinic, the Participants, Riders, Community and Clinician often feel immense pressure to show a big "WOW!" result. This pressure is transferred to the horses. Often, at the expense of the horses well being, employing a variety of high pressure tactics to obtain something that looks like success, regardless if the horse valued, enjoyed or understood what was happening to their bodies or behaviours.

In Emotional Horsemanship, we practice the craft and art of riding, training, handling and caring for horses, by focusing on how the horse feels about their horsemanship. We use Science, Empathy and Feel to understand the emotional impact horses experience during their training.

So for EH Folk, the results often look like not forcing the horse to comply or obey. Our results centre on an authentic technical process clinic participants can take home, to create results in the weeks, months and years that follow.'

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If you want to be a part of a truly horse first clinic, where you can develop your horsemanship with science, empathy & feel, with 121 instruction and support with Lockie, and being a part of a community filled with like hearted horse people...

Participant spaces are £747 for the two day clinic.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch,
Cat x

How To Train Horses While Surviving The World On Fire

Focus on one thing at a time.
Not one thing with three side hustles. One thing.

E.G.
Today I focused on bend from leg. That's it.
Not- bend from leg, AND flexion at poll, AND impulsion development AND suspension to the gait AND AND AND...

Just bend from leg.

How? Opening inside rein, and asking my high mileage trail horse to not follow his nose, but instead let the rein bend him and find his neck meeting his shoulder meeting my leg.

Are there multiple things working when you focus on a single thing? Yes. When you focus on one thing, you create multiple "down river" side effects. But the best part of these side effects is that your riding is not directly creating them. The horse is organising them. This is an easier runway to self-carriage. A horse carrying themselves.

You may get further and faster to an outcome if you stopped running your trainings like you have to fix all of it or as much of it as you can every time. Focus on one thing. Give it your full attention and presence, and make sure it really landed, take care to ensure your horse really found they can embody it.

Also- have found that in a chaotic world this creates a place of simplicity and awe at the study of a craft, that most of us would choose to do, right until the last possible moment.

"...I can advocate for him when I feel pressure from others..."

This is a client testimonial after our work together.

And it hits a bit deeper.

Being a horse owner, can mean being faced with opinions, judgement and choices all. the. time.

But even more than that, you may even cross paths with others who may make a decision, choice or have a belief that....

Doesn't feel right
Feels icky
Crosses a non negotiable
Is in line with a training method, protocol that you don't practice or believe in anymore
Is fundamentally outside the realms you feel is acceptable
Isn't supportive or constructive in this moment
Isn't the right choice for your individual relationship, you or your horse
Just isn't the one you want to choose...

Having confidence in being able to advocate for your horse is key.

Trusting your own knowledge and understanding, gut instincts, being able to speak up for them and challenge things in their best interest.

Being an advocate for your horse, means being okay with feeling a bit uncomfortable. Being okay with someone else feeling uncomfortable.

And when you understand and value the partnership that you and your horse share, and you have the tools to trust your own path, you are more able to make your own decisions - even when they go against the social norm.

Stay wild,
Cat x