Equine Education (trough natural horsemanship)

Instructors:

Marc Plana
Equine educator
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Melín M. Farriols
Equine educator and Connected Riding practitioner
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What is natural horsemanship?

Natural horsemanship or natural handling of the horse takes into account an understanding of the horse’s nature. Natural taming is based on riding ethology, on the scientific study of horse behavior in the wild. With this knowledge, experience, and a great deal of sensitivity, we can establish a relationship with horses based on trust, respect, communication and cooperation.

We need to know how they think and act in their natural habitat so we can understand and communicate effectively with them.

Times have changed and we have evolved by taking a few steps forward in equine education.

The equine educator is the person who facilitates the learning of the horse to coexist and work with people, taking into account their ethology and the principles of animal learning, taking advantage of its great virtue that is the coordination, which is part of its nature.

That virtue is the one that must be taken into account when riding, a binomial between rider and horse. A synchronization between their bones and ours, which will lead to a “connected riding”.

A year and a half ago my family and me baught a stallion. We were in the process of taming, but each time Alpi our horse was doing worse, he was very nervous, he was biting and kicking and wouldn’t let anybody get near him. I read a book from Lucy Rees about equine ethology that spoke about natural horsemanship and so I looked for a place that teaches it and found Horseway.
In one year, Alpi has transformed completely, he’s calm and can be touched, he doesn’t kick, he doesn’t run away anymore, on the contrary he always goes after you for more experiences.

Albert16 years old

INTERNSHIPS & HORSEMANSHIP STAYS

Horseway has internships available for interested students and adults throughout the year. This stages provide with hands on experience in all aspects of the Connected Riding method, both Groundwork and Riding and also can be blended with Equine Education (natural horsemanship) lessons.

Who are these classes for?

These classes designed for people who want to learn how to handle a horse and how to ride, as well as those who already have experience and would like to improve their connection to horses.

What do we learn in the lessons?

The objective of the classes in natural horsemanship is to learn to communicate with the horses naturally, and to establish a collaborative relationship with them.

To establish this natural communication it is important to:

Understand the horse
Gain its trust and respect
Understand the most appropriate techniques to teach each horse
Be conscious of our body language
Learn to regulate our energy with our breathing.
Know the most advantageous position for riding

All this we achieve with dismounted work, with free-range running, and in classes using a rope.

Do you want more information?

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The natural horsemanship classes are a way to learn and comunicate with the horses in a language that they understand. An important aspect of it is to focus on our body language and the horse’s, and to control the energy we use to interact with him. Until you become conscious of the quantity of information that we contantly emit, most of the time without even realizing. You have to concentrate on your body, your energy and state of mind, something that we usually don’t do in our daily life. The benefits of this class are plenty: a better communication and understanding of the horse, the ability to ride the animal in tune, and how to discover things about ourselves, that we wouldn’t otherwise be conscious of.

SoniaBarcelona

I arrived to Horseway following a recommendation from a friend who knows the place. Before taking a decision I visited other places, but I settled for Horseway because of their well cared facilities and the natural horsemanship classes. The exercises are a global teaching that encompasses all the aspects of the horse / human relationshop, from the phisical to the emotional. It’s a complete training with various exercises, some of which more technical and purely about equine language, and others about the use of breathing as a communication tool, and how to have a closer relationship with a horse.
Since the beginning I felt that Melin was taking care of me despite my lack of knowledge and clumsiness in my learning, she also takes very good care of the horses. Thoses are fundamental elements that give me confidence. (…)

SoniaBarcelona

Workshops

The advantages of taking a workshop is that, for two intensive days you can be totally immersed in natural taming, and, depending on your level, you can start to apply for yourself some of the concepts and techniques you’ve been taught.

The benefit of working in a group is that it generates a variety of learning situations, including learning from others’ experiences in a fun, relaxed atmosphere in which everyone helps everyone else integrate the knowledge.