✨ This week, I want you to pay attention to one thing: Are you being clear…or are you hoping your horse guesses correctly? So many issues in horsemanship are not disobedience, they’re confusion, mixed signals, changing expectations, too much pressure…then none, asking without meaning it, correcting after the moment has passed etc. Your horse cannot confidently respond to unclear communication therefore improving isn’t about learning MORE - it’s about becoming clearer with what you already do. 🔹 Your 3 Focus Points This Week: - Give one communication/request/question at a time instead of multiple at once - Be consistent with what “yes” and “no” mean - Notice if your horse looks relaxed and understanding or uncertain and left guessing Remember: Clear communication builds confidence in both horse and human and confusion creates tension. That's about it. 👉 This week, I’d love to hear: What changed when you focused on clarity? Did something suddenly make sense to your horse? Or did you notice areas where you may accidentally be unclear? Drop your wins, thoughts, or discoveries below 👇 And if you want help refining your language and communication - that’s exactly what you get in Premium 🐴✨🫶

Here we are, two years later and this is one of those examples I’ll never forget, mostly because we are at the same barn and her horse was an eye catching Friesian. At the time (2 years ago) I was riding Lenny on the neck rope in the arena, there was this beautiful moment where he gave me absolutely everything, mentally there, soft, connected, trying his heart out, so I stopped, praised him, jumped off, and called it a day right there. Think we were busy just 20 minutes. As I was leaving the arena, another lady was in there with her horse in a bareback pad, bitless setup where clearly her dream was to ride lightly and freely too. I observed as I rode around that she was walking those endless circles towards the “scary” end of the arena trying to build confidence before getting on. A pattern I see a lot where for some reason people hope the movement itself will fix the problem, instead of having the tools and communication to say: “Stay with me, connect with me and think with me.” So I complimented her on her gear (only) and then she asked: “How long did it take you to teach him all that?” I told her honestly: “Well, we've been together 14 years and I’ve peppered these things in his whole life.” She stared at me blankly and then asked: “Okay, but how long would it take me to ride safely on a neck rope like that?” Whilst having this conversation her horse had already pushed her off balance three times, tried to walk away, and was busy playing with her zipper. So I answered honestly again. I said if she truly committed, started from scratch, and was willing to learn properly - probably around 2 years to get to a place where she could safely ride in there in all 3 gaits and the rest like self-carriage etc. would follow that. But of course that would depend on her experience, what the horse needed to learn and unlearn, and how much time she was willing to put in. Her answer? “Oh… that’s too much for us. I just want to have fun.” And she walked off, quite literally her one way and the horse the other. I kid you not, and that was that. 😅

Things have been a little quieter from my side the last couple of days. As we edge into summer and the weather improves (the blessing and curse of this job 😅), things naturally get busier with clients and horses. A majority of the new clients are not at my stables therefore more travel time is required. Alongside that, my sweet mummy is currently in hospital with heart issues, so that’s been taking a lot of emotional energy. Behind the scenes though, I have been busy. I’m editing new material for Premium, preparing some bigger changes for this community because honestly, in its current form it’s just not sustainable long term, and I want to build this into something that can really last and grow properly. The boys are good - Benny, as always, takes about 20 minutes longer to groom each day while he slowly defloofs himself into summer mode 😅 Usually by the end of May we finally see the end of it. And Lenny recently had a chiropractic treatment as I’m bringing him back into full-time work again. I wanted to make sure his body was feeling good before asking more of him, and after a few minor adjustments we thankfully got the green light to get back to it. At the end of May I’ll also be heading over to Ireland to spend a few days training with @Deirdre Glynn, which I’m really looking forward to. And somewhere amongst all of that, I’m still protecting at least one day a week to work on my book. Life does get extra busy and tough and sometimes, it stretches us. But as you can see, if you truly want to build something with horses, it doesn’t mean life has to come to a complete standstill every time things get hard. Sometimes it’s just about learning how to keep moving one step at a time. Anyhow and with all that said, I wish you a pleasant Sunday and here’s a kiss from my darling boy Lenny. 🐴✨🫶

Alright…am gonna be testing something new 🤩 ⭐ SAVE THE DATE: Next Thursday 21 May 2026 at 7pm CEST - I’m going to hit that LIVE button inside the community for a relaxed and super fun “Get Good Coffee Hour.” Calendar · Get Good With Horses Courses No pressure to you or formal training required, just a casual 15-minute hangout while I (we) test the features and explore future themed sessions and community calls. I’d LOVE a few of you to jump in so I’m not talking to myself like a madwoman 🤣 A few things to know if you join: 🔹 You do NOT have to have your camera on 🔹 You can mute yourself if you prefer 🔹 You can simply listen quietly if that feels more comfortable 🔹 You do not need to know what to say 🔹 Tea is also accepted, or just water if you must - we’re inclusive here 😂 This is simply about getting more comfortable connecting as a community. FYI - All future recordings will be saved and made available in Premium. If you think you’ll pop in, drop a ☕ below so I know I won’t be alone and if you have a question (any question) about your horsemanship - this is a great opportunity to get live feedback. Looking forward, Zoë 🐴✨🫶

I'm going to try a pony tomorrow and just wondered if anyone had any advice? I've met him and had a little walk on him down the lane, but tomorrow I'm going into the school for a full trial. He's fairly young, age 7, and quite babyish still. Not sharp in any way but he gets his confidence from his rider. He's a pony who really benefits from a strong relationship with his person, which I love about him. He needs his person to make him feel safe and secure. I know that if I got him, I could do all my relationship building activities and really form a strong bond with him, but I obviously can't do that during a trial. The owner won't let him go to someone she doesn't feel is right for him - which I'm obviously totally on board with and in fact it makes me more keen because I know he's coming from a knowledgeable home where he's been worked with and treated in ways that align with my approach to horses. But I'm feeling a lot of pressure not to mess up my chance with him. I've had time out of the saddle after scary experiences riding Ronnie (this pony is nothing at all like Ronnie) so I'm worried that my nerves will get the better of me. Does anyone have any advice about how I can help him to feel OK with me fairly quickly - obviously not the finished product, just something small I can do in the moment? I'm going to do Zoe's grounding mindfulness practice before I go and spend a little time with him before we ride. And I must remember to breathe while I'm in the saddle - I might write a note for myself on my hand! Thank you 🫶