…yesterday and this morning I managed to film Roger’s sessions, will get them loaded as soon as I have a minute. Got some real nice learning moments in them 😅 Right now gotta finish packing, have a shower and head to the airport ✈️ The funny guy in the video is Roger’s neighbor, another black beauty. You see Roger ready and waiting at the end. Wishing you all a fab Friday and weekend, if things go to plan I should be in here as normal. Love Zoë 🫶✨🐴

...this past Tuesday (sorry correction Monday) was Roger’s first proper training session with me and we got right into it. ✨ Some history on Roger Moore is that he came into his owner’s life just short of a year and a half ago. She has done an amazing job getting him to where he is today, especially within a very restricted, rule-orientated barn environment. There were definitely moments where she could have easily given up or simply sent him away to a trainer, but she stuck it out and kept trying to learn and teach him instead. We are now at the what’s left stage where sometimes the junk appears and sometimes it doesn’t. My goal is to get it to the point where it simply no longer needs to appear and if it does it is much more controllable. Under saddle, believe it or not he is simply perfect and it’s very important we don’t confuse play with junk behavior because in my eyes they are two very different things. This is not play. But at the same time, I always keep it in the back of my mind for later: How can I one day invite this horse to truly play - safely, thoughtfully and with understanding? Beneath the calm, stoic exterior and subtle pushiness, there’s already a much bigger conversation going on where the James Bond movie title Never Say Never Again came straight to mind. Because although Roger is a nice horse and already has some education on the ground, there’s still that teenage-boy-walking-with-his-hands-in-his-pockets energy of yeah yeah…maybe later…maybe not...kind of attitude. And that’s exactly the interesting part for me, not just looking at what the horse does…but uncovering how he really feels underneath it like his real opinions, thought patterns, where he mentally checks out, where he subtly pushes, where he avoids taking responsibility and where he questions whether I really mean what I say. That’s where the real conversation is because if I can tap into those quieter layers, I know over time it will become hugely beneficial not just for me, but for Roger and his owner too.

✨ You know something I observe a lot in the field? People talking about what their horse can’t do more than what the horse actually needs in order to learn. Also forgetting what they can. “My horse could never do that.” “He’s just too anxious.” “She doesn’t like pressure.” “He’s not brave enough.” “She’s dominant.” “He’s lazy.” “He’s afraid of the stick.” You'll catch me sometimes, if I dare give energy too it, perhaps standing there quietly thinking: But how do you actually know? Because often what I see is not a horse incapable of learning, I see a horse living inside the limits of the human’s beliefs, fears or emotions around them. Its that darn label again. Now of course, horses are individuals. Some need slower progression, more confidence, more softness, more physical support, more understanding. 👉 But a lot of the time people accidentally slow down the bigger picture because they project their own worries limiting beliefs onto the horse instead of looking clearly at what the horse is actually capable of. I’ve seen (and taught) horses people labelled as dangerous become soft and horses that could never be ridden again, learn liberty. Horses that hate poles, learn to jump and horses that don’t like people become deeply connected. This is all because somebody finally stopped speaking limitation over them and started educating themselves first to they could educate the horse instead. I think the horse world needs to watch that inner talk more carefully. Because eventually the horse starts living inside the picture they paint of them and ALL the horses, every single one of them is just so much more than that. ❓What label do you think people place on horses too quickly? 🐴✨🫶

Im pretty tired from exam stress lately but I still wanted to play around with Huyen today, she became super responsive to tiny shifts in energy and body language it was fun to do and to see her so motivated. Also isn’t she so incredibly gorgeous?

...a Get Good Weekly 7 Day Horse Training Planner is now available. One of the biggest challenges in horsemanship is not always knowing what to practice - but staying thoughtful, consistent, and clear in how we approach it week by week. To help with that, I’ve created a simple 7 Day Horse Training Planner. Inside, you’ll find space to: 🐴 Plan your weekly focus 🎯 Set simple goals 📝 Make notes, observations, and future reminders 🌿 Include rest days or alternative activities ✨ Reflect on progress This isn’t about filling every box it's about helping you and your horse move forward in a realistic manner. You’ll find the planner waiting for you in two places: Classroom 1: Checklists, Blueprints, Plans & Lists Self-help, Improvement & Growth And remember - if anything feels unclear, I’m always here in the community to help guide you. 🐴✨🫶 P.S. If you’d like, feel free to share screen shots of your plan - your journey might be exactly the encouragement or motivation someone else needs this week.