In this video Karen shows how she teaches horses to yawn.
This is more than a 'silly trick', it is a way to invite horses to release held tension. You'll see horses that do it easily, and you'll see Karen begin the process with a horse who does not yet have a cue for yawning.

Karen addresses a horse during the first session of a clinic. The student has no previous natural horsemanship experience, so it was a great opportunity to discuss how to use boundaries as a way to become the leader, and cause the horse to be more relaxed.

In this video Karen explains a favorite on-line exercise for getting an impulsive, emotional horse to start thinking and get calmer. This exercise is great when you have a situation where you are with a horse who has at least some basic foundation, but you feel like you are not able to communicat...

Karen shares her protocol for dealing with fear. Everyone feels fear at some point, and especially with horses, we need to be able to deal with it in a healthy productive way. This video is a practical guide that will show you the exact steps to take to help you acknowledge and move through a fea...

Karen plays on line with the same horse as in this month's Sweet Spot With A Tense, Crooked Horse video. This video is non-dramatic in some ways, but his body type makes it so easy to see the difference in how the muscles of the neck work in different postures, so we thought it would be interesti...

This video will show you an entire session Karen has with Teo. She works to build his confidence in an area of the property where he is often tense and fearful. In a world of 'quick fixes', it is important to see the reality of how an exercise like this can go in real time. Students of the Habits...

In this video, Karen shares the technique of not using a technique when wanting to build your horse’s confidence about something they are afraid of. Sometimes even having the intention of introducing something to your horse is enough to cause pressure and create more fear. You’ll see me coach a s...

Taking your horse off the property (especially for a competition or clinic) can sometimes be more ‘exciting’ than you want it to be. In this video, Karen gives some advice for how to set yourself up for success. Many people want a ‘magic exercise’ to ask the horse to do when he is distracted, ina...

DN Licensed Instructor Shawna Lewis shares a typical online warm up she does with her green horse, Clover. Clover can tend to be a bit tense and spooky. You will see an entire on line session where she uses several different exercises to help Clover end up moving freely forward in a more relaxed ...

Karen shares a strategy for asking for a horse's attention in order to help keep him more calm. This has been one of Karen and Atomic's biggest challenges together, so you will see the real un-glamorous process! This video is good for anyone with a horse who gets tense when distracted.

This is a continuation of Part 1 with the same horse. Now Karen incorporates more movement to see if she can add energy, then return to relaxation easily. This is an important piece, as so many times horses like this can seem relaxed unless they are moving. We don’t want to have to choose between...

Karen plays with a lovely horse who has a history of getting tense and then explosive. She was brought in by the person helping this horse, in order to get more advice on how to help her. In this video Karen goes through some of the basic concepts that she would use, including how to get the hors...

In this video you will see how Karen plays with Teo in order for him to feel comfortable in the grooming stall and on the cross ties. You will see subtle (and not-so-subtle) changes in his mental-emotional state and Karen will narrate her intention in each moment. He tends to go introverted when ...

Karen gives you more background on the other two videos for April 2020: Creating Calm Self Carriage In Cross Ties with Teo and Decision-Making To Decrease Stress with Teo, Riding. She gives you more of his story as well as more information about what she is doing in the other videos. Please watch...

In this video, Karen explains more about the Relaxation Box. This is a favorite exercise that has helped many horses who have trouble relaxing and standing still. You will see Karen do the exercise with two different horses, both on the ground and from the saddle. This video is good for everyone ...

DN Licensed Instructor Shawna Lewis explains and demonstrates Equine Tapping. This is similar to EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) used with humans. Shawna is masterful at creating calmness and deep relaxation and trust with horses. Equine Tapping and Moving Massage are powerful tools you can use...

In this video, Karen demonstrates a technique she uses to help with a horse who doesn’t like to be touched or groomed. You can also use it for things like blanketing. Keep in mind that if a horse shows they dislike something, your first thought should be to investigate and see if there is a reaso...

In this video Karen coaches a trainer with a beautiful young horse who has anxiety about lunging. When out on a circle he would go faster and faster with increasing tension to the point that she avoided doing circling on line. She came to me to help problem-solve. My goal was to find a way to app...

In this video Karen shows you an exercise on the ground (but the concept can be applied to riding also). It is based on the idea of ‘everything comes from and returns to relaxation’. This is a video for everyone! It is a simple maneuver that requires timing and the ability to turn your own energy...