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Jade's story
Why I turned to behavior studies
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I bought Jade to pursue dreams of riding and showing in dressage.
She's beautiful, sweet, and full of potential - I was so excited!
But right away,
anxiety & behavior issues surfaced.
I checked for pain or lameness, many times.
Nothing explained it.
At first, it seemed like typical young or hot horse problems.
I thought maybe I needed to be tougher - or try harder?
I rode it out.
But it didn't really improve.
If I pushed, she fought back or unraveled.
It became a delicate dance of staying under threshold.
We made some progress, but
even when she was 'good', she was checked out.
Something still wasn't right.
As the years passed, I tried everything:
- regular Vet exams
- injections
- (three!) new saddles
- a new trailer
- regular dentals
- ulcer treatments
- massage & bodywork
- strength-building
- slowing down & time off
- calming supplements
- every training method I could find ...& more
Some things helped, but nothing truly settled her.
Some days were fine. Other days, it was a clear 'NO'.
She was sound, but her heart wasn't in it.
And I did not want to revert to force.
So, I turned to studying.
I attended behavior clinics,
Read every article, book, & watched every video I could find,
Learned about better management practices,
Discovered nuances of horse body language,
Joined Animal Behaviorist Associations, Took courses,
and Studied natural herd behavior vs. domestic.
Some of what I learned surprised me - and I was determined to do better.
I made small, but meaningful changes all around.
I changed how I approached training and changed her environment -
a holistic approach to addressing her needs.
As I looked closer, I also found the subtle physical limitations
that explained some of Jade’s past behaviors. Thankfully, with a Vet-backed plan, it was easy to manage.
The more I learned to listen,
the more I understood.
I finally started to see a shift...
She became calmer - not shut down, but truly quiet.
More aware. More still.
No longer irritable or amped up.
And much more confident away from her friends (this was huge)
Our time together became enjoyable - she started showing her sweet & silly side again.
Now when challenges arise, we have the tools to manage them.
What started out as frustration became my greatest education. It opened doors to new adventures into mustangs, equine ethology, & behavior studies.
Jade inspired my passion to understand behavior
and find solutions to unlock potential.
If you are struggling with specific horse behaviors
that you can’t explain or resolve,
then you are in the right place.
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Stop managing symptoms. Start understanding the cause.
What's your struggle?
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I am looking for interesting behavior case studies to work towards my CEBC Certification
What is the process?
1
History Form
We deep dive into your horse's experience - their behavior, background, environment, routines, and training schedule. It's a holistic approach. This helps identify patterns, clues about their reactions, and key areas to explore.
2
Initial session
We meet in-person or virtually to observe your horse in their environment. I watch for body language, behavior, management, and interactions. This is a judgement-free space! This session gives me the insights I need to develop a plan moving forward.
3
Create Plan
Based on what we discover together, I create a tailored plan and recommendations that include practical steps - from exercises to possible management tweaks. You receive a written summary and clear next steps to follow with set goals.
4
Follow-up sessions
After implementing some trial changes, we reconnect to review progress, make adjustments, and answer any questions. Behavior change can take time - I'm here to support you through it. This includes email support between sessions as well.
