EQUISEE® PROGRAM SERIES

Spring is in the air and the Center is gearing up

for another one-day intensive lecture and demonstration.

In the horse world, many of us are looking to further develop:

• safer situations to help us overcome our fears around horses
• deeper trust and connection to help our horses overcome any fears they may have around humans
• understanding and compassionate leadership skills to overcome domination in our equine interactions

Equine learning principles successfully address these needs and more

and will be the focus for the lecture, demonstration, and clinic.

This presentation will focus on:

WHO are CEA’s Equine Learning presentations for?

Join us for a 4–hour lecture and a 90-minute demonstration

that introduces you to the fascinating world of equine learning.

This program assists you going forward in all interactions with your special equine partner by:

• laying out a foundation of knowledge

• highlighting key learning training principles

• providing tools and methods including a demonstration experience

The liberty and groundwork demonstration will give you an immediate

hands-on chance to “see” these methods in practice.

Saturday April 19th, 2025

10:00 am – 4:00 pm

8799 Cottonwood Road

Indoor Arena

Bring your own blanket, lunch, and chair.

Adults $75.00

College Students $35.00

Under 18 $5.00

All proceeds benefit the Center for Equine Awareness (501c3 nonprofit)

Presentation fees are not tax-deductible

Limited Space. Register soon to secure a spot.

The presentation is made up of two sessions.

PowerPoint lecture

4 hours 10:00 to 2:30

30 minute break for lunch at noon. Bring your own lunch and chair.

Dress for the elements in the Indoor arena.

WHAT is the focus of this PowerPoint presentation?

The lecture is filled with pictures and diagrams to help beginners to advanced riders understand how horses learn and how trainers and riders affect mental wellbeing in horses.

This lecture focuses on explaining the horse’s cognitive learning system and how to maximize creating responses versus reactions.

Included are the training principles that the International Society of Equitation Science has decided are very important for horse welfare. These principles (listed below) are founded on known scientific research and many focus on equine behavior.

Liberty and Groundwork Demonstration

90 minutes 2:30 -4:00

Bring your own chair. Dress for the elements in the Indoor arena.

WHAT is the focus of this demonstration?

This demonstration focuses on how to bring a horse into relaxation and how to gain their trust.

Also, many of the principles from the lecture will be addressed.

Many ask:

HOW do riders affect their horse’s learning and behavior?

Through understanding how horses learn, equestrians will be able to develop meaningful learning opportunities when interacting with their equine companions. Those of us who have been fortunate to work with horses know of their sensitive and grounded manner and their willingness to work with people. By understanding more about how equines learn we can protect this sentient being and support their trust as much as possible.

WHY does it matter?

Accidentally, we all have created situations that pushed our horses out of their window of tolerance. Every time a horse reacts (fight, flight, or freeze) to a situation is a missed opportunity for learning and it is a long road back to trust and connection. The goal is to be able to recognize when horses are approaching their thresholds and to bring them down into a more trusting and relaxed state.

The key is: Prevention Prevention Prevention

Why you do not want to miss this opportunity?

Equine behavior clinics are just hitting the mainstream. They are few and far between. Now is your time to dip into the mind of the horse.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

― Robert Frost

Who benefits from this program?

Looking for a way to create learning responses from your horse instead of reactions?

Looking for tools to help you bring your horse back into relaxation from tension?

Looking for methods to create respectful boundaries without losing trust?

Feeling there can be a more compassionate way to connect with the horse when practicing Natural Horsemanship exercises?

This program addresses these questions and provides effective and proven tools for solutions to these types of issues.

This presentation will help:

• owners of all breeds
• beginner to advanced riders
• trainers
• horse caretakers
• veterinarians
• horse bodyworkers

What makes this Lecture and Demonstration unique?

This seminar and clinic will focus on the behavior of sensitive and willing horses and offers a customized approach for compassionate training through gentle strength. The seminar learning behavior theories will be applied during the demonstration. This presentation will take the knowledge from the classroom to hands-on in the arena.

Why do we care?

Throughout history, the horse has captured our imaginations, galloped through our dreams, and stunned us with their beauty, wisdom, and grace. With their cooperation, we have successfully engaged them for countless tasks. Through the centuries, these horses have accepted being a partner for transportation, to assist in wars, and to perform for entertainment.

Horses have earned their rights for contented and full lives.

For all the horse has done for us, it is through our gratitude that we examine what

we offer to the horse in return.

The field is expanding at an unprecedented clip. New and exciting scientific findings are centered around the conscious level and sentient awareness of the horse. Many in the scientific community have come together to start setting guidelines for horse welfare based on equine behavior research and findings. One such organization is the International Society for Equitation Science (ISES).

International Guidelines for Equine Training Principles

ISES is a not-for-profit organization that chiefly aims to facilitate research into the training of horses to enhance horse welfare and improve the horse–rider relationship. ISES has developed 10 Training Principles that the society has decided are very important for horse welfare. These principles are founded on known scientific research and many focus on equine behavior.

This intensive will be addressing many of these principles throughout the day. Due to time constraints, certain principles will be highlighted in the areas most helpful to get everyone started on this path. This ISES poster outlines their foundational concepts.

On the Right Track

When a cowboy called and asked to work with me for an afternoon, I did not foresee how it would be a transformative moment in my search for a holistic approach with horses. He arrived and I brought in my retired reliable expo horse, and we set about going through different Natural Horsemanship groundwork movements. I was incorporating my knowledge of biomechanics and demonstrating my methods for working with the horse very slowly and with grounded, gentle, strong energy.

And then it happened, the fellow says to me, ”I see you are creating both an oxytocin and dopamine response to bring this horse into trust and relaxation. ” I just stood there and realized I had not a clue to what he was talking about. The longer I stood there the more I sunk into a moment of disbelief and sadness. How had I missed such valuable equine behavior knowledge? I was this blah, blah, blah international clinician and lecturer and this cowboy just opened up a big blank hole in my holistic knowledge of horsemanship. He mentioned a book called Evidence-based Training and I of course downloaded it on Kindle as soon as I got to the house. It was quite the fascinating read. I quickly realized my training methods were indeed in alignment with how horses learn. Through years of observation and many learning experiences (many worked and a lot more did not), I had created a training method in alignment with equine learning principles. WOW. I was on to something. I wanted to know more to expand my holistic approach. This was the beginning of my quest for a scientific understanding how horses think and learn.

Two names are leading the equine behavior movement, Paul McGreevy and Andrew McLean (both Australians). Being the deep diver that I am, I ordered Paul McCreevy’s Book, Equine Behavior: A Guide for Veterinarians and Equine Scientists which was the most complete horse behavior info at the time. When I found out that the 2017 International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) convention was going to be held in Australia with both men presenting papers, I made my reservations that day. Not only did I learn a lot at the meetings, but I found out that Andrew McLean would be giving a 3- day clinic to his certification-track students. So off I went and observed first-hand his methods.

Fast forward to today. Currently, I read a lot of the emerging scientific papers on the latest equine behavior developments. This subject is exploding with new awareness and interest. In recognition of my successful incorporation of equine behavior principles into my training and teaching, I now am in demand for lectures and clinics on equine behavior and am a regular guest lecturer at Montana State University in their Equine Behavior course. I see myself as the bridge between the knowledge in the classroom and the application in the arena.

The journey continues…….

If I can do it so can you!!!!!!

I have found that it is transformational when equine enthusiasts have a foundation level understanding in how the mind of the horse works, how it is different from the human mind, and how the horse learns.

By going down this path, you will gain confidence and clarity in your training methods.

What is Karen’s equine behavior approach?

#1: To prevent survival reactions and develop positive learning responses through equine behavior training principles.

Much of my work focuses on keeping horses in a relaxed state so that learning can occur. Horses have a narrow window of tolerance to stimuli = they shy and flee easily. If a horse is activated into a reaction, learning stops and survival skills kick in. My approach to incorporating equine behavior into horse/human interactions widens and stabilizes this window of tolerance. My program relies heavily on the handler’s observation and perception skills. I have developed a basket of effective tools that the handler can use as needed. My students have effectively applied this knowledge and methods with transformative results.

#2: My methods and tools help riders of all disciplines and levels to achieve a deeper harmonious partnership with their horses.

The paramount focus is to further develop the partnership between human and horse while honoring both the rider’s and the horse’s bodies, minds, hearts, and souls. Equine handlers and equestrians gain more confidence and skill while improving their horse’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual soundness.

*See below for Karen’s bio.

What others have discovered working at the

Center for Equine Awareness.

“Her ability to connect with and understand a horse are amazing. She worked with my herd bound horse in a setting where he was content to be by himself, something I didn’t think was possible. She gave me some exercises to help me to get my horse to focus and work with me. She truly cares about the welfare of the horse and takes the time it takes to help the troubled horse fit into our world.” RC

“The Center takes you on a journey that’s exquisitely fine-tuned for optimal communication, conditioning, harmony, trust, and heartfelt relationships between horse and rider.” PL

“I feel so lucky to work with the center and their horses as they patiently walk me through the mind, body, and spirit language that connects horse and human.” KE

“You’ve helped me rediscover a lost part of myself and find my path.” VF