Cultivating Joyful
Partnerships

I’m passionate about helping people become better partners to their horses, and experience the relaxed, joyful partnership and skillful lightness that clear, gentle communication can unlock – regardless of discipline, style, or breed.

Whether you’re an experienced horseperson or brand new to horses, I can help you achieve your goals, understand and be understood by your horse, and become more attuned, perceptive, and confident.

About Me

I’ve been a horseperson for nearly 30 years. As a teenager and young adult, I apprenticed intensively with a wide range of mentors in a variety of disciplines, then established my own training business. Having realized my dream of becoming a professional trainer, I eventually chose to pursue a career in technology so that I could enjoy horses on my own terms.

With the pressures of professional training lifted, I rediscovered the sense of joy that drew me to horses. I was surprised to find that my horsemanship improved as I connected the technical skills and principles I had learned with a more open, curious, and playful mindset.

I’ve returned to helping others with horses, but through a different lens. While I enjoy helping horses become more balanced, strong, and confident, I now know that I can have more impact by focusing on helping people become wiser, more capable partners to their horses – which coincidentally helps them develop more confidence, presence, and awareness in their lives.

While I have experience in many disciplines, my approach is not specific to any discipline. I aim to help establish a common language, clear communication, and trusting relationship, so that horse and human can apply their partnership to any challenge, in any context. Once this foundation is built, things that used to feel difficult or impossible can become effortless.

If you want to develop a softer, more relaxed, and easier relationship with horses, I’ll be delighted to work with you. Get started by scheduling a free phone consultation.

Services

I offer a range of adaptable services to meet my clients’ needs, including:

  • Horsemanship coaching – available for all levels of prior experience. Work with my horses or bring your own. We unpack horsemanship principles through groundwork and then apply them under saddle according to your goals, as you and the horse are ready. This work will help you in any discipline or style of riding.

    • If you're just getting started or want to dip your toes into horsemanship, you can work with my well trained, gentle horses to learn the basics and build your confidence.

    • If you're wanting to learn to take your horsemanship up a level, you can work with my gentled-but-green mustangs to learn to more accurately read horses' cues, improve your timing and feel, deepen your understanding of training principles, and safely introduce new experiences and skills.

    • If you have a horse of your own, you can bring them along to work through whatever goal or issue you've identified.

  • Training (individual sessions, packages, or full-time) – limited availability.

  • Support adopting and gentling a mustang or wild burro from the Bureau of Land Management.

  • Trained mustang sales – we periodically offer beautiful, good-minded mustangs who have been with us for at least a year.

  • Training a horse is above all feeling and trying, according to what you feel, to help the horse and not to force him.

    Nuno Oliveira

  • This is the work on the rider's part. Think! Feel!

    Ray Hunt

  • I don’t want to have riders who tire themselves out. Work by thinking instead.

    Nuno Oliveira

  • We're working for a feel between rider and horse – less physical and more mental contact all the time.

    Ray Hunt

  • When the horse relaxes the jaw, he speaks to you, he is making conversation.

    Nuno Oliveira

  • All the time, the horse is trying to tell you where he is. Listen to the horse. Try to find out what the horse is trying to tell you.

    Tom Dorrance

  • Ask for much, be content with a little, reward often.

    Nuno Oliveira
    (paraphrasing others)

  • Many of us don't know a horse is trying to do something for us until he's already done it.

    Ray Hunt

  • First a relaxed mind, then a relaxed horse.

    Nuno Oliveira

  • Whatever patterns of relating the horse and rider have worked out in the stables will surely carry into the arena.

    Ray Hunt

  • We need technique, but we must also surpass it [...] by the use of observation, reflection, and by making an effort to understand what is going on inside the horse's head.

    Nuno Oliveira

  • By being consistent, being patient, being aware, there will be fewer problems.

    Ray Hunt

  • There is no absolute in horsemanship. There are certainly some rules. But there is no "standard system." There are only principles.

    Nuno Oliveira

  • If you are going to teach a horse something and have a good relationship, you don't make him learn it – you let him learn it.

    Ray Hunt

  • Equestrian art begins with the perfection of simple things.

    Nuno Oliveira

  • Always gain the horse's attention before trying to direct the horse.

    Ray Hunt

Let's talk!

Schedule a free consultation to see if we’re a good fit.

You can also email me: aubrey@balance-equine.com