As there are no big or small wins, here’s mine for the week:

Today, I was getting frustrated while riding my horse. He kept pulling toward the gate and just wouldn’t relax. I was waiting (and waiting) for that moment of calm release, where he’d stop moving his feet and his head would drop—but it wasn’t coming, no matter what I tried or how long I waited. I felt myself getting more and more annoyed. I didn’t have all day to wait for him to settle, and the frustration was building.

But after watching all of Josh's content, I knew––if I couldn’t relax, there was no way my horse would, either. So, as he continued to walk around the ring, I decided to focus on myself. I tried some of Julia’s breathing exercises, and slowly, the fog of frustration started to clear. I stopped fixating on what wasn’t happening and started to just be in (and enjoy!) the moment, even if it wasn’t the ride I originally wanted.

Eventually, my horse found his calm, too. When he did, we ended the ride—both of us no longer frustrated or tense.

What's your win this week?

I have just finished following the Tik Masterclass for Anxious and Spooky horses.  I have followed a couple of other online trainers' methods for this for a couple of years but both my mare and I just ended up getting frustrated and she even started to get dangerous when I asked her to do any sort of work - and that is only from the ground! This was the last chance saloon. Tik explains everything so clearly and precisely and the demos show it all with raw footage. Everything he said made sense to me (finally) and I was able to easily put it into practice with immediate results - small incremental improvements everyday. Bingo - my mare finally has the leader she has been desperately seeking and I feel like I am at last speaking her language. It has also worked for my young horse who was getting more and more anxious on the trails after a couple of incidents that sent him over the top e.g. loose galloping horses next to the trail.  BTW I come from the old school of dominant horsemanship (I am ashamed to admit) and in the past I have been able to get some pretty difficult horses to do things but the mare I have now said a firm "NO" to my dominant approach. Thanks to this mare I have changed how I work with all my horses and thanks to Tik I have finally found the key to successfully working with my current horses without being dominant. (If only I could apologise to those of my horses that are no longer with me who put up with me in the past.) I can't thank Tik enough for putting this Masterclass together, and Noëlle for starting this platform and getting such great trainers on board and for all content. It is life changing. Even my non-horsey husband is enjoying the Ifa Simmonds' workout and the Yoga!

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This is one of my five year olds, Labyrinth IHF.

Although he is a little too short to be my dream horse, he is so well connected and conformed naturally that he wants to perform more challenging movements already.

My win is that he gave me a clean change yesterday (when trying a counter canter pattern, of course).

I am working hard to show the Five Year Old test with him this year and hoping to gain more opportunities as a young horse rider.

Fun Fact: I broke my wrist starting him! We grew through fear and connect now more than ever, using many techniques trainers at NF+ have taught me. Now, he really has decided his job is fun, has found his balance without ducking behind vertical, and I know he will make an amateur so happy once he has more miles under his belt.

His enthusiasm and talent is a fun new challenge for me!

Hi! I wanted to share a victory of my own since watching Josh’s latest course. It’s given me so much more awareness of my horse’s needs. While my horse tends to be more of a Mind horse, I’ve definitely seen him experience all three needs. Over the past week, I’ve changed how I respond when I recognize he's seeking a need. For example, when he’s in a Pressure state, I used to think he was being disrespectful and would move him out of my space. I still don't let him walk over me, but now the energy is different—I've learned to use those moments to connect with him.

When I’m riding, I’ve been focusing on using my reins to help change his thoughts. The other day, we were in the ring, and his paddock buddy was getting ready to head out for a trail ride. I started feeling a bit anxious because usually, when his friend leaves without him, my horse gets upset, and I end up needing to get off and do groundwork. But this time, after just a few soft thought redirections, he stayed calm and relaxed, and we had an amazing ride. He didn’t look, lean towards the gate, or call out once. I was so happy! It felt amazing to have a better understanding of his needs so that we can have the best relationship and truly want to be together— even more than being on a fun trail ride with his best horse-friend!