Our Mission
My mission is simple…
I help humans help their horses.
That’s always been the goal.
For years, I have helped people in the classroom understand how they learn.
Now I do the same thing for horses and riders.
Because when you understand how the brain learns, everything starts to make more sense.
You stop guessing and forcing... and you start listening to what your horse is trying to tell you.
That’s where better communication, more confidence, and real connection begin.
Minds In Motion
Join us at Shenanigans Stables Carrollton, OH
Featuring Jec Ballou
Blending equine fitness with Brain-centered horsemanship
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It’s a wrap!
The big day may have come and gone, but keep in touch as we’re always up to something new and exciting.
Clinics and Seminars Offered
Two Minds, One Mission: Building SAFE, Confident, Willing Horses A Brain-Centered Horsemanship™ Clinic
Clinic Overview
This clinic is designed to help you understand how your horse learns, processes information, and responds to the world around them, and how that can influence behavior.
We’ll focus on a set of core brain and learning principles like the importance of safety, how stress can affect learning, and how horses use past experience and environmental cues to anticipate what may happen next.
Once you understand those, you stop guessing… and start making better decisions in the moment.
From there, we use a simple structure—SAFE™—to guide how you work through real situations with your horse.
When those pieces come together, that’s when you start to see the results—better communication, stronger connection, and more confidence… because you are creating conditions that make learning easier..
Morning Session:
- Welcome Gathering: Begin the day with coffee, donuts, and a meet-and-greet to foster a friendly atmosphere.
- Interactive Lecture: Explore how humans and horses learn and process information, laying the groundwork for effective communication.
- Practical Application: Work with your horse in small groups to apply what you’ve learned in real time using groundwork, obstacles, and riding.
Afternoon Session:
- In-Depth Discussion: Delve into the 'thinking brain and survival brain' concepts to understand behavioral responses.
- Trust-Building Exercises with Obstacles: Rejoin your horse to practice deliberate trust-building activities using carefully chosen obstacles. These exercises are designed to enhance trust, confidence, and communication between you and your horse—not simply as an obstacle play day. Each activity serves as an opportunity to strengthen your partnership and improve mutual understanding, whether in-hand or under saddle, based on your comfort level.
Clinic Features:
- Designed to be enjoyable and stress-free for both horse and rider.
- Limited to 10 riding participants and 10 auditors to ensure personalized attention.
- Riders engage in three tailored arena sessions in groups of five.
- Auditors are encouraged to participate actively in the arena.
Additional Opportunities:
When not in the arena, participants can:
- Engage in independent workstations.
- Observe sessions from the sidelines.
- Interact with on-site 'whole horse' practitioners, such as Wendy Shaffer, Certified Masterson Method Practitioner, and Brandy Arotin, Certified Natural Hoof Care Practitioner.
- Treat their horse to a BEMER session.
- Enjoy available refreshments.
This clinic offers a unique, comprehensive experience designed to deepen your partnership with your horse.
Contact us today to schedule your participation.
Private Consultations
Personalized problem-solving for you and your horse.
Overview
Are you achieving the outcomes you desire with your horse? Whether you're a recreational rider or a competitor, it's common to encounter challenges that leave you uncertain about the next steps. That’s where I come in. Together, we slow things down and take a closer look at what’s happening in real time—helping you understand your horse, see where the communication is breaking down, and figure out what to do next.
During your consultation, we may explore:
- how learning, attention, stress, and past experience can influence behavior
- how you and your horse may be experiencing the same situation differently
- how timing, clarity, and feedback affect learning
- how fear and stress can change what your horse is able to give you in that moment
- practical changes you can begin using right away
Recommendation:
For more complex concerns, a follow-up session may be recommended.
Note:
Private consultations are available locally and by travel. I’m based in Greenville, PA, and travel fees are added for locations beyond my local service area. Longer-distance and out-of-state consultations are welcome.
An Introduction to BRAIN-CENTERED HORSEMANSHIP
1-2 Hour Lecture Format
Are you getting what you want from your horse?
Whether you’re a recreational rider, competitor, instructor, body worker, or simply someone who wants to better understand your horse, we all have one thing in common: we are working with a learner.
Understanding more about how humans and horses learn, process information, respond to stress, and use past experience can change the way we approach training and communication.
In this session, you will explore:
- core principles of learning, attention, stress, and behavior
- how horses and humans take in and use information
- how memory and past experience can influence learning and behavior
- how fear and stress can affect learning
- practical ways to apply these ideas when working with your horse
This presentation is designed for organizations, clubs, barns, and other groups looking for an educational guest speaker. It can be tailored from 45 minutes to 2 hours.
Brain-Centered Horsemanship™ Barn Days
A smaller, more personal way to bring Brain-Centered Horsemanship™ to your barn.
Barn Days are designed for small groups who want hands-on help without hosting a full clinic. We begin with a short seated session exploring a few key Brain-Centered Horsemanship™ principles, then move into individual sessions with each horse-and-human pair.
As we work, the whole group is encouraged to watch, ask questions, and notice what changes from horse to horse. The goal is not to teach one specific training method. It is to help you better understand the learner in front of you and make practical adjustments based on what you see.
Barn Days may include:
- communication and groundwork
- confidence-building
- problem-solving
- obstacles and novel situations
- clicker training and reinforcement
- helping horses stay curious and engaged
- applying Brain-Centered Horsemanship™ principles to whatever you and your horse are working through
- riding, when appropriate
Ideal for 3–6 horse-and-human pairs.
Small Simple Changes... Remarkable Results.... Brain-Centered Horsemanship
Participant Cancellation Policy
All clinic spots must be paid in full at the time of registration.
- Cancellation 30+ days prior:
Full refund minus processing fees.
- Cancellation 14–29 days prior:
50% refund minus processing fees.
- Cancellation within 14 days:
Non-refundable.
These policies are applied consistently to all registrations.
Credit Option for Unforeseeable Circumstances
We understand that life happens.
If you are unable to attend after the 14-day window, your full registration amount may be converted into a credit to be used toward:
- A future clinic or
- A private consultation
The credit must be used within 1 year of the cancellation.
Transferring to a Different Event
Registration costs vary from event to event due to venue rental and other factors.
- If the new event costs more than your original registration,
you must pay the difference.
- If the new event costs less,
the difference will not be refunded.
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Questions or Comments?
For more information on fees and availability, send me a message.
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