Connection, Feel and Biomechanics – Grounded Beginnings – Begin your journey to joy with horses here.

The Art of Attunement,
Fundamental Feel,
ABC’s of Communication,
Beginnings of Biomechanics
Create the partnership you’ve always dreamed of—starting from the ground up.

This course lays the foundation for beautiful partnerships with horses—mind, heart, and soul connections. Great relationships with horses start on the ground. This is a groundwork-only course.

Who is this for:

Horse-first horsemanship for heart-led, deeply caring horse people who believe how the horse feels matters more than achieving outcomes or having fun at the horse’s expense.

Because fun at the horse’s expense isn’t real fun.
Because joy that isn’t shared isn’t real joy.
And achievement means nothing if the horse isn’t happy.

This is for those who want their horse to love the journey — knowing that when your horse is loving it, you will be too.

It’s especially for those who wish to ride and/or play on the ground while developing horses into their most magnificent selves: powerful, expressive athletes supported by optimal biomechanics for health, happiness, and performance.

It’s for those who seek a partnership grounded in mutual respect and honour — who recognise the horse as more than a sentient being, but as a soul, and all the depth that entails.

It’s for those who sense there is more beyond what old paradigms have offered, and feel called toward a deeper, kinder, more connected way with horses.

If this is you, you are in the right place.
Connecting with Horses & Riding with Synchronicity is for you.
You’ve found your home — and your tribe.

What You’ll Learn

Learn how to connect, communicate, and truly understand your horse. Why do they do what they do? Discover the ever-elusive quality of feel that transforms ordinary interactions into extraordinary partnerships.

Note: This course is also Part One of the Postural Development and Biomechanics Groundwork Therapy course and the prerequisite for Riding with Synchronicity, Liberty Work, Engagement and Collection, and Confidence Building courses.

The Philosophy

“Connecting with Horses and Riding with Synchronicity” is the art of creating beautiful partnerships with horses. We inspire and support horses and people to become confident and empowered, to be together in harmony, and move with freedom, balance, and athleticism.

With softness, gentleness, kindness, and love, you can have leadership and develop a magical bond with your horse—a true friendship. Connect to your horse’s mind, heart, body, and soul.

Your Dream Horse

How good would it be to have:

  • Clear communication where you and your horse understand each other completely
  • A horse who is a willing partner and wants to participate
  • A calm horse who is also magnificent, expressive, energetic, and graceful
  • A physically strong, powerful athlete who can safely carry you down the trail or perform at the highest level

This is the dream horse—and here’s the truth: a horse like this is created, not bought.

Even if you purchase a horse that seems perfect, without developing your skills, they won’t maintain those qualities. Horses reflect the skill level, mindset, and energy of the person they’re with. We have to develop ourselves first.

This teaching addresses all areas of mind, body, and spirit to help horses and people reach their highest potential and achieve these goals.

The course format includes a lot of non-horse sessions – theory and simulations as I have found this is the most effective way to change people’s mindset and physical habits – which is how we can transform horses and humans so well.

This is FEEL GOOD HORSEMANSHIP—because it causes horses and humans to FEEL GOOD!

Learn more about the course content...

Why This Ground Skills Course Changes Everything

This is the most important course I teach. It sets the foundation for everything else—whether you’re brand new to horses or have decades of experience, this course will transform how you relate to and work with your horse.

The Deep Connection

This course teaches you to understand horses at every level: their minds, emotions, physical bodies, and spiritual nature. You’ll explore the profound connection between horses and humans—one that goes far deeper than most people ever experience.

At the same time, this is intensely practical. You’ll learn a quality of FEEL that most people never achieve in a lifetime of working with horses.

FEEL: The Holy Grail of Horsemanship

FEEL is the fundamental essence of all great horsemanship. Many believe it can’t be taught—that it’s a god-given talent some have and others don’t.

I’ve proven that wrong. It’s possible to teach this intrinsic, elusive quality and make it attainable for everyone with commitment and dedication.

This course teaches mental, emotional, physical, and energetic feel—the complete picture that creates true partnership.

Become a “True” Horseman

Not just skilled, but the kind of horseman horses themselves would choose—someone with the qualities of great leadership: centered, still, present, and connected.

What You’ll Learn

Connection & Communication:

  • Connect with your horse’s heart and mind—learn to truly listen and feel
  • Master nonverbal communication through thoughts, energy, and body language
  • Understand how horses learn and think

Your Development:

  • Core principles of centering, breathing, body scanning, and energy awareness
  • Develop the centered, still, present “way of being” that horses love
  • Cultivate the qualities of great leadership

Practical Skills:

  • Learn the ever-elusive quality of FEEL (mental, emotional, physical, and energetic)
  • Develop safe horse handling skills and habits that translate directly to riding
  • Problem-solve and resolve any behavioral or training issues
  • Ground techniques that develop healthy biomechanics, good posture, and hindquarter engagement in your horse

Essential Foundation

This course is essential for anyone new to my teaching and serves as the foundation for all advanced courses. Every principle, every technique, everything that follows builds from what you learn here.

Begin your journey to true horsemanship—the kind horses choose.

 

Come along with or without your horse.

Of course if you can bring your horse along your learning will be maximized as nothing beats hands on experience and having direct feedback from a supportive instructor to accelerate your learning. However the other option for attending these courses is to come and participate without a horse, in which case you would actively participate in all of the theory sessions, Q & A sessions, most  simulations as well as watch the demonstrations and observe those with horses practice the techniques. People coming without their horses are not just fence sitters. All of these “non-hands on” with horses sessions actually make up a big percentage of this course so the fee is priced appropriately.

‘Functional Saddling’ consultations, BALANCE saddles, Private lessons & Bodywork sessions –

 

These sessions are available the day before or after the course or in the mornings or evenings of the course.

Find out more details about these sessions

COMPREHENSIVE saddling consultations where you test ride several BALANCE saddles or saddles of your choice take 1.5 to 2 hrs. and cost $220.  They involve riding in your own current saddle and experimenting with padding arrangements and or adjusting gullets (if possible) to see if  we can improve things with your current saddle. You can ride in several saddles of your choosing (that you bring along) and that you wish to get feedback on. We then test ride a BALANCE saddle to use as a comparison to determine how well your horse moves in its own saddle/s compared to a saddle that is known to be ergonomically designed for horses and riders to maximise comfort and performance.
 
Riding in the saddles is the best way to get direct feedback from the horse – this way we listen to the horse’s opinion (and yours) rather than someone else’s. Having a few saddles to feel as comparisons is important (BALANCE saddles or other) in this process.
 
If your horse did prefer the BALANCE saddle and you were potentially interested in purchasing one (second hand or new), we would then test ride several different models of the BALANCE saddles to see exactly which one is the best for both the horse and yourself. Interlaced into this session is advice on riding and biomechanics for horse and rider as required and as appropriate to the level of experience of the horse and rider.
 
MINI saddle consultations – It is possible to do shorter saddling consults where we do not test ride many or any saddles and I can just give you my opinion and recommendations based on my experience. This is priced according to the time taken. eg. $65 for 30 mins. Get in touch in you want advice on whether you need a Comprehensive saddle consult or if a Mini consult will suffice.
 
Private Lessons/ Training sessions  are $125/45mins or $160/hr (Coaching in groundwork, riding, trailer loading, problem solving, healthcare and management).
 
Bodywork   Energetic Bodywork $165 ( 1-1.5 hr session)

 
To get more details or book a saddling consultation, private lesson or bodywork session email Mel or call 0428 385 745.  
Letting me know as soon as you can if you are interested in one of these sessions will help me schedule things to make sure I can fit you in. These sessions are available the day before or after the course or in the mornings or evenings of the course.

Take me to the registration page.
I'd like to ask a question about this course