The Unbound Training Method

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A "well trained" horse is a horse that is whole, complete, confident and opinionated-- one that has a self-assured voice.  A healthy relationship of any kind is one that is built on mutual trust, which requires both parties to feel respected and able to express themselves freely. Our ultimate goal is not a horse who has given up their voice or is programmed to do whatever their rider commands without  question, like a robot or a machine. Rather, our training program helps the horse become the best version of themselves possible. When horses are gifted this type of freedom, riding and requests become second nature. We work to gentle into the spirit of our horses so that our relationship can become boundless. 

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A friend and mentor, Elsa Sinclair likes to explain this philosophy through the concepts of width vs depth. Width is all the skills a horse knows how to do. Depth is their level of partnership, trust, and connection. Horses with a lot of width but  shallow depth are the ones who can do a lot of fancy things in a relatively short span of time, but who often end up with aggression or anxiety problems. By contrast, horses with a lot of depth take longer,  but can eventually do anything calmly and confidently together with their rider since they have  prioritized deep connection and trust first.  

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Our training methods model respectful behavior and collaboration. We consider our engagement with horses, as becoming a part of their herd with them looking to us for leadership. Stepping into collaborative leadership takes work but has incredible benefits, allowing us to accomplish more meaningful connection.