Emmalee 🐴✨🌀 (@emmalee.eq)

Brought my girl home yesterday 🫶🏼 Name reveal coming soon, I PROMISE. I’m just trying to make the announcement *special* because her name means a lot to me. 🥹 And before commenting on her gait — she is not lame, she is stiff from standing in a trailer all day. Feels like I shouldn’t have to explain that, but here we are 😵‍💫 Eeekkk cannot wait for her to settle in so we can start working together 🥹😭❤️ #horsebackriding #naturalhorsemanship #libertyhorsemanship #horseconnection #horsetraining #equestrian #horsebehavior #equestrian #thoroughbredmare #newhorse

Hard to not feel disappointed in the state of the equestrian community after the comments on my last video (comments currently turned off). A lot of incorrect assumptions being made about me, the owner of this sweet girl, the mare herself. As a reminder, check your attitude and mindset before commenting on social media. Being nasty isn’t a good look. Onto my experience: I’m not looking for made. I’m looking for willing. Day 2 with this mare, and already I’m reminded how quickly horses get written off when they show fear. Fear isn’t defiance. And behavior is always communication. I’ll take slow trust over fast obedience every single time. A beautiful reminder for me to check how I show up during first interactions with a new horse and make a greater effort to connect before placing my expectations on them. #horsebackriding #naturalhorsemanship #libertyhorsemanship #horseconnection #horsetraining #equestrian #thoroughbred

If this had been your experience while shopping, would you come back the next day? Why or why not? #naturalhorsemanship #libertyhorsemanship #horseconnection #horsetraining #equestrian #horsebackriding #horseshopping #thoroughbred

Calling a horse bad is the ultimate COP OUT. 📣 Labeling a horse’s behavior as “bad” or “disrespectful” isn’t insight… it’s avoidance, lack of education, or just straight up laziness on the part of the handler. 👀 It’s what horse people say when they don’t understand how the horse brain actually works. Horses are prey animals. Their entire nervous system is built around safety and survival… not strategy, not manipulation, and definitely not malice. They can’t premeditate or plot revenge or “act out” just to “test you”. They respond to how they feel in the moment. Bolting, bucking, biting, pawing, rearing… those aren’t bad manners. They’re communication. Every so-called “bad behavior” is a message about discomfort, confusion, fear, or pain (physical or otherwise). Punishing the reaction DOES NOT solve the root issue…it just teaches the horse that expressing discomfort isn’t safe. Punishing communication is exactly how you end up with a horse who’s “obedient” on the outside but shut down on the inside… OR a horse that has to resort to the most extreme measures to express their discomfort, leading to a veryyy dangerous situation for everyone involved. True horsemanship isn’t about controlling behavior. It’s about understanding it. Your horse isn’t being bad. He’s being honest. The real question isn’t “how do I stop this?” It’s “what is he trying to tell me?” What’s something your horse used to do that you see differently now? It’s WILD how much changes once we start listening. conscious horsemanship | ethical horse care | natural horsemanship | connection over control | equestrian | holistic horse care | bad behavior | horse training | liberty | Arabian | thoroughbred mare | warmblood

mornings by the ocean,evenings at the barn. fall in Florida is my favorite time of the year 🌞🍂🐚🐴 #equestrian | adult ammy | thoroughbred mare | #30a | emerald coast | #beachlife | #coastalaesthetic | horse girl | conscious living | #horsemanship

For years, I couldn’t even talk about horses without breaking down. That dream felt like it had been torn from me again and again… finances, a bad riding accident, then motherhood and lack of time, finances again… until I just stopped believing it would ever find its way back. So I learned to build a life around my other dreams. I moved to the beach. I started over. I tried to make peace with the ache of wanting something that felt out of reach. And then, quietly but also suddenly, life began to open again. Vela found me. The horse I wasn’t looking for, but somehow needed more than I knew. She’s been my greatest mirror, my teacher, my reminded of everything I thought I’d lost. Now I walk to the beach in the mornings, float in ocean on random Tuesdays, see Vela in the afternoons, and find myself standing in the very life I used to cry about. To the girl who is still waiting for her turn… don’t give up. The dream hasn’t forgotten you. It’s just waiting for the perfect moment to arrive. 🫶🏼 horseback riding | conscious horsemanship | beautiful life | beach life | horse girl | ethical horse care | dream life | equestrian

It’s easy to forget how venerable grooming can feel for a horse… especially horses already prone to tension and anxiety. We come in with tools, different scents, pressure. And they just have to stand there and trust us. Sometimes tension isn’t resistance. It’s memory and trauma. When we slow down and listen, the smallest moments (a sigh, a lowered head) start to mean something. Then real communication and trust can begin. We’ve been working at this slowly for a while and most days she will stand calmly for grooming now… though we still have days that she feels more uncertain about it and that’s totally okay. Does your horse love grooming or just tolerate it? What helps your horse relax the most? #conscioushorsemanship | intentional horse care | #horsetraining | equestrian | adult ammy | natural horsemanship | connection over control

The deeper you look, the more you realize how much the system betrays the horse. 😭 From “balanced” feeds loaded with starch to saddles that crush movement to methods that confuse fear with respect. It’s everywhere. Awareness changes everything. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. What would you add to the list? #holistichorsecare | #conscioushorsemanship | natural horsemanship | saddle fitting | #foragefirst | #connectionovercontrol | #equestrian | adult ammy

What if your horse’s behavior, tension, and energy all trace back to their minerals? This 👆🏼 is what Vela’s HTMA revealed, and how her minerals tell the story of her nervous system. And this is just ONE of three main sections I look at when interpreting an HTMA for the nervous system. Would you guys want to see what the other sections reveal? equestrian | HTMA | equine HTMA | conscious horsemanship | ethical horse care | mineral balance

70% (or more!!) of horses have shoulder asymmetry (even the top performers), and contrary to popular belief, asymmetry isn’t just about uneven muscle development. It’s also influenced by: — structural differences — habitual posture — movement patterns This is also why it’s not always something that can be totally “fixed” but instead managed through a balanced mix of intervention and support. Interestingly, from my current understanding, asymmetry is prevalent like this only in modern domesticated horses and is not regularly observed in horses living outside of captivity, suggesting asymmetry is a human-created issue. Thoughts?? I’ve been learning all of this in the @Saddlefit4Life Equine Ergonomist course and it’s been sooo cool to observe and put into practice what I’m learning with Vela. You can easily check your horse using these 3 quick assessments. Let me know if the comments which side is your horses stronger and which is the weaker! #saddlefitting | #equineasymmetry | #equestrian | adult amateur | conscious horsemanship | ethical horse care

Sooo billet straps aren’t just holding on the saddle… they can also be used to adjust for your horse’s shoulder asymmetry?! 🐎🤯 Seriously how did I not know this before?! And if you’re thinking, “that’s cool but my horse doesn’t have uneven shoulders…” statistically, you’re probably incorrect 😅 Different studies measure it in different ways, but gait research in high-performing horses have shown that a large majority of horses (~70% or more) have measurable asymmetries **even when they’re considered sound** That asymmetry can come from: — hoof imbalance — confirmation — training patterns — or even just natural sidedness (like people being left handed or right handed) Over time, one shoulder usually ends up smaller and/or weaker than the other. Which can contribute to: — saddles slipping to one side — pressure building up unevenly — horses struggling with circles or leads Here’s where billet straps come in… They’re actually a simple tool to help the saddle fit your horse’s body better (and I genuinely had zero idea!!) I’ll share some easy ways to spot which shoulder is the weaker one on your horse later this week (and once you see it, you can’t unsee it) I can’t be the only one who didn’t know this about billet straps?! Please tell me I’m not alone 🙈 I learned this in this (and like 1637469 things about equine anatomy, biomechanics, and saddle fit) in the @Saddlefit4Life Equine Ergonomist course I’m taking right now - I’ve been going through it for a month now and I’m just a third of it because it is just SO MUCH INFO and I am loving every second of it 🤩 #saddlefitting | #thoroughbredmare | natural horsemanship | #billetstraps | #ethicalhorsecare | #conscioushorsemanship | liberty work | equestrian

Replying to @brittanylynnegrah How I taught Vela to park 🚦🐴 You’ll notice the teaching clips are to the right, but the final results are to the left. That’s because my Pivo (unsurprisingly 🙄) completely lost us when I was teaching her to the left. The left side is actually the one we’ve nearly perfected! The steps summarized: 1 - start with solid hindquarter yields 2 - use a wall/fence to block every direction but the one you want 3 - cue toward the hindquarters but keep the whip above the hind end & reward the tiniest step 4 - be patient with any confusion (attempting to figure out what you’re asking, even when it’s not technically ‘correct’ is still amazing!! 5 - build consistency (1 step, 2 step, 3 step, etc) 6 - add height 7 - generalize by asking in difference location to teach that this request is always the same, no matter where it’s asked Next up: asking her to park from a distance at liberty 👀 We haven’t started it yet but I’m super excited to see how she responds once we do and I’ll definitely share that process too! Do you have any other fun (but also super helpful/practical) tricks you’ve taught your horse or what to teach? Vela really loves “trick” training like this and so do I, so it’s definitely something I want to sprinkle into our time together more often! #thoroughbredmare #velanova #naturalhorsemanship #bitlessriding #libertywork

Vela’s first ride outside the round pen was such a milestone and honestly a win we were really needing 🥺 She was more forward, more relaxed, and even (shockingly!!!!) began trotting to the right with ease. As you can see in this video, I’ve been experimenting with varying levels of contact with her. And as I’ve mentioned before, she seemed to rely very heavily on the bit for balance. We will be experimenting with different ways to help her learn to carry herself a bit more (including continuing our pole work during groundwork and soon beginning under saddle). I just ordered a neck rope with handle from @correct_connect_ for myself as I find myself having a tendency to balance on the reins after being out of the saddle again for the past six months and I don’t want to be a hindrance to her at all throughout the process. So I’ll for sure update on how it (hopefully) helps us! What do you guys think? Can you see a difference in how she’s moving compared to our last videos under saddle?! #thoroughbredmare | #velanova | restart project | #naturalhorsemanship | #conscioushorsemanship | #bitlessriding | ethical horse care

Here’s what it really took to make these DIY cavaletti + ground poles 👇🏼 💰 Total cost (with tax): $430.19 ⏱️ Time: about 18–20 hours spread over multiple days (with plenty of kid-wrangling breaks so take it as a rough estimate lol) 📏 Supplies we had on hand already: • paint rollers and trays • roller brushes • paint brush • painters tape • resin paper (for drips/splashes) • screws • jack stands + scrap wood to sit poles on 🔧 Tools we used: •compound miter saw •table saw •drill •hack saw •scale •measuring tape •construction pencil Final verdict: very happy we made them but we’ll probably go with wood in the future for the poles because the PVC was more hassle than we bargained for 😅 #DIYarenaequipment | #groundpoles | horse jumps | #cavaletti | horse training | #equestrian | #DIYequestrian

Anyone else feel like they’re obsessed with their horse while their horse is over there just… tolerating them? Asking for a friend 👀 But seriously… It’s SO easy for me to feel discouraged when progress feels slow (or at a standstill some days). But the fact that I can take Vela’s halter off in the pasture and she doesn’t immediately trot off to her friends (or that she no longer runs when I go to grab her out of the pasture) are things that I felt might never happen when I brought her home a couple of months ago. I don’t think I’ve ever worked with a horse who was this slow and resistant to trust (maybe because I’ve never had mares before?) but every single day is one tiny step forward. And those tiny steps add up. 🤍 #velanova | thoroughbred mare | restart project | conscious horsemanship | natural horsemanship | ethical horse care | equestrian | adult ammy

Obsessed 🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷 What do you guys think?! I’m so excited to do the next set, I already started on them 😅🙈 This project has really given me the itch to make/build more stuff… is there anything you guys would like to see?! Jump standards? Fillers? A pole rack? Give me all the ideas. I’m ready to dive into a new project 🤩 #DIYarenaequipment | #groundpoles | horse training | balance | self carriage | thoroughbred mare | #equestrian | #DIYhorsejumps | cavaletti | #hunterjumper

Finally painting the poles 🎨💅🏼 I’ll be honest with you guys… I’m starting to question the decision to use PVC 🤣 All was good until the paint. Paint just doesn’t go onto plastic like it does wood. I guess we’ll see how they hold up. Hopefully better than I’m anticipating 🤞🏼 At least they look beautiful for now 🩷🤍🩷🤍🩷 As a lifelong pink-hater, I’m shocked by how much I love them. I hear this means my nervous system is healing?🤣😅💗 I still have to paint the other four poles that are currently out at the barn and I’ll be painting them different colors! Any guesses?! What do you guys think about the pink?! 💞 DIY arena equipment | ground poles | cavaletti | horseback riding | ground work | pole work | trot poles

Part 2 is 2 🤍 Her cuddliness on this day, omgggg 😭❤️ literally melting my heart She gives so much each time we work together lately, even when she’s uncertain, and I genuinely believe it’s because I started rewarded any and all effort, regardless of whether or not it’s what I’m looking for. Vela is a horse that is terrified of getting it wrong. You can see it in her eyes with each question I ask her. She doesn’t generally refuse a challenge, and even enjoys them, but at the beginning of something new she is very worried about giving the wrong answer. It’s been so wonderful watching her open up and be more willing to try as she’s realized I’m never going to punish her for doing the “wrong” thing. Forever thankful for this journey with her. 💫 #thoroughbredmare | #restartproject | #horsetraining | starting under saddle | #firsttrot | natural horsemanship | conscious horsemanship | #positivereinforcement | R+

Part 1 of 2 🤍 Sorry for breaking it up into two parts, I didn’t realize just HOW LONG the video has gotten until after I had edited both days together, so I had to split it up 😅 This was such a big day for us. Not only did she trot under saddle for the first time since I bought her home, but she learned to park too. I’ve never been more proud of her. 🥹❤️ saddle + saddle pad: @arenasaddles top + breeches: @wearepomme safety stirrups + bitless bridle: @amikoandfriends #thoroughbredmare | restart project | #horsetraining | starting under saddle | #groundwork | horse parking | natural horsemanship | conscious#horsemanship | #positivereinforcement

My first real rides with Vela 💫 You can see in this video that Vela’s default when uncertain under saddle is to back up… Not out of resistance, but because she was so hesitant to move forward. Instead of pushing, I chose to reward every single try toward forward. Even just a step. I kept the ride short, the rope loose, and let that be enough. And you can see the results on that in our very next ride 🤩 The next day was already offering more forward with WAY less hesitation. It was such a clear reminder that when I drop my own expectations and focus on keeping the experience positive, she learns faster and feels more confident. This journey with her has been such a beautiful reminder that it isn’t about how much I can get from her… it’s about building her trust and celebrating the little tries that will eventually turn into something truly beautiful. Stay tuned for our first trots under saddle!! # Riding in our gifted Arena saddle per usual ❤️ #thoroughbredmare |#horsetraining | #positivereinforcement | #thoroughbredrestart under saddle | R+ | #conscioushorsemanship | ethical horse care | natural horsemanship | adult ammy | equestrian | horseback riding

Vela picked this up SO fast. In about 15 minutes!! She actually understood what I was asking the third time I asked, but it took about 15 minutes to work up to her moving alllll the way around while I was up on the fence. Now she’s a total champ and I wish I’d taught her sooner! The ‘park’ cue (where your horse sidesteps to pick you up for mounting) makes things so much easier and safer, and honestly just more fun 🤩 Have you taught your horse to park? Or would you like me to share exactly how I taught Vela? #positivereinforcement | R+ | #naturalhorsemanship | #conscioushorsemanship | horse parking | #horsetricks | ethical horse care | mounting block | #equestrian

What if your horses inability to collect consistently has nothing to do with strength or training and everything to do with saddle fit? 👀 I’ve been going through the @saddlefit4life Equine Ergonomist course and having just SO MANY “ah-ha!” moments. The thoracic trapezius, sometimes called “the handbrake of the horse,” is the spot that stallions bite during breeding that results in the mare’s front legs locking up, her back dropping, and her pelvis rotating. This is THE SAME POINT that the saddle often pinches when saddle fit is poor… resulting in the exact same reflex 🤯 Activation of this reflex results in a total inability to engage the core, as I show you in the video with my own body. How often is THIS the real issue in horses that struggle to collect and shift their weight backwards?? So here’s a question for you… What saddle fit issues do you think result in pinching of these areas? Any guesses? #saddlefitting #saddlefit #equestrian #collection #horsebackriding | poor saddle fit

Positive reinforcement is an incredibly powerful. It can help rewrite negative associations and turn stressful moments into safe ones. 🤎 But it’s not a fix-all. If the root cause of a behavior is pain or imbalance, the behavior won’t change until that is addressed. R+ helps most when we’ve taken the time to ask WHY our horse is reacting in the first place. Understanding comes before training. Curiosity before correction. Trust grows from there. 🤎 #positivereinforcement | #thoroughbredmare | #conscioushorsemanship | #naturalhorsemanship | connection over control | R+ | #ethicalhorsecare

The future of horsemanship doesn’t have to look like the past. It can be softer, freer, rooted in trust and choice. It can be about relationships first… and riding second. What changes do you dream of seeing in the horse world? ✨ @Hannah Child’s Lifestyle #conscioushorsemanship | #naturalhorsemanship | #connectionovercontrol | #equestrian #ethicalhorsemanship

The gut impacts FAR MORE than just digestion, which is we should all be thinking about. 🦠 Gut health directly impacts: • nutrient absorption + weight • hoof strength and growth • coat shine + skin condition • hormones and metabolism • immune system function • energy, focus, and performance • mood, stress, and “behavioral” issues This is why gut support is about so much more than just preventing colic. It’s about supporting the WHOLE horse. I’ve already been prioritizing Vela’s health by switching her to a forage-first diet, but I wanted to take it a step further. I had already researched Digestive HP and planned to order it once we were finished with our transition off of grain when @PoseidonAnimalHealth reached out to me offering to send it to us to try. Naturally, I said yes 🫶🏼 I’ll be sharing all the changes I notice with you guys as we incorporate it into her diet!! #holistichorsecare | #equineguthealth | #foragefirst | #hindgutsupport | equine supplements | #grainfree | natural horsemanship | conscious horsemanship

I couldn’t even touch her head when I first brought her home. If I tried, she would pull away, throw it up, brace, she even pinned her ears a handful of times. Part of it was physical. Her teeth were very overgrown and uncomfortable (which we addressed). But a large portion was also emotional. Lowering the head and letting someone touch the face is deeply vulnerable for horses. And for an anxious, nervous mare like Vela, it just wasn’t an option back then. But now, she ASKS ME to clean her face every grooming session by dropping her head when I bring over a wet wash cloth. She trusts me enough to say “yes,” while also knowing she can tell me “not right now” and I’ll listen. ✨ This is the power of trust-based work with horses ✨ Not the “make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard” bs. Not the press-and-release or path-of-least-discomfort training. But slowing down, listening, and showing her that I’ll respect her boundaries until she feels safe. And the result? A horse who willingly offers connection instead of avoiding it. That will always be worth so much more than obedience. connection over control | #conscioushorsemanship | #holistichorsecare | #naturalhorsemanship | equestrian | #trustbasedtraining | liberty | #positivereinforcement | R+

OUR BEST DAY YET THIS WEEK 🥹😭✨ Words cannot even describe how exciting I was leaving the barn this day. I wish sooo badly my pivo hadn’t failed to track us because the first half of that square (of course it was the part you can’t see at all) was AMAZING. The focus on her face and the effort she put behind it was so beautiful to watch. First tiny ride in our gifted all purpose @arenasaddles went sooooo well. I have a bitless bridle coming to soon that we’ll be using. I think it might be time to start going on actual rides in the next week or two. She is a bit hesitant under saddle but so willing, even in her uncertainty. She defaults to no movement when unsure, which I’ll take any day over bolting. 🤣 This day was followed by our worst day ever, which I’ll also be sharing about. I think it’s important to share the highs AND the lows and we had a serious low this week too. Social media can make everything look like unicorns and rainbows and, while I wouldn’t change our journey for anything, it most definitely hasn’t been easy. But back to the positive… I smiled so much even just editing this day. She is so smart and sweet and slowly gaining her trust has been the greatest gift. #thoroughbredmare | restart project | #groundwork | pole work | #naturalhorsemanship | R+ | #positivereinforcement | #conscioushorsemanship | holistic horse care

Every so-called “bad behavior” is just communication. Spooking, balking, bolting, refusing to load, being barn-sour or buddy-sour, even biting or bucking. These aren’t random acts of defiance. They’re your horse saying: “I’m uncomfortable. I don’t understand. I don’t feel safe.” And when we only focus on “training out” behaviors, we fail to address WHY they’re happening. You can punish a horse for pawing, but if their nervous system is dysregulated, the pawing will just show up in another form. You can strap a gadget on to stop head-tossing but if their back hurts, the pain doesn’t magically go away. And it WILL show up in a more severe way eventually. You can force them onto the trailer (sometimes) but if they load from fear alone, every single trip will be a battle. True partnership comes from *listening* to their communication, NOT silencing the symptom. Because behavior is never the primary problem. The horse world is slowly starting to shift toward this understanding… but not nearly fast enough to truly serve our horses. Every time we choose empathy over domination, connection over control, we help push that change forward. 🫶🏼 If this resonates, pass it on. The more we talk about this, the faster things will change for horses everywhere. #consciousequestrian #naturalhorsemanship #adultammy #ethicalhorsecare #holistichorsecare

Changing out the gullet in our gifted @arenasaddles for the first time ✨ To be totally honest, I was soooo intimidated by this process (idk why?!) and put it off for days 🤣 BUT it was actually very easy. I can’t wait to actually go for our first ride in this saddle 🤩 Andddd I actually just started a saddle fitting course 🤫 I’ll be mapping her back soon, so this is really just the first step in a much bigger journey and I’ve never been more excited 🥹😭❤️ If you guys have any questions about this system, I’ll do my best to answer! 🫶🏼 saddle fit | saddle fitting | HART system | CAIR | interchangeable gullet | adjustable saddle | thoroughbred mare | equestrian | adult ammy | all purpose saddle #saddlefitting #arenasaddles #adjustablesaddle #adultammy

Our morning in under three minutes ✨ Sadly, the Florida summer heat means that we can’t spend more than about 20 minutes working together so our sessions are pretty short and simple right now but hopefully that will be changing soon 🍂 Right now our routine looks like: — grooming — hand walking and/or lunging — pole work — something fun — maybe a quick sit — cool down with hose 🥾 boots from @amikoandfriends (code EMMALEE10 to sign up with them) 🛢️ hoof oil from @officialhoofdoctor