About This Module: This module invites you to step into an exclusive, in-depth exploration of equine psychology through a real-time coaching and evaluation session recorded live. You’ll experience what I see as it unfolds, gaining access to my in-the-moment observations, thoughts, and tailored coaching recommendations. These insights are paired with the comprehensive written evaluation of each of the six videos that comprise the full session. Detailed psychoanalysis and film breakdowns provide an even deeper examination, offering actionable insights. This course, shaped by more than 25 years of my life’s work, is your opportunity to look through a Rosetta Stone and truly see what I see. In this module, we focus on recognizing subtle stress markers, empowering you to implement stress release interventions that enhance your horse’s sensory processing and psychological resilience. You’ll discover practical tools to assess stress tolerance, manage mental fatigue, and build your horse’s emotional cushion. These strategies foster lasting improvements that seamlessly translate to real-life environments—whether on the trail, in training, or during competition—improving your horse’s emotional wellness, trainability, and overall quality of life. Join me as I once again work with Deej and Robin in a case study generously shared by Robin because she “wants to help me, help others too!” Together, we identify and address stress indicators, helping Deej learn to self-harmonize within his environment while maintaining an emotional connection with his human partner. The most challenging hurdles for any horse to navigate are the ones between their ears. Sensory inefficiency, mental fatigue, interrupted duration of focus—all contribute to the accumulation of stress, dramatically impeding physical performance. For both horse and rider, time and interpretation present a far more daunting pathway of challenges on the journey of progress than anything physical. Navigating the unseen psychological landscape on an open dance floor allows us to focus exclusively on mentally preparing the horse and rider for the challenges of performance. By strengthening our intuitive relationship, we bridge the gap between the natural herd dynamic and the domesticated world. These foundational life skills deepen the bond between horse and rider, fostering harmony and success in daily routines and shared experiences. By teaching your horse to manage everyday stresses effectively, you’ll minimize the risk of stress accumulation impacting performance or compromising the health of your relationship. Please note that, as this video content stems from a real-life coaching session, some client/coach communication has been muted to respect privacy. The lessons and insights, however, remain as impactful and relevant as ever. Join me on this journey into the mind of the horse, and unlock the tools to enhance your connection, communication, and success with your equine partner. Why This Module Matters Emotional stress profoundly impacts physical performance and overall well-being—for both horses and humans. In horses, emotional stress often accumulates quietly, unnoticed. From the saddle, where physical action and direction dominate our focus—or when we become inwardly preoccupied—it’s easy to miss these subtle cues. The key lies in early intervention: knowing how to release just a little pressure before the teapot begins to whistle. Small, well-timed psychological interventions expand a horse’s duration of focus and mitigate emotional fatigue. While emotional stress can erupt into sudden, seemingly unprovoked reactions, these responses always have an origin. This module will help you identify and address those origins upstream, long before escalation occurs. In this lesson, we explore what I call “in-saddle life skills.” These essential skills are best developed in a controlled, curated environment with minimal distractions, where the focus shifts to time in motion—or what I refer to as a horse’s duration of focus. For many horses, duration of focus is the greatest challenge they face, far outweighing any physical obstacles in their environment. To take your learning even further, this Masterclass includes an exclusive opportunity for personalized coaching. Along with the worksheet designed to enhance your observational abilities and refine your emotional communication, you can submit a video of your observations and notes for my personal review. Through this interactive coaching session, I will provide tailored critique and advisement, helping you identify stress markers, know when and how to mentally intervene, and fine-tune your approach. This addition bridges the gap between knowledge and mastery, offering you practical, personalized guidance to strengthen your connection with your horse. Case Study: Deej In this second module of the Mind of the Horse series, we revisit Deej, a horse whose stress tolerance markers become increasingly evident during our session in the outdoor arena. This carefully curated setting offers the ideal foundation for evaluating a horse like Deej, who tends to express his stress loudly and suddenly in unpredictable, at-large environments. Together, we’ll uncover the “somewhere”—the origin point—from which these seemingly spontaneous reactions emerge. As you stand side by side with me throughout this session, you’ll observe, evaluate, and learn as I coach Robin to anticipate and identify Deej’s stress tolerances. By expanding Deej’s—and Robin’s—duration of focus, we’ll work toward creating a critical psychological cushion. The psychological cushion is where mind and body find balance. It is within this space that we coach, train, and improve, unlocking a horse’s self-awareness and emotional depth perception. Here lies the opportunity to nurture and expand a horse’s psychological capacity for growth. This is Part One of the Identifying Stress Tolerance Markers lesson series, which will feature real-life case studies across a range of disciplines, including Dressage, Eventing, Show Jumping, Therapy, and Thoroughbred Racing, with pleasure horses also forming part of this broader study. Disclaimer: The order and timing of these lessons depend on agreements with private clients who wish to participate. Clients whose cases qualify for these modules will receive their horse’s full psychological evaluation at no cost. While in-person sessions are ideal, they are not strictly required. High-quality video footage can also be used for qualifying cases. Each case is unique, and specific circumstances, environments, and factors will determine eligibility. If you are interested in submitting your horse for this unique lesson module with the Institute for Advanced Equine Studies, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Your case can help us, help others.