Connie Colfox on anxious horses and a different way of training

What if the behaviour we see in our horses is only the surface of what they are feeling?

In this episode, I’m joined by horse trainer Connie Colfox, who has spent around 40 years working with young horses and horses who have become anxious, reactive or shut down.

Connie shares how her own experiences with horses led her to question traditional training methods and develop a very different approach, one centred around understanding emotion, creating a safe-to-learn environment and giving horses genuine choice.

We talk about why emotion drives behaviour, how Connie works with horses without equipment in the early stages of training and the subtle signs that can tell us whether a horse is beginning to feel safe and curious.

We also discuss positive reinforcement, why food rewards need to be used thoughtfully, the importance of introducing equipment carefully and why bridleless riding does not necessarily mean an absence of pressure.

Connie shares some fascinating examples from her work, including horses who could not be touched, loaded, turned out or ridden, and explains why there is no universal timescale for changing a behaviour.

We also talk about the people behind the horses, why owners often need to learn a new way of looking at their horse and Connie’s Eohippus course, which brings together recorded lessons, live case studies and ongoing support.

A fascinating conversation about horses, training, emotions and what can happen when we stop focusing solely on the behaviour and start asking a different question:

How can we help this horse feel OK?

Contact Connie

https://conniecolfox.com/

https://www.instagram.com/?hl=en. https://www.youtube.com/@myyounghorses. https://www.facebook.com/?locale=en_GB