Mindful Horsemanship
A path to harmony and partnership through awareness and connection
August 22-23, 2026
Equuvation Equine Assisted Learning and Therapy Center
Statesville, NC
Mindful Horsemanship
A path to harmony and partnership through awareness and connection
August 22, 2026
Equuvavation Therapy + Education Center
Statesville, NC
connection - cooperation - awareness - EASE
connection - cooperation - awareness - EASE
Mindful Horsemanship teaches you how to engage with horses in a way that honors their sentience, supports the nervous system, and creates willing, joyful partnerships.
Mindfulness is about awareness of how you show up, how the horse experiences you, and how to move together in ways that feel good to both of you.
A somatic approach for horse and human that promotes connection, ease, and healthy movement. Learn to become more connected to your body while helping your horse develop better balance, strength, soundness, and freedom of movement for long-term wellness and performance.
DO YOU EXPERIENCE:
frustration when your horse resists, braces, or avoids?
a desire to move away from dominance-based methods without losing effectiveness?
a longing for real connection, not just obedience?
confusion about why "doing everything right" doesn't always work?
moments of fear, tension, or self-doubt around your horse?
wanting your horse to enjoy your time together as much as you do?
The key to great horsemanship is awareness.
Horses respond to how safe they feel, how clearly we move, and how congruent our requests are.
When we understand this - and learn how to work with it - everything improves.
what you'll gain from attending a mindful horsemanship clinic
Nervous-system awareness
You’ll begin to recognize subtle signs of tension, stress, and relaxation - and how to respond in ways that restore safety and trust.
Mindful, embodied communication
You’ll learn how to influence behavior through clarity, presence, and intentional movement.
skills for offering supporive touch
You’ll learn gentle ways to help your horse release unnecessary muscular tension, find ease of movement, and experience relief - enhancing performance and connection.
Practical, EFFECTIVE tools
You’ll stop second-guessing yourself and start responding with confidence, knowing how to adjust your energy, body language, and intention in real time.
Relationship-centered approach
The horse learns that being with you feels safe and supportive, increasing their desire to stay engaged and connected.
Transferable, lifelong skills
These tools aren’t tied to one exercise or situation. You’ll be able to apply them with different horses, in new environments, and through future challenges—long after the course ends.
Plus access to the Mindful Horsemanship online course to ensure you get the most out of your experience!
what you'll GAIN FROM attending a mindful horsemanship clinic
Nervous-system awareness
You’ll be able to recognize subtle signs of tension and stress - and how to respond in ways that restore safety and trust.
Mindful, embodied communication
You’ll learn how to influence behavior through clarity, presence, and intentional movement.
techniques for offering supporive touch
You’ll learn gentle ways to help your horse release unnecessary muscular tension, find ease of movement, and experience relief - enhancing performance and connection.
Practical, EFFECTIVE tools
You’ll stop second-guessing yourself and start responding with confidence, knowing how to adjust your energy, body language, and intention in real time.
Relationship-centered approach
The horse learns that being with you feels safe and supportive, increasing their desire to stay engaged and connected.
Transferable, lifelong skills
These tools aren’t tied to one exercise or situation. You’ll be able to apply them with different horses, in new environments, and through future challenges.
Plus access to the Mindful Horsemanship online course to ensure you get the most out of your experience!
This clinic is ideal for
Horse people seeking connection over control, who want their interactions to feel calm, cooperative, and mutually respectful
Riders of any discipline who want to experience greater harmony, softness, and ease - both on the ground and in the saddle
Those looking for thoughtful, non-forceful ways to move through avoidance, bracing, and resistance, while maintaining safety and clarity for both horse and human
People curious about offering physical, mental, and emotional support to their horses, and learning how presence, touch, and gentle movement can improve well-being and stregnthen connection
Anyone wanting to deepen trust, relationship, and embodied communication and explore what becomes possible when we engage with horses as sentient partners
IN THIS CLINIC YOU WILL EXPLORE:
IN THIS CLINIC YOU WILL EXPLORE:
The Three Tiers of mindful horsemanship
build a foundation that supports safety, connection, and cooperation
The three tiers of Mindful Horsemanship include:
1. How you show up and how the horse experiences you - cultivating awareness of your nervous system, body language, boundaries, and energy, and how these influence the horse's sense of safety.
2. Giving the horse a reason to connect - creating an environment the horse chooses to engage in through presence, clarity, and supportive touch.
3. Communicating in the horse's embodied language - learning to communicate through movement, position, energy and intention.
These tiers are woven throughout all clinic experiences on the ground and under saddle.
Connecting through touch
inspired by debono Moves for horses
Through supportive, intentional touch and gentle rhythmic movement participants will learn to:
Encourage release of unnecessary muscular tension and offer a sense of relief
Facilitate ease of movement and interrupt dysfunctional habitual patterns.
Calm the nervous system and support a regulated, relaxed state.
Strengthen connection by creating a space the horse chooses to be in.
These skills are included during the groundwork portion of the clinic and can be integrated into everyday interactions to support softness and relaxation.
riding with mindful movement
experience the feeling of flowing together in unity, lightness, and ease
The clinic includes a movement lesson without horses to explore the specific, nuanced movements that naturally guide a horse without the use of pressure. By first feeling these movements in your own body, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how horses perceive and respond to us.
These insights are then integrated into groundwork and riding experiences. Through these practices, horse and human can move together with greater ease, clarity, and mutual understanding.
Participants will learn how they can improve rhythm, suppleness, alignment, posture, and fluidity to ride in a way that supports the horses' longevity an well-being.
Riding is optional, participants may choose to focus on engaging with their horse on the ground.
The Three Tiers of mindful horsemanship
build a foundation that supports safety, connection, and cooperation
The three tiers of Mindful Horsemanship include:
1. How you show up and how the horse experiences you - cultivating awareness of your nervous system, body language, boundaries, and energy, and how these influence the horse's sense of safety.
2. Giving the horse a reason to connect - creating an environment the horse chooses to engage in through presence, clarity, and supportive touch.
3. Communicating in the horse's embodied language - learning to communicate through movement, position, energy and intention.
These tiers are woven throughout all clinic experiences on the ground and under saddle.
Connecting through touch
inspired by debono Moves for horses
Through supportive, intentional touch, participants will learn to:
Encourage release of unnecessary muscular tension and offer a sense of relief
Facilitate ease of movement and interrupt dysfunctional habitual patterns.
Calm the nervous system and support a regulated, relaxed state.
Strengthen connection by creating a space the horse chooses to be in.
These skills are included during the groundwork portion of the clinic and can be integrated into everyday interactions to support softness and relaxation.
riding with mindful movement
experience the feeling of flowing together in unity, lightness, and ease
All horses are sensitive to subtle changes in a rider’s movement, balance, and internal state.
The clinic includes a movement lesson without horses to explore the specific, nuanced movements that naturally guide a horse - without the use of pressure, force, or trained cues. By first feeling these movements in your own body, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how horses perceive and respond to us.
These insights are then integrated into groundwork and riding experiences. Through these practices, horse and human can move together with greater ease, clarity, and mutual understanding.
Riding is optional, participants may choose to focus on engaging with their horse on the ground.
mindful horsemanship
Will Transform how you engage with horses
This isn't about training horses, it's about training people through awareness, nervous-system regulation, intentional response, and embodying the language of horses in a way that is easy for them to understand.
Meet Stacey Carter
Founder of Heart Centered Horsemanship and developer of the Mindful Horsemanship approach, Stacey's work integrates decades of experience as a rider, instructor, equine specialist in mental health and learning, yoga teacher, Certified Debono Moves practitioner, and lifelong student of the horse. Through a commitment to honoring equine sentience and nervous system well-being, she developed an approach that supports calm, cooperative partnership without force, dominance, or pressure. She teaches people how to show up with clarity, awareness, and intention to create relationships that feel safe, effective, and mutually beneficial.
this clinic offers
Access to the Mindful Horsemanship online course before attending the clinic to maximize your success.
Small group learning with personalized attention to address your specific goals, challenges, and circumstances.
Supportive, non-judgemental atmosphere that welcomes all levels of skill and experience.
Time for integration and reflection, including question and answer sessions during lunch breaks.
Respect for horses' needs and limits, with customized learning to support them where they are.
What others are saying
"A real game changer"
Stacey has found a way to unlock and put into words what the great riders already know and feel within their bones when communicating on the ground or in the saddle with these amazing animals.
Danni Wojick
"Compassionate teacher"
Stacey is a compassionate, innovative teacher who helps horses and humans develop joyful relationships. She has an exceptional ability to apply creative solutions to help horses and riders discover comfortable, athletic movement.
Mary DeBono
Creator of Debono Moves for Horses
"Everyone who has a horse should know this."
It's is a better way, a kinder way, and a way that makes more sense. It was amazing to see how quickly and easily the horses respond to Stacey's philosophy.
Stacey Landfield
what you'll GAIN FROM attending a mindful horsemanship clinic
Nervous-system awareness
You’ll be able to recognize subtle signs of tension and stress - and how to respond in ways that restore safety and trust.
Mindful, embodied communication
You’ll learn how to influence behavior through clarity, presence, and intentional movement.
techniques for offering supporive touch
You’ll learn gentle ways to help your horse release unnecessary muscular tension, find ease of movement, and experience relief - enhancing performance and connection.
Practical, EFFECTIVE tools
You’ll stop second-guessing yourself and start responding with confidence, knowing how to adjust your energy, body language, and intention in real time.
Relationship-centered approach
The horse learns that being with you feels safe and supportive, increasing their desire to stay engaged and connected.
Transferable, lifelong skills
These tools aren’t tied to one exercise or situation. You’ll be able to apply them with different horses, in new environments, and through future challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes this different from other horsemanship clinics?
Many clinics focus on what the horse is doing, this clinic focuses on what the human is doing and how we can adjust in each moment to create the outcome we desire. Through expanded awareness and intentional movement, we can respond to the horse in each moment to maintain connection and communicate with clarity and congruence.
What if I don't ride my horse?
No problem! This clinic builds a foundation through engaging with the horse on the ground. Participants may choose to focus on advancing groundwork rather than riding.
What if my horse has behavioral challenges or a trauma history?
This work was shaped through years of working with horses who were reactive, shut down, fearful, or labeled “problematic.” Rather than attempting to correct behavior, you will learn how to create the conditions that support safety, trust, and cooperation - where meaningful change begins.
What if I am following a different training method?
Mindful Horsemanship doesn't have to be practiced instead of your other methods, it can be an enhancement to them. Developing awareness and feel will improve the quality of anything you are doing with your horse, whether it involves sport, trail riding, or engaging on the ground. While some training methods are in direct contradiction to the practices in this course, this is more than a training method. It is a way of being in relationship that can be a part of whatever you do with your horse.
CLINIC SCHEDULE
10 am - Introduction to Mindful Horsemanship, Exploring Nervous-System Regulation and Mindful Movement on the mat (with chair option)
11 am - Groundwork including Connecting Through Touch and Speaking the Horse's Language
12 pm - LUNCH BREAK/Q&A
1:30-4:30 pm - Advanced groundwork and riding with personalized attention
Participant Fee: $200 (includes access to online course prior to event)
Auditor Fee including lessons off the horse: $25/day
All auditing fees go directly to Equuvation to support equine assisted learning and therapeutic programs
Location: Equuvation, Statesville, NC
Imagine...
approaching your horse with calm confidence, knowing how to respond in each moment with clarity and ease. Imagine feeling grounded in your body, connected in your movement, and understood by your horse; without force, pressure, or second-guessing. Imagine relationships with horses that feel safe, cooperative, and genuinely fulfilling for both of you.
I hope you will join me to explore the possibilities.
May your journey be joyful,
Stacey
