Alternative Horsemanship™ with Samantha Harvey
Your horse isn't the
problem.
The Conversation is.
When the relationship breaks down between horse and human, most trainers teach masking symptoms by force, containing, critiquing, or imposing on the horse. Samantha Harvey's goal is to educate the human to recognize, understand, and address the equine's communication, learn relevant skills, and create a common language that offers the equine safe space to learn how to think, search, and try.
Sound familiar?
You've tried everything.
Something is still missing.
You've worked with multiple trainers — but your horse still doesn't feel truly with you. You go through the motions and wonder why the connection isn't there.
You feel bullied, dismissed, or pushed past your comfort zone. You've started doubting your instincts — but deep down, you know something is being missed.
Your horse is tense, distracted, resistant, or shut down. Everyone diagnoses the horse. Nobody asks what your horse is actually trying to tell you.
You mount up with hope and come home frustrated. The hole in your partnership keeps growing — and you're running out of ideas on how to fill it.
Physical Behavior reflecting the Horse's Mental and Emotional State
Engage the Mind, the Horse's Behavior Changes
The Alternative Horsemanship™ Approach
Start with
the horse.
In every clinic and riding lesson Sam taught, she kept asking the questions her own trainers never asked: How is your horse feeling today? Is he mentally available? What was his attitude when you greeted him?
Traditional training focused on tack, position, and goals — never on acknowledging the horse in front of them. Chaotic, resistant, and dangerous behaviors are rarely the problem. They are the symptom of an insecure horse whose communication has gone unheard.
Alternative Horsemanship™ teaches you to meet the horse exactly where he is — mentally, emotionally, and physically — so the work you do together builds something real.
- Assessing your horse's mental and emotional
- Identify the "holes" causing anticipation, fear, tension, and resistance
- Offer Communication relevant to what the horse needs in the moment
- Build a foundation that applies to all horses
- Become a clear, emotionally neutral, partner to your horse
What you will develop
The qualities that
help the Horse
These aren't exercises or mindless patterns. They are the skill development — in both horse and human — that build clear, specific, and adaptable communication.
Softness
The horse who isn't always braced- tight- or carrying tension. The willingness to mentally and physically participate without fear.
Suppleness
A mentally present horse whose mind and body are "in the same place"- allows for balanced, adaptable movement without defensiveness towards the human's communication.
Engagement
The horse mentally and physically participating... The equine's focus is directable, while he is moving in a soft and balanced manner, that uses his hindquarters to lift his spine, freeing up the front end — enabling fluid, balanced movements.
Adaptability
Both horse and rider able to focus, redirect focus, and maintain real-time awareness without anticipation, fixation, or expectation.
Mental Presence
Horses mirror the human's mental and emotional state. If you're distracted, stressed, anticipative, hopeful, passive, tense, fearful, or hurried — the quality, specificity, and timing of your communication will be chaotic, random, and after-the-fact, creating a defensiveness in the horse.
Feeling of the Horse
Raising your awareness and re-sensitizing your aids to be adaptable to what your horse needs help with during the interaction.
From students on six continents
What changes
when it clicks
I've been to so many 'big name' trainers and was still feeling overwhelmed, stuck… and a bit bullied. I had so much self-doubt because I knew something was being missed with my horse. He has completely changed his attitude in just a few weeks. No one can believe it is the same horse.
Francis — Wellington, FL, USA
You removed the guesswork I used to have when working with my horse. Now instead of feeling overwhelmed, I feel like I understand and can have empathy rather than get emotionally frustrated. You helped me find the clarity I always wanted.
Syrahh — Cappadocia, Turkey
I have worked with a lot of trainers but once I audited one of Samantha's classes I was hooked. It was and continues to be the best training for me and my horse. So blessed to have found her.
Theresa — Jamul, CA, USA
Samantha has given me the ability to relate to my horses in a new way — slowing down to address the underlying holes in their training. It has been very rewarding and I can see new interest and partnership with all of my horses.
Laura — Yuma, AZ, USA
Work with Samantha
Three ways to start
changing the conversation
Clinics
In-person full immersion and private clinics held worldwide — including Europe. Samantha meets you and your horse exactly where you are, tailoring every session to the real dynamics in front of her.
View Clinic ScheduleRemote Coaching
Can't travel? The Remote Horse Coach brings the same depth of work directly to you via virtual sessions. Real guidance, real assessment, wherever you are in the world.
Start Remote CoachingMentorship
Long-term, personalized horsemanship development for riders ready to go deep. Mentorship builds your ability to assess, adapt, and lead — not just in the arena, but in every interaction with your horse.
Explore MentorshipReady to stop guessing
and start understanding?
An Intro Consult is great start. In a private consultation, ranging from 15-60 minutes, Samantha Harve will listen, assess, and help you recognize the "holes" in you and the horse's education and communication that are creating frustrating, unwanted, or even overwhelming equine behaviors..
Book Your Intro Horse Consult