Wild to Willing:
Advanced Horsemanship Intensive

Take your horsemanship to the next level.

In this unique program, I invite experienced horsepeople to join me for a hands-on experience working with unhandled mustangs during the first months of their domestication.

An Intensive Experience

This program offers the opportunity to participate in the process of connecting with wild horses as they learn to trust humans for the first time, introducing them to experiences and skills that will serve them well throughout life. Every interaction will present fresh challenges that demand your full awareness, adaptability, and skill – and you’ll learn principles and skills that apply to every aspect of horsemanship.

Working with mustangs provides unparalleled insights into how horses think, act, and communicate. These previously-unhandled horses offer unfiltered feedback, offering a masterclass in equine behavior that can’t be replicated.

What Makes This Experience Special

  • Hands-on learning - In each session, we’ll discuss the theory before and after you put it into practice, so you understand the “why” as well as the “how.”

  • Real-world relevance - These skills have practical applications with horses at all stages of training, and this practice will make you more skilled and versatile.

  • Custom tailored - Identify and focus on your specific opportunities for growth.

  • Expert guidance - We’ll chart a course together, and you’ll get timely feedback and support as you navigate each new challenge.

  • No long-term commitment - We find each horse the right long-term home.

Who This Program Is For

This intensive experience is designed specifically for experienced horsepeople who:

  • Have some groundwork skills.

  • Want to refine their timing, feel, and adaptability.

  • Are looking to deepen their understanding of how horses think, act, and communicate.

  • Are looking for a challenge that will help them grow.

  • Want to prepare to train young or unhandled horses on their own.

My Approach to Gentling Mustangs

I've developed an approach that prioritizes clear communication, respect, and partnership.

You'll learn how to:

  • Read and respond to horses’ subtle cues.

  • Create moments of connection that build upon one another.

  • Safely stretch your own and the horse’s limits.

  • Develop feel and timing that allows for conversation, not just compliance.

  • Identify the pace that's right for each individual horse.

This might look like:

  • Subtle exercises in noticing and managing attention.

  • Managing your own breathing and thoughts so that you provide appropriate signals.

  • Teaching the horse to yield correctly to increasingly gentle pressure, through both subtle and pronounced movement.

  • Intentional desensitization and confidence-building exercises.

  • Holding firm boundaries.

  • Safely confronting your own and the horse’s fears.

  • Appropriate use of ropes to gently and safely accustom the horse to yielding their feet.

  • Helping the horse learn to respond to pressure and confinement thoughtfully, rather than in panic.

  • Introducing new equipment and concepts that are prerequisites to ridden work.

While there will inevitably be a few dramatic moments, and it will sometimes be necessary to get firm, everything we do is calm and with a minimum of force to help the horse be comfortable and confident in the environment and expectations we’re bringing them into.

Program Structure

  • Intro Session - We'll spend a little time getting to know each other, and do some hands-on work with trained horses to get a clear picture of your current skills and your goals.

  • Weekly Sessions - Regular hands-on work with mustangs as they progress through gentling and training.

  • Reflection and Planning - After each session, we'll discuss observations and plan next steps.

  • Integration - As the program winds down, we'll synthesize key learnings and discuss how these skills and concepts might apply with other horses in your life.

Limited Availability

Due to the unique nature of this program and the limited number of suitable mustangs in training at any given time, I accept only a few participants in this program each season. This ensures both quality mentorship for you and appropriate care for the horses.

Pricing & Details

I offer this program in three flexible formats to accommodate different levels of commitment and learning preferences.

8-Week Intensive: $1,800

  • A 90-minute intro session.

  • Weekly 2-hour hands-on sessions with mustangs (8 sessions total).

  • Payment plans available (50% deposit, remainder split over the duration of the program).

12-Week Intensive: $2,600

  • Everything in the 8-week program, plus 4 additional weekly sessions.

  • Practice additional skills as mustangs continue to advance in their training.

Ready to level up your horsemanship?

Get in touch! Start with this form, and I’ll get back to you to answer your questions and discuss logistics.