In-Person

Shannon works 1-on-1 with Vancouver Island clients
to help improve relationships between humans and their horses.
Typically, this involves visiting horse and handler
in their existing environments to assist with:

• improved relaxation for both horse and human;

• deepening connection and expanding communication channels;

• achieving more balanced, straighter and freer movement;

• improving coordination and curiosity;

• behavioural intervention (trauma-informed lens);

• identifying nervous system patterns and repatterning for greater capacity and resilience;

• overcoming fear, trust and issues of hyper- and hypo-arousal;

• repairing relational ruptures;

• finding play and joy in relationship;

• teaching techniques for riding and handling that put your connection with your horse (as well as your body) first.

A NOTE ON LEARNING THEORY AND REINFORCEMENT MODELS:

Shannon uses both R+ (positive reinforcement), R- (specifically, non-escalating pressure), body literacy, somatic experiencing and subtle energy techniques. A mix of ground-work, liberty and ridden work (bitless and/or bareback optional) will be used as is relevant to the partnership.

But typically, Humminghorse techniques will begin with a significant amount of slow groundwork where you’ll learn to read calming signals, establish a neuroception of safety and proceed at a pace that allows the nervous system to integrate novel stimuli without getting stacked. This kind of relational attunement is a reinforcer unto itself that extends beyond popular conceptions of Behaviourism’s 4-quadrant model.