Heart Centered Horsemanship

09/14/2026

Equine-assisted learning has the potential to teach us many things, and I’m not sure there’s a clear consensus about exactly what those things are.

I believe horses can teach us a great deal about collaborative leadership, and this is a lesson humanity could use right now.

Dominance is an expression of power, and power can be very useful in protecting a space and establishing boundaries. A dominant horse may be able to move the others out of the way, but that doesn’t necessarily make them the leader.

Leadership in a herd can be fluid. Different individuals may have influence at different times depending on what is happening and what the group needs.

The individual best equipped to guide the group in one situation may not be the one best equipped to guide them in another.

Power can help create and protect a safe space. Connection helps hold the group together. And leadership isn’t simply claimed through strength or dominance, it develops through influence, trust, and outcomes that support the well-being of the group.



https://substack.com/

09/14/2026

Curious about what Mindful Horsemanship is really about?

What does it mean to “go back to nothing?”

What can horses teach us about presence and awareness?

And what becomes possible when we stop focusing so much on what we want the horse to do and start paying attention to the relationship we’re creating?

I had the opportunity to explore these questions and more in this conversation about Heart Centered Horsemanship, the experiences that have shaped my work, and what horses continue to teach me about connection, communication, and being fully present.

If you’re new here, or curious about the philosophy behind what I teach, this is a great place to start.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation below.

Podcast Episode · The Thinking Horse and Rider: Helping Riders Understand Their Horses | Anna Fox · 27 July · 1hr 1min

09/07/2026

I’ve spent the past couple of decades figuring out how to work with horses without relying on dominance. Along the way, I’ve had to ask what dominance actually does well - and what requires something different.

Dominance has a place. But dominance and leadership aren’t the same thing.

My latest Beyond Dominance essay explores the difference between power over and power with, and what horses can teach us about creating cohesion rather than division.

Full essay at Beyond Dominance - link in bio.

09/07/2026

Where do you start when teaching turns under saddle (or ba****ck pad?)

In this video, Poppy and I are practicing what I call "ice cream cones," doing half circles from the wall back to the wall to change directions.

I don't pull on her to turn, or use pressure from my leg. I create the movement of turning in my own body and she can feel it.

Throughout our time together, Poppy and I have been working on her habit of bracing and resisting when asked to try new things. Transforming those responses to softness and connected movement on the ground prepared us to extend this embodied and harmonious communication into riding.

If you want to learn more about riding with mindful movement, connect with me here or check out my website... link in the bio!

09/03/2026

What happens when you want a horse to try something and they're saying no?

Do you make them do it anyway because you can? Do you use more force or pressure to gain cooperation?

Or...

Do you accept that no means no and work around the objectionable request, giving the horse complete choice in whether or not to participate?

Or do you seek something in between? A way of gaining consent that doesn't require force, but that doesn't leave you stuck in a pattern of constant avoidance.

Poppy is a hard-core avoider. No doubt she learned this as a survival skill, which she probably needed before my client adopted her from a kill pen.

We are gradually, firmly and gently, one baby step at a time, working through her avoidance in a way that is improving her confidence in humans.

If you're curious about this process, check out the online Mindful Horsemanship course on my website. When you join the course, you also get access to weekly Zoom chats where you can ask questions, send videos for review, and hang out virtually in a supportive and like-minded community. I'd love to see you there!

08/31/2026

I created a substack account today! It's called Beyond Dominance, and I hope you'll come along for the ride as I explore themes of dominance and it's opposite, co-creation, to discover what horses can teach us about inner peace and saving the planet.

https://beyonddominance.substack.com/p/what-if-dominance-isnt-the-answer?r=4gqru1&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

08/30/2026

When Polly arrived, I knew she had issues with being in a herd. I was told she tended to act like a stallion and displayed dominant behaviors.

Dominance isn't moving other horses out of the way, but rather seeking to control or manipulate others for one's own advancement or to have power over them. This is rare to see in horses, but Polly did, indeed, have a tendency to herd other horses around.

Training methods that rely on dominance did not work well with Polly. She's not one to back down from a fight. Seeing how well she responded to my methods, her person asked if I would take her. She recognized that what I was doing brought out the best in Polly, and she wanted to see her thrive.

When I brought her home, I hoped she would get along with Abby. It didn't take long to realize that wasn't going to work. She was lunging Abby in the pasture, neither of them would relax for long.

That's when I knew she needed Crow. I don't know what it is about him, but other horses have always stepped aside when Crow approached. He doesn't so much as pin an ear, I've never seen him be aggressive, actually he's a very sweet and loveable guy, but he has a presence about him that other horses respond to.

Crow doesn't dominate Polly, but he doesn't get pushed around by her either. He's at the top of the "who moves who" game, without so much as pinning an ear.

Crow is an excellent example of how we can show up in a way that is not threatening or intimidating, yet horses will naturally soften and organize around us.

08/26/2026

When we consider success a happy, healthy and sound horse for life, the game changes.