Positive Horse Training Study Groups 2021 (get to the next level with your horse)

Well, it’s the last day of 2020, but, like most people, we’re looking ahead to 2021 and the horsey things we’re planning…

At Connection Training, our aim is to make positive horse training clear and accessible, so that you’re confident you can work with your horse in a way that:

Gets results (from easy hoof handling to genuinely happy hacking)

Know what techniques you’re using and why (understand the principles so that you can apply it to your horse, rather than following a rigid program that doesn’t work for every horse)

Is fun, fair and builds your relationship with your horse (because that’s what we all really want, right? To go out to our horse and to each enjoy each others’ company)

We’ve been running the Connection Training Club, our online membership site for about 10 years (in a few different guises), so we have built up a HUGE library of hundreds of video tutorials on how to train your horse using positive training techniques.

One thing we’ve always felt strongly about is showing a range of horses and humans working through problems or challenges. It’s real life training, so there are sometimes muddy horses or wobbly camera work or terrible weather, but it shows reality and it doesn’t always (often) involve endless sunshine, shiny horses and a bump-free road!

So our videos cover a wide range of horses, ponies, donkeys and mules (and the occasional zebra) with a wide variety of personalities, histories and challenges. This is so helpful in seeing how you can adapt the training and what it actually looks like when you’re trying to follow along with your horse.

But, sometimes, it can still be a struggle to find the motivation, or consistency, or focus, or just to know what you should try when things get tricky.

During lockdown #1 we started running Study Groups for our members. They gave everyone more clarity, guidance and support as they needed it, helping everyone to make much faster, smoother progress with their horse.

They were designed to help people through lockdown but they were so popular, we got loads of requests to do more.

So, we now have a FULL YEAR of Study Groups for 2021!

What are Study Groups?

In our study groups, we help you to follow a training schedule to stay focused and make progress with your horse. They are usually 4 weeks long and follow a specific topic or Home Study Course.

Each week you will be directed to training videos, followed by specific exercises to try with your horse. They offer a group learning environment where you can learn alongside other members, helping each other out. Hannah, Rachel and the CT Coaches also offer some guidance and reviews through these Study Groups.

They are free for all CT Club members and you can join in as many as you like.

You will also get full access to ALL of our videos, Home Study Courses, forum, Q&A’s and so on as soon as you join.

We have 2 kinds of Study Group:

The Foundation ones which help to guide you through getting started using +R with your horse. It’s quite a simple concept that can be tricky to put into practice well with some horses, so these Study Groups will take you through the theory of the training, understanding the science of equine learning and emotions behind it, as well as the practice, looking at exactly how to adapt the training for YOUR horse.

The General Study Groups cover a range of training topics. They are very practical, so are entirely focused on teaching and improving a behaviour with your horse. They can be adapted to horses working at different levels and you get progressive exercises each week, building and refining the behaviour.

Here’s some more info and the first Study Groups of the year:

2021 Foundation Study Groups

There are a series of 4 of these that will be repeated throughout the year. The first one starts on 4th January, so join now to get started this new year!

Foundation Theory 1

Jan 4 - 31st

Getting started with Connection Training is the most complex part because you have to understand the principles and then work out the best way to apply it to your horse. This Study Group will cover the principles of CT, plus understanding equine behaviour and emotions in relation to your own horse’s history and personality.

With Rachel Bedingfield

Click HERE for more info and to sign up!

Foundation Practical 1

Feb 1-28th

Designed to follow on from Theory 1, this is where you get to dive in with Connection Training with your horse. You’ll be guided through starting clicker training with your horse, the CT way, teaching behaviours like ‘stay’, ‘walk together’ and ‘targeting’. The Study Group will help you set up your sessions and use techniques that will work best for your horse so that you get off to the best start together.

With Rachel Bedingfield

Click HERE for more info and to sign up!

Foundation Theory 2

March 29th - April 25th

This Study Group dives into some deeper theory and principles from the Foundation Course. We’ll look at topics such as balancing relaxation and motivation, fading out the treats, understanding cues and more. This knowledge will improve and refine your training for your horse.

With Rachel Bedingfield

Click HERE for more info and to sign up!

Foundation Practical 2

May 3-30th

This Study Group takes you through the second half of the Foundation Course and supports you as you continue to work with your horse using the CT techniques. You’ll teach your horse to send and hold on a target, stand on a mat or mark, train a soft back-up and learn how to put all the behaviours together to bring more flow, softness and communication to your training.

With Rachel Bedingfield

Click HERE for more info and to sign up!

2021 General Study Groups

These Study Groups take you through training a specific behaviour or exercise to your horse. They are supported by Hannah or one of our CT Coaches.

Leading - Calm, Connected and Confident

Jan 4 - 31st

This Study Group will focus on leading exercises using positive reinforcement. This is perfect to teach leading to young or green horses, or to refine leading with horses who barge, pull, rush, plant or cut in front of you.

With CT Coach Melissa Deal

Click HERE for more info and to sign up!

Around a Round Pen

Feb 1 -28th

Around a Round Pen is a simple technique to safely and confidently build up some more movement work with your horse, giving them clear guidance as you start to teach them how to work in a circle around you. You’ll learn how to get started, teach voice cues, start to increase the speed, stay connected at a distance and begin to shape movement and engagement with your horse.

With CT Coach Claire Waldron

Click HERE for more info and to sign up!

Despooking

March 1 -28th

Despooking exercises help to build your horse’s confidence about novel or unusual sights, objects and situations. Our approach to despooking helps your horse learn how to control his impulse to flee, and think his way through the scary situation instead, turning to you for guidance. This is an amazing way to build two-way trust with your horse.

With CT Coach Judith Edel

Click HERE for more info and to sign up!

Shoulders and Quarters Over

March 29th - Apr 25th

Teaching your horse to step over with their shoulders and quarters is necessary exercise for daily handling. It’s also great for building body awareness and is the foundation of many exercises such as lateral work, bending and building suppleness and straightness.

With CT Coach Angelica Hesselius

Coming Soon!

Click here to find out more and see the rest of the 2021 Study Group Schedule.

The Friendly and Supportive Place to Learn

Another thing we’re really hot on at CT is that everyone is supportive and welcoming to everyone else. This is not always easy to find in the horse world, but a space where humans feel confident to learn is just as important as one for our horses. And, we have to say that our members are AMAZING. We have hundreds of members from all over the world, all levels of experience and all walks of equestrian life. But the things they have in common are a dedication to their horses and a supportive, open-minded outlook to other people.

Check out some of their recent incredible achievements shared in the CT Facebook group (for CT Club members):

We’d love for you to join us all in the CT Club, too.

It’s a monthly membership where you get instant access to EVERYTHING – you can watch any video you like, from any of our Home Study Courses right away so if there’s a specific topic you want to know about, you can head straight there.

You can join in the Study Groups, and the discussions on the forum, chat to us directly at our Q&A’s, download our previous recordings and more from the moment you join (it’s all included).

There is no contract – it’s just monthly membership which you can cancel (and rejoin) any time from directly within your account. And, the first month is half price, so you can test it out and see if it’s for you.

To find out more and sign up, click here.

Here’s to a wonderful, connected, horsey 2021!

Happy new year,

Hannah and Rachel