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January 29, 2026
Before we talk about exercises, strength, or toplines, we have to talk about the rider’s mind.
Because the way you think and feel shows up in your body. And your body shows up to your horse.
In The Michelle Method, we start with this question:
Is the voice in my head really me, or is it something I learned?
Think about a little kid, maybe five years old.
They don’t overthink. They don’t hold grudges. They don’t plan ten steps ahead.
They feel something, then they move on.
They are curious, playful, and present.
Horses are like that too.
A horse doesn’t wake up thinking about yesterday’s bad ride or tomorrow’s show.
They live in the moment.
That’s why they are so honest with us.
As we grow up, we change.
We learn our name.
We learn what belongs to us and what doesn’t.
We learn rules, expectations, and how to fit in.
Slowly, we stop being present and start trying to control things.
When life feels scary or confusing, our mind tries to protect us.
It creates rules like:
“Be perfect.”
“Don’t mess up.”
“Stay in control.”
“Don’t trust too much.”
These rules are not bad.
They were created to keep us safe.
But over time, we start to believe those rules are who we are.
Imagine putting on a jacket every time something hurts.
One jacket for fear.
One for disappointment.
One for being judged.
One for being let down.
After a while, you’re wearing so many layers you can barely move.
That’s what happens inside us.
And here’s where horses come in.
When a rider is tight, guarded, or afraid of losing control, the horse feels it immediately.
Not because the rider is bad.
Not because the horse is “difficult.”
But because horses read bodies better than words.
A tense mind creates a tense body.
A guarded rider creates a guarded horse.
In The Michelle Method, we don’t force the horse to “behave.”
We help the rider notice their layers.
When a rider learns to slow down, breathe, and feel their own body again, something shifts.
The hands soften.
The seat gets quieter.
The aids become clearer.
The horse responds because the rider is finally present.
Here’s the most important part.
Under all those mental layers, nothing is broken.
That curious, calm, confident version of you is still there.
Just like a horse is still willing underneath tension or confusion.
You don’t have to become someone new.
You don’t have to earn worth.
You don’t have to fix everything at once.
You simply start removing the layers.
And when you do, it doesn’t just help your horse.
It helps your relationships.
It helps how you speak to yourself.
It helps how you move through the world.
A regulated rider creates a regulated horse.
A present human creates a safer partnership.
That’s not just training.
That’s connection.
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