Owners of hard-to-catch horses:

Looking for solutions that don't involve harsh tactics or chasing

Imagine…

  • Walking out to the field, calling your horse’s name… and watching him run to you with a gleeful whinny
  • Seamlessly haltering and leading your horse with ease
  • The peace of knowing you can catch your horse quickly and stress-free in an emergency
  • Building a relationship with your horse based on trust, connection, and mutual respect


…But as the owner of a hard-to-catch horse, you have a handful of unique challenges:

  • You’ve already tried chasing, running him around, roping him, bribing with treats - nothing works
  • You can get him if you have to… but you’re both exhausted by the end and it’s getting harder, not easier, each time
  • Your horse is smart! He’s learned to evade every new attempt
  • You’re overwhelmed and  confused about how to help your horse with the endless variety of conflicting advice you get online
  • You are nervous to use positive reinforcement/food rewards because you’ve been told to NEVER hand feed your horse… and rattling a bucket FULL of feed isn’t even working! But you see how great the results can be, and you want that kind of relationship (or maybe you’re just desperate… and this is the last thing you haven’t tried)
  • You’re afraid that you aren’t cut out for this, maybe you just need to rehome your horse… But you know he could end up in a bad place, and that thought is unbearable.


You’re not alone in this devastating experience. Thankfully…


There is a solution.


Catching the Hard-to-Catch Horse

A self-paced online training program that takes the most difficult horses from hard to catch to catching themselves without force, coercion, or bribes.

The 6 Steps to Transformation

Step 1: Exploring The Conceptual Framework

Let’s dive right in - why is your horse hard to catch in the first place? We’ll discuss the psychology of learning and how behaviors are altered and shaped - intentionally or unintentionally. We also explore how your own mindset and energy can impact each interaction with your horse.


Step 2: Setting Up The Environment for Success

You already know just walking out into the pasture with a halter isn’t working - so let’s figure out what we can do differently to make things easier and increase our odds of having successful and SAFE training sessions.


Step 3: Developing Your Superpower 

Reading subtle equine body language truly is a superpower! Especially when it comes to our hard to catch equines. If you can read the small changes that happen before he kicks up his heels and runs off, you can prevent it from happening in the first place! This is where you really start to build 2-way communication with your horse - the foundation of any trusting and loving relationship.


Step 4: Working in Protected Contact

Protected contact is a fancy way of saying we’re going to train with a physical barrier - like a fence line or a stall wall - between you and the horse. We start here for a couple of reasons - it’s great for your safety if the horse is reactive and flighty, but it’s also extremely beneficial for building the horse’s confidence as we work to change associations with your presence, the halter, and more. I walk you through my step-by-step process of training exercises with real-life examples of horses I’ve had in training.


Step 5: Sharing the Space

Now it’s time to remove the barrier and occupy the same space with your horse. Again, we walk together step-by-step through the exercises you’ll need for force-free haltering and leading with examples of real uncatchable horses I’ve had in training.


Step 6: Catch Your Horse Anywhere, Any Time

That’s why you’re here isn’t it? You need to walk out into the field under any conditions and know with confidence that you can catch your horse. Farrier shows up early? No problem. Emergency vet visit needed? No problem. Weather-related chaos? No problem. I’ll tell you exactly how to prepare for any scenario!

Course curriculum

    1. Welcome!

    2. Resources

    1. Why Is Your Horse Hard to Catch?

    2. Creating a Horse Who Catches Himself

    3. Assignment: Self Reflection 1

    4. Learning Theory Overview

    5. Introduction to Shaping

    6. The “Loopy Training” Principle

    7. Your Mindset and Energy

    1. Manipulating the Environment: Setting Yourself Up for Success

    2. Key Considerations

    3. Environmental Enrichment

    1. Language Signs & Calming Signals

    2. Assignment: Observation

    3. Assignment: Self-Reflection 2

    4. Equine Ethogram

    1. Overview of Protected Contact

    2. Exercise: Undemanding Time

    3. Training with Food and Hand Feeding

    4. Exercise: Food in a Bucket

    5. Exercise: Hand Target

    6. Using a Bridge Signal

    7. Exercise: Halter Target

    8. Revealing the Truth

    9. Assignment: Self-Reflection 3

    10. Download: Field Guide 1

    1. Review of Hand Feeding Best Practices

    2. Repeat Protected Contact Exercises

    3. Exercise: Forehead Target

    4. Exercise: Follow Me

    5. Exercise: Over the Ears

    6. Exercise: Nose in the Hole

    7. Exercise: Stationary Target

    8. Upping Criteria and Chaining Behaviors

    9. Example Haltering Progression 1: Immy

    10. Example Haltering Progression 2: Lady

    11. Download: Field Guide 2

    12. Assignment: Self-Reflection 4

About this course

  • $349.00
  • 43 lessons
  • 5.5 hours of video content

Here’s How I’ll Walk You Through Every Step:

  • 6 Modules of Course Curriculum

    Go through it at your own pace and keep access to the material for life! The curriculum is a healthy mix of theoretical information and training exercises - with examples using real uncatchable horses I had in training.

  • 1:1 Coaching Calls

    As a student, you get TWO coaching calls included in your course tuition. If you need more support, you have access to additional 1:1 coaching calls/video review at a deep discount from my normal rates as you are working through this course.

  • Action Steps

    Each module comes with action steps for developing your skills and reflecting on your successes and challenges. No busy work here! Everything is designed to keep you on track and support your progress with your horsehair

  • Community Support

    Ask your questions, get help and support, and share your wins in our community Facebook group. The internet is a wild place with all kinds of conflicting advice flying around - know you’re posting in a place where people share your values and ethics.

Meet Your Instructor!

Physical Therapist Barbara Parks

Dr. Barbara Parks, PT, DPT, CERP is a physical therapist for horse and rider based in the Nashville, TN area. Barbara received her doctorate in physical therapy from Belmont University and her Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner credentials from UT-Knoxville. She is also a PATH Intl. certified therapeutic riding instructor and spent some time teaching adaptive riding lessons prior to becoming a physical therapist. Barbara has a passion for positive reinforcement training and using clicker training in rehabilitative exercise and has pursued continuing education in equine bodywork, barefoot hoofcare and composite shoeing, equine nutrition, and equine behavior and learning theory in order to provide a whole-horse approach to rehab and injury prevention. She lives on a small farm with her husband, 5 horses, 4 cats, and 3 dogs.

What People Are Saying:

5 star rating

This Course Saved Me

Kelsey Rast

This course saved me and my horse. My horse was untouchable for over a year, including 9 months with a traditional trainer that had successfully work with re...

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This course saved me and my horse. My horse was untouchable for over a year, including 9 months with a traditional trainer that had successfully work with rescue cases and hard to catch horses for 9 years. But NOBODY could touch Kopper, let alone work with her- that was before Barb. Barb didn't just come in and catch her though, she came and taught me the skills to build the relationship myself with Kopper to show her how to trust, how to love, how to even enjoy being caught, and now anyone can go catch her! She comes running when she sees me, she stands at liberty for a farrier, all because Barb took the time to show me how to do it myself. This course is so incredibly in depth and I never felt alone, I had a support system the entire time. It's worth every penny and I can't even fathom where I, or Kopper, might be without it.

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