Kylie Bartel Horsemanship & Psychology Services

This is such a great opportunity to learn with Josh Nichol for free!!! My sense of feel improved exponentially thanks to Josh’s input. Don’t miss this free webinar! 🤠

Webinar: Awakening the Feel Within Yourself

If you can’t make it to Horse Expo Canada, you can watch Elisha Bradburn and I host The Horseman’s Hot Seat live on YouTube all weekend!!

The Blue Willow Entertainment Stage is your connection to watch live via our YouTube channel! There you will be able to enjoy live music as well as the Horseman’s Hot Seat! Tune in to hear from the trainers and hear their thoughts on the first session of the Trainers Showdown Legends Edition.

https://www.youtube.com/live/V5LeTmvFizs?si=0eofNdqVZE62iDAH

Can’t wait for 2024 and co-hosting The Horseman’s Hot Seat with Elisha Bradburn!! Stop by the stage this weekend (April 26-28) and learn more about the ideas and experiences that have helped our expo clinicians get to where they are today. Hope to see you there!

If you've ever wondered what I do, check this out!

Meet Kylie Bartel - The Horsemanship Therapist Kylie's mission is to help horses and riders develop the kind of relationship that leaves both parties better than when we started. When we attune to what o...

I am so excited to be teaching in my own hometown!! Stop by the Heritage Park in Chilliwack this weekend and come say “hi!” at the !

Here are my demo & lecture times:

Friday April 12, 2024
- 1:00-2:00pm -> Demo in the tbird Showcase Arena. Demo title: Clear is Kind - Engaging Healthy Boundaries with Horses
- 3:00-4:00pm -> Lecture in the Acera Insurance Lecture Room 1 - Getting “in the Zone”

Saturday April 13, 2024
- 4:00-5:00pm -> Demo in the tbird Showcase Arena. Demo title: Calm & Connected - Overcoming Fear and Anxiety with Horses

Sunday April 14, 2024
- 12:00-1:00pm -> Demo in the tbird Showcase Arena. Demo title: The Power of Presence - Increasing Feel and Self-Awareness with Horses
- 3:00-4:00pm -> Lecture in the Acera Insurance Lecture Room 1 - Struggle More Gracefully

Hope to see you there!

“In our training progression, we want to prioritize balance and free motion, not a change of gait. When we are fixated on “walk,” “trot,” or “canter,” we focus on the outcome without considering the process of how we got there. If we prioritize balance and free motion, the horse will offer the gait as a byproduct and most of our problems disappear.” -

*CLINIC DATE RESCHEDULED*

After one of the warmest Decembers on record, Chilliwack will be experiencing an unexpected cold snap next week (on January 12, 2024). As a result, we have decided to push Day 1 of our winter clinic series back to January 19, 2024 (see poster).

Check out kyliebartel.com/events for more details. Hope to see you there!

What is your narrative about your worth in relationships?

Join Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman and Dr. John Gottman as they discuss their new book with Dr. Brené Brown on January 30 at 7:00 PM ET. Buy your ticket from one of our independent bookstore partners to gain access to this exclusive event and receive a copy of FIGHT RIGHT. We can’t wait to see you there!

Save your seat here: https://loom.ly/P0e49Yw

Looking for a Christmas 🎁 for an Equestrian in your life?

Gift them with a registration to ‘𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧’𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞’ in January!

It’s a weekend full of education, application of hands-on skills, and collaboration with other horsewomen! It’s going to be FUN!

CONSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH TRAINING, PART 2…

APPROACH AND RETREAT WHEN THEY STOP MOVING THEIR FEET
VS
RETREAT UPON RELAXATION

I had a really good example of this a few weeks ago, when a fellow trainer asked me for some feedback when they were working their mare with a flag after a noisy winter jacket incident. IYKYK.

They felt like she was just ‘compartmentalizing,’ like she wasn’t really ‘OK’ with the flag, even though she was keeping her feet still when it was presented.

“There’s only one way to find out…”

If we have a horse who we believe is just tolerating, and not really OK when we are desensitizing, a simple way to find out is to ask them if they can accept that same stimulus while they’re in motion… ‘Desensitization in Motion.’

If they’re not really OK with it, they won’t be able to continue the motion, they’re going to go into flight, or freeze.

Sure enough, when the trainer tried to reintroduce the flag while the mare was walking, she immediately went into flight, just like with the noisy winter jacket.

This is where ‘quit when they quit moving their feet’ has gotten a lot of us into trouble, because while interrupting the flight response is a necessary thing if we end up over threshold, if we never progress that and get actual acceptance and relaxation, it will bite us in the butt later on.

I think in addition to teaching the horse to freeze up, the repetitions of retreating before relaxation occurs can also inadvertently teach the horse we retreat when they are tense mentally and posturally, which is why a lot of horses get stuck in freeze/orienting purgatory, which so easily tips into flight at the slightest provocation.

So with this mare, we switched into some constructional approaches like releasing the topline at a standstill to make the flag go away, and continuing walking to make the flag go away, and that was just what she needed.

(There are so many similarities between this and established behavioral training techniques like perception modification and conditioned relaxation, but I don’t want to to get too off-course…)

In summary, you can’t just quit them when they quit moving their feet, you quit them when they’ve changed their mind.

Visible changes like postural relaxation and keeping the same rhythm in motion are pretty good indicators they’ve changed their mind.

WHAT ABOUT POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT?
There’s no reason why we can’t piggyback positive reinforcement on top of CAT, retreat and treat upon relaxation, as long as we remember this is really about reading what’s most reinforcing to the animal in the moment…
In this case, control of the flag.

If we don’t take that into account, if we just plow ahead with positive reinforcement, we can absolutely get a situation where the animal will perform for the food reward without ever achieving acceptance and relaxation about the stimulus, because they’ve never actually been given control over it.

If we don’t achieve acceptance and relaxation, if we remove the control of the food reward, just like removing the control of a halter and lead, the animal will no longer tolerate the procedure.

Part 1:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=568421341959665&id=100063754110668&mibextid=qC1gEa

FINAL NOTE:
Positive reinforcement is still an incredibly valuable tool in my toolbox, but I encourage trainers who are pursuing how to utilize it with fearful and unhandled horses to familiarize themselves with Barbara Heidenreich’s work.

Visiting with Dr. Barlow-Irick of Mustang Camp, author of the technical but succinct tome, ‘How 2 Train A _,’ has given me some valuable insights as well.

Many times, a lot of the positive reinforcement advice we get comes from trainers who work primarily with their own horses or a very niche clientele, with a lot of control over timeframes, environment, and expectations.

Heidenreich’s work with zoo animals has much more in common with the scenarios many of us more mainstream trainers encounter… little to no control over timeframe, environment, expectations, etc.

It can be very validating to hear that positive reinforcement can plateau in zoological settings…

“In zoological settings caregivers are training everything from snarling big cats to flighty herds of antelopes.
Traditionally the first step has involved delivering preferred food items.
But some animals present such extreme fear responses or aggressive behavior in the presence of humans, that food holds little value.
Trying to use desensitization, counterconditioning and keeping animals below threshold can be challenging to apply for many reasons. Results are often slowly realized in these cases, if at all.
The constructional approach empowers animals to replace fear or aggressive behavior with desired responses.”

It’s also very validating to hear a perspective where animal welfare is more important than labels…

“Many animal trainers have been taught that negative reinforcement is inherently coercive.
Others might argue, myself included, that it is more coercive to force an animal to try to accept food in the presence of an aversive stimulus when its body language is demonstrating a clear fear or aggressive response…
The most accurate evaluation would be to look at an individual procedure and measure it for its impact on animal welfare…
… giving the animal the reinforcer it desires (an aversive stimulus to go away) is the opposite of coercive.
It can be empowering and used to shape desired behaviors.”
- Barbara Heidenreich, Exotic Animal Training: The Constructional Approach to Addressing Extreme Fear Responses and Aggressive Behaviorhttps://animaltrainingfundamentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Heidenreich-Constructional-Approach.pdf

You are invited to join us in Chilliwack for my winter clinic series! Come learn more about building the bond with horses and growing as a person.

Clinic spots can be booked through our clinic host Donna Stiles. Details and contact info can be found on kyliebartel.com/events. Hope to see you there!

What a great opportunity! I got started with Relational Horsemanship by auditing Josh’s clinics and it opened my eyes up to see a whole new way of understanding horses. HIGHLY recommend!!! 🙌🏼

Have you ever wanted to audit a clinic with Josh but were unable to attend due to distance?

Well, here is your chance! For the first time ever Josh is offering a virtual experience where you can watch him live as he teaches a clinic at Reverence Horsemanship Centre in Bragg Creek, AB, Canada.

You will be able to watch as he takes each horse and rider through his process of understanding both horses and people to better their relationships and achieve their goals.

Join us on November 21-24, 2023, as we dive deep into learning and have some fun!

Your purchase will also give you access to the recordings to watch at your convenience!!

Click the link below for more information!
https://joshnichol.securechkout.com/virtual-clinic-experience

Having issues signing up? Contact [email protected] and we'll help you get back on track!

We have new dates for our next Building the Bond with Horses Retreat! If you want to do well by your horse and grow personally in the process, this workshop is for you. Come and get away from the hustle of life as you slow down, check in, and recharge with horses in nature. This space is especially designed for helpers and equine facilitated wellness professionals who would like to enjoy the experience of getting in the arena as a participant.

Throughout the two days, participants will learn through relational horsemanship sessions, group discussions, and mini lectures on attachment theory as it relates to Free Liberty work. Here are the workshop details:

- Date: Oct 27-28, 2023
- Cost: $450* + GST
- *Note: workshop fee may be covered by counselling benefits
- Location: Hopyard Hill Acres in Agassiz, BC
- Horses will be provided (no off-site horses)
- 6 person group
- Auditors welcome ($25 / day or $40 for two days)
- To sign up, email [email protected] and request a registration form
- A 50% deposit will be required to secure your spot

Hope to see you there!

Hello friends! This has been in the works for some time and I am thrilled to share a new workshop with y’all: Building the Bond with Horses!

Horses are masters at offering us feedback about the way we show up in relationships. When we take the time to slow down and listen, there are infinite things we can learn about the horses and ourselves.

We created the Building the Bond with Horses workshop to give folks a chance to work hands-on with horses and learn more about themselves through “Free Liberty Work.” This element of Relational Horsemanship was created by Josh Nichol and it is one of the best exercises for becoming more aware of your tendencies around horses. By practicing Free Liberty work with horses that understand the exercise, you can work on everything from developing more secure attachment styles to growing your confidence from the inside out.

Free Liberty work is special because the goal is not achieving a desired behaviour; the goal is to facilitate open dialogue between the horse and person through body language and presence. When we become more aware of the energy we bring into the space, we can move toward a more secure way of relating and offer horses a genuinely good deal (that feels good to them).

If you want to do well by your horse and grow personally in the process, this workshop is for you! It is also a great space for equine facilitated wellness professionals to hone their Relational Horsemanship skills and enjoy the experience of getting in the arena as a student.

Throughout the two days, participants will learn through relational horsemanship sessions, group discussions, and mini lectures on attachment theory as it relates to Free Liberty work. Here are the workshop details:

- Date: Sept 1-2, 2023
- Cost: $450* + GST
- *Note: workshop fee may be covered by counselling benefits
- Location: Hopyard Hill Acres in Agassiz, BC
- Horses will be provided (no off-site horses)
- 6 person group
- Auditors welcome ($25 / day or $40 for two days)
- To sign up, email [email protected] and request a registration form
- A 50% deposit will be required to secure your spot

Hope to see you there!

Controlling Emotions in Horse Training Several years ago, one of my horses-in-training was Jax, a six-year-old Friesian-Hanoverian cross gelding with a few common issues which caused him to become unreliable to ride. As a result, his owner lost her confidence and thus her enjoyment of riding.

What a weekend!! Wow, there were so many great moments and conversations at this year. A new highlight was hosting the Horseman’s Hot Seat interviews on the stage with my delightful friend Elisha Bradburn of . We had the best seat in the house when it came to learning more about the expo clinicians! A big thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hi 👋🏼, kept us hydrated 😅 and made this weekend such a success. 💖

Can’t wait for this!!!

Join us daily at the Cowboy Channel Canada Stage for the Horseman's Hot Seat! Elisha Bradburn and Kylie Bartel will be hosting conversations with clinicians. These conversations will focus on their horsemanship and how their lives lead them to the horse training profession.

Photographer Krystina Lynn Photography

Exciting News! Elisha Bradburn and I will be teaching again this year at !! Come by the Westerner Park in Red Deer, AB from April 28-30th to say hi! We’ll be at the and booths 🤠.

This year we will be teaching three demos and hosting a fun new segment: the Horseman’s Hot Seat, where we ask expo clinicians to go a little deeper and share more about how they got to where they are.

Our demo topics are:
1. Finding Your Balance Point
2. Prepare for the Worst, Expect the Best
3. The Mindset of a Horseman

We hope to see you there!!!