Life is a mission, not a Career
My name is Karine Vandenborre (1977 - Belgium). I’m a professional horse trainer and instructor and expert in relational and training problems between horses & humans. I'm especially known for my work with problematic and traumatised horses and my positive and patient way of helping those horses, in liberty first. What I do with horses and what I teach my students is what I call Liberty Connection Work. That's not the same as Liberty Training. I've written this article for you, so you can understand the difference between Liberty Connection Work versus Liberty Training.
I started riding horses when I was 13, in a small riding school in a village nearby. What started as a weekly activity soon became an everyday activity, so every day, after school and on the weekends right after breakfast, I would take my bike, no matter what weather it was, and cycle to the riding school to spend the rest of the day there. I would clean the boxes, feed, and take care of the horses and in return, I could ride for free.
This is when the seed was planted
One morning, I was 15, this young, black horse named Farao, was standing in one of the boxes. He was beautiful, but there were quite some problems: Farao bucked when being ridden, he didn’t like to be touched and he didn’t let himself be haltered without trying to kick you first, so nobody liked him, and most of the time Farao was standing in his box, without being groomed or being ridden.
One day I decided to do something about that, and try to win the trust of Farao. That experience changed everything. It was the period in my life when the seed was planted for my future work with horses, although I wasn’t aware of it at that time.
The relationship with this horse meant so much to me, and I learned so much from it that I wanted to learn more and more and spent even more time with him and with as many other horses as possible.
The next step
When I was 18, the decision was made quite easy: I wanted to work with horses! I wanted to learn as much as I could learn about horse training and horse communication.
Because thanks to Farao, and other horses as well, I experienced that it is possible to have amazing relationships and have fun during training, even with the so-called “problematic” horses.
Since then I have immersed myself in the behavior of horses and how to bond and communicate with them so that they trust and understand you.
Between my 18th and my 25th, I trained and was responsible for dressage horses, jumping horses, carriage horses, and hunting horses. I moved to Portugal to work with Lusitano’s, teach horsemanship & riding, and train horses for trail rides.
However, after 7 years, when I was 25, I felt I needed to take the next step.
That’s when I decided to start on my own, to become an independent horse trainer and instructor. Then I could do what I wanted, I could train horses the way I wanted and I could teach what and how I wanted.
Then I could make a real difference in the horse world.
My first horse
It was at that time that I also got my first own horse: Niki. She was
12 years when she was given to me by an acquaintance. She was sweet and
willing, very energetic, but quickly stressed. She also couldn’t stand
still.
I tried different ways to teach her to stand still longer than a few seconds, but that only made her want to move more. So I decided to do it differently.
I decided to stop “training” her to stand still. And even more, I decided to stop haltering her and training her on a lead rope all together.
Instead, I spent 2 months, only in liberty. You have to know that I didn't have an arena. I worked with her in a field of a few hectares. And after a while, even in the 60 hectares unfenced property where she was boarded.
To make a long story short, after those 2 months of liberty I
had a different horse! Our connection was amazing, she was calm and
relaxed. It was a dream to ride her, I could even ride her without tack.
In all the years that followed, every time again, I learned that the level of connection somebody has with his horse is what makes the difference between frustration and fun, between failure and success.
And that's no matter what discipline you and your horse practice, no matter what breed and age your horse is, no matter whether you are a recreational rider or a professional.
And the best of all, it’s not some kind of magic that’s reserved for the happy few who were born with it.
You can do it too and if you want, I can help you with that.
My Career?
Some people ask me about my "career"...
But I don't feel like having a "career". I feel I have a life mission: helping people and their horses develop a natural and joyful connection based on trust and 2-way communication.
That's why I also started coaching online since 2012. To reach more people and horses. In this way I’ve coached and empowered horsewomen and their horses from all over the world to reach that
connection they’re longing for. If it's possible for them, it's possible for you too.
The red thread
I studied many different schools and systems of horsemanship, both classical and “natural”. In combination with my everyday practice and experience, my interest in mindfulness & breath and body awareness, the Horsefulness Training method was founded.
Natural connection, meaningful communication, awareness and mindfulness run like a read thread through this dynamic way of being with horses, connecting with horses and training horses.
On my website you can learn and discover more about what Horsefulness Training is all about, the importance of Liberty Connection Work and Mindful Training.
Letters from the Field
Since I stepped away from social media, these letters are where I show up. I tell you what I'm seeing in my own horses, what I'm learning, what's moving in my work. You'll hear when a new podcast episode is out, and when the doors to my programs open.
Some letters are short. Some are long, the kind you keep for a quiet cup of tea. Some invite you into my work, and when they do, I'll say so plainly. If that's not for you, the unsubscribe link is always there, and I won't take it personally.
Over 6,000 horsewomen already read along. If something in you says yes, leave your name and email below, and the next letter will find you soon.
With love,
Karine ♡
© Karine Vandenborre - Horsefulness Training. All Rights Reserved