Calm, Willing and Confident Horses

I’m Dr Shelley Appleton — equestrian coach, horse trainer, and researcher with a PhD in human learning and expertise development. Over years of working with riders and horses, I’ve built education that is practical, evidence-based, and proven to work. My mission is simple: to help you enjoy your horse with confidence — while giving your horse the best possible experience with you.

Why Horses Struggle — and Why Reboot Works

Most horse problems can be traced to just three root causes:

• Lack of understanding – your cues don’t make sense to the horse.
• Lack of motivation – discomfort, pain, or how they’re asked makes it hard to try.
• Lack of confidence – they’ve been rushed, pushed too far, or feel unsafe.

Whether it’s spookiness, separation anxiety, refusing to canter, or bucking — these same roots are nearly always at the heart of the issue.

The solution? The Reboot Process.

Just like restarting a computer, it clears the “glitches” and rebuilds a horse’s foundations from the ground up. The result: horses that are calm, willing, and confident, and riders who have the skills to truly support them.

→ Start with The Starting Point Program

→ Or dive into the Complete Reboot Program

IMAGE: The steps of the Reboot process. These are available individually or all together in the Complete Reboot Program.

Featured Programs

• The Starting Point Program - A quick win that builds motivation, momentum and understand how to build confidence and trust — the perfect first step.
• The Complete Reboot Program - The full reset. Learn essential knowledge and 22 essential skills every rider must know and every horse must understand. Available as the best-value bundle or as standalone units:
  • Things to Know About Horses
  • How to Round Pen a Horse
  • How to Groundwork a Horse
  • How to Build a Riding Foundation
  • Foundation for Contact & Connection
• Racehorse to Riding Horse — Off-the-Track Reboot - For Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds transitioning into new lives.
• Project Reboot & Beyond Project Reboot - Reboot foundations in a mini format, then progress into lateral work to develop posture and performance.
• Teaching People How to Work with Horses - Professional-level training for coaches, trainers, and equine professionals. Learn the unique skills of helping humans learn — including how to navigate fears, misconceptions, and identity barriers.

→ Get the Complete Reboot Bundle (Best Value)

Other Resources

If you’re looking for help with specific challenges, you’ll also find programs and resources on:

• Separation anxiety (one of the most misunderstood issues in the horse world).
• Spookiness and nervous horses.
• Confidence and trust — for both horse and rider.
• Selecting and transitioning a new horse successfully.
• Understanding people and how to teach them.

→ Browse Resources

Plus: free ebooks, and presentations to support your growth or just entertain you with special stories about horses.

→ Access Free Blogs & Ebooks

A Personal Note from Shelley

I care deeply about people being able to enjoy their love of horses. I regret the years I spent frustrated, searching for answers in the wrong places — spending thousands on riding lessons, supplements, or stronger bits, when what I truly needed was knowledge and skills.

I lost valuable time with wonderful horses because I couldn’t access the right education. That’s why I’ve dedicated myself to giving back to the equestrian community: creating methodical, well-researched, and practical resources that I wish I’d had earlier.

My promise is to keep striving to understand both horses and people — and to share what I learn, so you and your horse can thrive together.

Want to Connect Further?

This platform is where you’ll find my programs, courses, and resources — everything you need to learn and apply my Reboot Process.

If you’d like to explore more about me and my work beyond this learning platform — including clinics, the Calm Willing Confident Horse Society membership, and online communities — please visit my main website:

→ Visit My Main Website for Clinics & Community

Explore by Category

This platform is organised so you can quickly find what you need, when you need it. From professional development to solving everyday challenges — and even a library of free resources — each category is here to guide your next step:

• Horse Owners – Practical foundations for owners who want structure and confidence.
• Off-the-Track – Support for retraining Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds into new lives. To discover more about this program and initiative list the website https://www.racehorsetoridinghorse.com.au.
• Professionals – For coaches, trainers, and equine professionals, with a focus on teaching people as well as horses.
• Solve Problems – Tackle common challenges like spookiness, separation anxiety, confidence issues, and more.
• Resources – Free blogs, presentations, and ebooks to expand your knowledge and support your growth.

Access Everything Through the App

Make learning with me even easier by downloading the Calm Willing Confident Horses App. With the app, you can:

• Instantly access your programs, courses, and community spaces.
• Stay connected and engaged wherever you are.
• Download and enjoy free resources right away.

The app is available on both platforms:

→ App Store (Apple Devices)

→ Google Play (Android Devices)

Important Setup Notes

To make sure your enrolled courses appear in the app:

• Download the app and log in using the same email and password you used when enrolling.
• If you log in with a social account (e.g. Google or Facebook), your courses may not appear.
• If this happens, simply log out and log back in using your enrolment details.

→ Follow the step-by-step instructions in the images below to get started.