The Sensitive Spooky Nervous Horse Resource

Gain clarity on why your horse is sensitive, spooky, or nervous. This resource shares insights rarely discussed, helping you understand how to strategically support them and build their confidence.

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Have you ever been frustrated by a horse that is worried about the world?

I have, let me tell you about Skuda....

For over seven years, I had the most magnificent Warmblood horse called Skuda, but I struggled to do anything with him because he was so scared of the world.

I tried everything I could to fix him.

I took him to the vet, and they found nothing wrong with him.

I took him to riding lessons, and coaches told me he was just “sensitive.”

I tried every supplement and herb that promised to help with nervous and spooky behaviour.

I bought new saddles, bridles, bits...

Nothing worked.

He would still spook and spin so fast that I’d fall off regularly.

I just felt unlucky to have such a sensitive, nervous horse who wasn’t brave.

Image: The magnificent Skuda, aka Kendalee Tannenbaum

The Day Everything Changed..

Then one day, I was confronted with the realisation that his reaction to the environment was actually being caused by me.

I hadn’t realised that the way I was riding and trying to protect him from the world was the problem. What I was doing seemed sensible to me. Unfortunately, what feels sensible to us doesn’t always align with how a horse is wired by nature.

I couldn’t believe no one had ever pointed this out to me.

This horse started me on the path to becoming the trainer I am today. Since then, I’ve gone on to understand all the ways horses can become reactive and worried about their environments.

In fact, to this day, Skuda was the easiest horse to transform. However, the cause of this behaviour in most horses tends to more layered.

This resource is the culmination of my life’s study so far in understanding horses and helping them harmonise with their environment to become calm, willing, and confident partners.

This Resource is Unique

This resource will teach you things about horses that you may not yet be aware of. I know I wasn’t—and neither were all the people I asked for help all those years ago.

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What I Have Discovered

Understanding is the Cure of Frustration

When you understand what horses need to experience and how they respond to the world the way you see their behaviour changes.
Awareness Allows You to Be Strategic

Awareness replaces frustration, allowing you to help strategically
Strategies Gives You a Pathway

Gain practical ideas and strategies on what to do—and what to avoid! When you know what you can do and how to do it, you no longer feel lost.

What You Will Find in This Resource

You’ll find insights, strategies, and practical ideas presented in a way that’s not complex, but interesting, enlightening, and—most importantly—doable.

I’ve found that when people truly understand what horses need to experience in the world and how they respond to it, everything changes. Once you’re aware, frustration disappears, and you can be strategic in helping them.

This resource also includes practical ideas and strategies so that you know what to do—and equally importantly, what not to do!

Resource Chapter Topics

1. Welcome to The Sensitive Spooky Nervous Horse Resource
2. Requirement - Disclaimer & Risk Warning
3. How to Navigate the Course
1. Chapter Notes - How Horses Process Their World
2. How Horses Are Wired By Nature
3. Herd Dynamic Tendency
4. Independent Nature
5. Sensory Processing Abilities
6. The Concept of Sensory Soundness
7. Individual Horse Sensory Glitches
8. Visual Sensory Glitch Example
9. Internal Sensory Stimuli
1. Chapter Notes: The Worry Cup
2. The Concept of the Worry Cup
3. The Need to Empty the Worry Cup
4. The Impact of the Worry Cup on Sensory Processing
1. Chapter Notes: Flocking (Herding) Instinct
2. Understanding Flocking (Herding) Instinct
1. Chapter Notes: The Orienting & Investigatory Reflex
2. Understanding the "What is That"?! Reflex
3. How to Handle the Orienting & Investigatory Reflex
4. Important: There are Degrees of Orienting!
1. Chapter Notes: The Impact of Nervous Riders
2. Understanding the Cycle of Fear
1. Chapter Notes: How to Create a Chronically Spooky Horse!
2. Things that Can Predispose a Horse to Being More Reactive to their Environment
3. Mistakes that Can Make Horses Even Worse!
4. The Story of Skuda
5. The Story of Saxon
6. The Story of Bella
7. The Story of Roger
8. The Story of Liam
1. Chapter Notes: Helping Horses Learn to be Calm Willing and Confident
2. Step 1: Physical & Physiological Health
3. Step 2: Rebuild Foundation Training
4. Step 3: Be a Good Load for Your Horse to Carry
5. Step 4: Be a Guardian of Your Horse
1. Chapter Notes: What is Foundation Training
2. Partnership Verses Relationship
3. You Cannot Outsource the Creation of a Relationship to a Horse to Someone Else
4. What is Foundation Training?
5. The Best Advice in Regards to Foundation Training
6. What a Foundation Training Program Looks Like
7. Building Trust in Horse-Human Partnerships
8. The Complete Reboot Program
1. 1. Create a Bubble
2. 2. Look Up & Ride Somewhere
3. 3. Start Where Your Horse Needs to Be
4. 4. Who You Need to Be For Your Horse
5. 5. Focus on What the Horse Does Well
6. 6. Treat Training for Positive Association
7. 7. Strategic Work & Rest - How to Introduce a New Riding Area
8. Chapter Notes: Helpful Specific Strategies & Ideas
1. Welcome by Dr Shelley Appleton
2. Disclaimer & Risk Warning
3. How to Work Through This Course
4. Backup Forward Yield Exercise Step 1
5. Backup Forward Yield Exercise Step 2
6. Backup Forward Yield Exercise Step 3
7. Backup Forward Yield Exercise Step 4
8. Backup Forward Yield Exercise Step 5
9. Congratulations....This is What I Recommend Now...

About this resource

$49.95
62 lessons
3.5 hours of video content

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Understand why "sensitive" horses are just horses that need help because they are struggling.

$49.95

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Meet Me, Dr Shelley Appleton

Calm Willing Confident Horses

Dr Shelley Appleton

Dr. Shelley Appleton is the founder of “Calm Willing Confident Horses”. Shelley teaches people how to train horses by presenting online courses, training lessons and clinics throughout Australia. Shelley helps riders nurture partnerships with their horses whilst building confidence, trust, knowledge and skillsets. Shelley has an uncanny, highly experienced ability to recognise, problem solve and correct issues with horses. Her doctorate in Human Learning proves beneficial to all coaching scenarios allowing a deeper understanding of strategies helping people develop their awareness, thinking and skillsets to be more in tune with their horse. Shelley is a published author of books - Confidence & Trust, Solving the Human & Horse Equation and Buying & Supporting a New Horse, The Essential Guide. She is the co-host of the popular Canter Therapy Podcast and creator of the her program of teaching people to help horses called the Complete Reboot System. You can find out more about Shelley on her website: https://www.calmwillingconfidenthorses.com.au

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Do I have Access to this Resource

Once purchased you can 365 days to enjoy and study the material. This should be plenty of time to engage in the material. However, if you run out of time you can always us an email and we can extend your time.
Does this resource contain your training program?

Whilst it does contain bonus material of my "Establishing a Starting Point" exercise known as the "Backward-Forward-Yield" exercise. It does not contain my "how to-course" material. This is separate; however, I do explain my recommended training process and how my training exercises work.
I have a question about this resource that is not here...

If you have question that is not answered here, please email [email protected]