Rachel was the odd child in her family with a strange passion for horses. But lack of opportunity to pursue this took her into agriculture and then management training. It took the same passion in her daughter, Hannah Weston, to lead her back to horses. 

Once Hannah got her first pony they plunged into learning everything they could about the best ways to manage, ride and train their equines. Rachel founded the Natural Horse Group, inviting top practitioners from around the world to present workshops and events. She opened the Natural Horse Shop, providing forage-based feeds, natural care products and hoof boots.

 

The mother-daughter partnership eventually led to the creation of Connection Training. Through this she met Claire Waldron and together they created Positive Horse Training Spain, a horse rescue and teaching centre.

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Rachel travels between her beloved North of Scotland and the South of Spain, living in her camper car with her dog Ellie. Her other main passion is the coast and she and Ellie spend lots of time rock-hopping and cliff clambering on their journeys.

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Website: www.connectiontraining.com

Eva Bertilsson is an internationally renown educator and behavior specialist with a master’s degree in behavior analysis and a life long learning history of animal behavior and training.

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Eva works as a teacher, coach and mentor in a wide range of settings and with a variety of species, helping individuals and organizations apply behavioral principles to teach skills and enhance quality of life for the individuals in their care.

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​In 1998 Eva teamed up with likeminded friend and colleague Emelie Johnson Vegh on the dog agility field, forming Carpe Momentum – a very special collaboration with an extraordinarily thorough and detail-oriented approach to behavior and training. E&E” have developed strategies such as seamless training sessions and startbutton behaviors, they have written Agility Right From The Start and they teach together at Clicker Expo and are both TAGteach faculty.

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Eva also works in many other collaborations, both with individuals and organizations – for example, educating Swedish horse training professionals within the organization OHR+, Exploring nuances of horse training and other matters with Angelica Hesselius, and teaching together with Chirag Patel (#stayliquid) as well as working with TAGteach and Fear Free .

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www.evabertilsson.com/

Georgia Bruce has represented Australia 12 times in Dressage. Including 2 Paralympic Games (2004 and 2008). She has trained many horses to a high level in dressage and worked at international dressage stables in Australia and Germany.

 

Georgia is a qualified dressage coach and judge.  She has also has been using clicker training with horses and other animals since 1998. Georgia was the head animal trainer at the Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve (Zoo) for 2 years working with exotic animals including cheetah, lions and monkeys etc.

 

Georgia has given clicker training clinics, lessons and demonstrations around Australia for the past 20 years together with her horse Rumba. Georgia's horse Rumba the Wonder Horse performs Grand Prix dressage at liberty and bridleless as well as many tricks. They have had multiple videos go viral on the internet.

 

Georgia has written 2 books about clicker training horses and has an online course with over 150 step by step videos for training horses with clicker training.

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https://clickwithhorses.com/​

Do is a Dutch reward-based horse trainer known for making learning engaging and accessible. With a background in communication sciences, she breaks down complex ideas into practical steps to improve communication between horse and rider—creating happy, independent learners who enjoy training together.

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Her approach emphasizes active participation and giving learners choice and control, which is especially evident in her husbandry training, where she helps build cooperation for stress-free care. 

 

Do teaches mainly online, reaching students worldwide. She is a Fear Free Pet Professional, an IAABC supporting member, and is currently pursuing a diploma in Animal Behavior Science & Technology. A lifelong learner, she stays current through courses, conferences, and collaboration with peers.

 

Together with Angelica Hesselius, she co-founded the Reward Based Horse Academy where they plan to educate the instructors of the future and she currently co-teaches new cross-over trainers at Angelica’s Reward Based Riding School.

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www.horseswithchoices.com

Angelica is the founder of the Reward Based Riding School, a passionate teacher, and a lifelong student of the horse. She brings a wealth of experience from the classical dressage world is a Certified Riding Instructor. She has created a logical reward based riding system to work from the get go up to high level movements.

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Angelica is a member of the Knighthood of Academic Art of Riding and has been teaching dressage since 2010 and the last decade reward based dressage.

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Her passion is guiding riders and their horses toward higher balance, connection, and collection with forward-thinking methods and genuine care for both horse and rider. She's currently lives in the north of Sweden with her horses.​

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https://www.rewardbasedridingschool.com/

Mary Hunter earned an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in behavior analysis from the University of North Texas. Mary’s business, Behavior Explorer, offers educational courses and programs for individuals interested in the science of behavior. In addition, she teaches as an adjunct instructor in the behavior analysis department at the University of North Texas. In 2019, Mary and Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz published their first book, PORTL: The Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab.

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Mary’s research interests include studying the process of shaping and finding better ways to teach people to train animals. Her master’s thesis, which examined the effects of a single reinforcer during shaping, was published in 2019 in the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. She is a full member of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and has presented her research at the organization’s annual convention.

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Website: https://behaviorexplorer.com/ and https://stalecheerios.com/

Amanda Jay is the Director of Via Nova Training, and creator of Priority to Positive®. She is on a mission to transform the traditional sport horse world by helping riders and trainers understand how to use the mindset, tools and skills of Positive Reinforcement.

 

Over a lifetime of learning as an amateur equestrian, Amanda began to look for what makes training work. During this quest for knowledge, she has studied with some well-known behaviorists inside and outside the horse world. While teaching and observing equestrians as they learn how to use Positive Reinforcement with horses, she saw some common challenges which led her to develop the Five Core Principles of Priority to Positive. Via Nova is focused on developing professional trainers, coaches and riders who can apply Positive Reinforcement across a broad spectrum of the equestrian world.

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Amanda Jay will be presenting together with Gilly Slayter.

Dr. Katerina Junghansova is an equine veterinarian and lifelong equestrian. She's passionate about equine cooperative care and helping horses and other animals overcome their fear of veterinarians and health care procedures.

 

She has created an online educational project called VetCareTraining, where she teaches horse owners and equine industry professionals how to handle equine patients more safely and ethically, as well as how to train horses to cooperate voluntarily in their care using ethical, science-based techniques.

Website: www.vetcaretraining.com

Alexandra Kurland is a graduate of Cornell University where she specialized in animal behavior. A lifelong horse person, she began teaching in the early 1980’s.  Her primary interest is the development of a horse’s balance, both physical and emotional.  Helping horses stay sound throughout a long working lifetime is a major focus of her work.  

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In 1998 Alexandra launched the rapidly growing field of clicker training for horses with the publication of her first book, “Clicker Training for Your Horse”.  Alexandra teaches clicker training geared to any horse need or sport—including working with foals; developing reliable, safe riding horses; training advanced performance horses; and working with so-called problem horses.  She has written “The Click That Teaches: A Step–By–Step Guide in Pictures” and “The Click That Teaches: Riding with the Clicker”. She has also produced “The Click That Teaches” DVD lesson series and on-line course.  Her most recent book is: “Modern Horse Training, A Constructional Guide to Becoming Your Horse’s Best Friend”.

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Together with Dominique Day, one of the co-founders of Cavalia, Alexandra hosts the weekly Equiosity podcast.  Equiosity began in 2018 and has over 300 episodes.

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Prior to covid Alexandra traveled widely, giving clicker training seminars and presenting at conferences in the US, Canada, the UK, and Europe.  More recently most of her teaching is done on line through her Stay-At-Home, Learn-At-Home on-line clinics and courses.

 

Websites: theclickercenter.com; theclickercenterblog.com; equiosity.com

Loni is a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB) and an Animal Behaviour & Training Council (ABTC) Registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist and Animal Training Instructor. Loni holds a PhD in Equine Behaviour and Welfare and currently researches equine affective states, particularly focussing on how we can induce and measure positive emotional welfare in horses, and measuring personality in horses. 

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Loni runs Loni Loftus Behaviour, a Clinical Animal Behaviour Referral Practice in the UK and sees referral cases nationwide for Donovan Veterinary Behaviour Practice.  She is a Lecturer in Clinical Animal Behaviour at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh.

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Website: https://www.loniloftusbehaviour.com/

Caroline Ritter is a positive reinforcement horse trainer and a certified Feldenkrais teacher living in Vienna, Austria. She teaches people of all ages and backgrounds and sparks their joy in movement exploration. The guiding principles she follows in all her work are openness, curiosity and a learning environment that facilitates self-efficacy and independence for all participants, be it humans or non-humans. 

 

At Disco Cavallo Caroline spreads the recognition of positive reinforcement horse training among riders, trainers and the general public. Together with Astou Maraszto she designs horse-assisted programs that focus on self-awareness, mindful presence, and what she calls “animal-invited interventions”—moments where the horse’s own initiative and response are central and shape the learning process of everyone involved. 

 

Caroline has an academic background in cognitive science that informs and enriches her practice and gives her the framework and tools to make learning a multifaceted experience. Her work is shaped by the belief that when we move with more ease, clarity, and curiosity, we also become better partners to our horses—more present, more responsive, and more open to learning from them.

 

Caroline teaches Feldenkrais and positive reinforcement horse training both online and in person in 1:1 and group settings. Feel free to get in touch.

Helen has a colourful equestrian history starting off with everything pony club had to offer, venturing into positive reinforcement while working with Hannah at Connection Training and then topping it off with summers spent vaulting in performances with Galloping Acrobatics.

 

When riding, vaulting, lifting hay nets and mucking out started to take its toll on her body Helen turned to yoga. She became hooked and completed her yoga teacher training with Zuna Yoga, and advanced teacher training with Jason Crandell. She teaches yoga classes in Yorkshire, UK.

 

As an equestrian and mother to young twins, Helen understands the physical challenges involved. Her passion and expertise is on how to strengthen and lengthen that parts of the body that get short, tight and weak, limiting movement, ability and confidence in your body. She can't wait to share this with you, to help you feel freer and more aware in your body, for both your life as well as your training and riding.

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Website: https://www.yoga-bella.com/

Sharen Ross is a certified Connection Training (CT) Coach and Trauma-Informed Horse Trainer with 20 years of hands-on experience owning, riding, and training horses. For the past 8 years, Sharen has developed a passion for working with wild mustangs using LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) and positive reinforcement training methods.

 

Today, Sharen cares for four formerly wild mustangs and a burro, all from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and each at different stages in their training and acclimation to the human world. She provides online coaching services to clients worldwide and in-person in the Phoenix area of Arizona.

 

Sharen’s professional career over the past two decades has been in senior roles at organizations that provide evidence-based behavioral coaching and behavioral health services, grounded in the same learning theory used in horse training. Sharen can be reached at www.heartfulhorsetraining.com.

Adele Shaw is an internationally recognized certified equine behavior consultant and horsemanship mentor, focused on creating a positive relationship between horse and human through science-based training and care practices. As a teacher, Adele is supportive and understanding of both horse and human, and tailors her lessons to provide the most personalized, accessible, and ethically minded coaching possible. Her approach goes beyond method: by offering flexible training and care systems, the horse's well-being and the student's empowerment always remain the primary goals.

 

In addition to her hands-on work with specialized rehabilitation cases at her ranch in Texas, Adele maintains an active role in the equestrian community through her clinics, online programs, courses, blog, podcast, and social media outreach. Connecting with students across the globe through The Willing Equine.

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https://www.thewillingequine.com/

Gilly Slayter is lead trainer at Via Nova Training. She brings her wealth of equestrian skills, education, and competition experience along with her passion and energy to the Via Nova Training program. She’s witnessed the power of using Positive Reinforcement to bring outstanding improvement for both horses and riders, and looks for the most effective ways to transform traditional training techniques for dressage, jumping and eventing with R+ solutions.

 

In addition to her position as Head Trainer, she manages the 30 stall
barn at Via Nova’s home base, Terra Nova Equestrian Training Center in Santa Fe, NM. Combining a business degree with a deep understanding of the nature of horses, lifelong competition experience including NA Young Rider Championships, her USDF Silver Medal and FEI-level Eventing, Gilly represents the Positive Reinforcement future in horse sport training and instruction.

Gilly Slayter will be presenting together with Amanda Jay

Hannah has been teaching reward-based horse training for nearly 20 years, helping horses and their humans build trust-based relationships through positive reinforcement. She has worked with a wide range of equines - including wild, rescued, aggressive, shut-down, and highly sensitive horses - using science-backed methods to create calm, co-operative partnerships.

 

Hannah specialises in gentle, consent-based training that brings clarity, confidence and joy to everyday handling, groundwork, and riding. She’s co-author of the bestselling book, Connection Training, and runs the CT Club, an online platform for learning her training methods.

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Website: https://connectiontraining.com/