Behavior Consultations

Whether your equine is your best friend or your working partner, they sometimes develop behaviors which can be difficult or even dangerous for us. Consulting a professional can give insight into the underlying causes of problematic behavior, while working towards restructuring environments and changing how your equine feels so that you and your equine can get back to your best lives together.

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Problem Behaviors (Examples)

Fear/Anxiety

  • Separation Anxiety (Calling out, pacing, etc.)
  • Unexpected spooks
  • Barn Sour
  • Reactive to novelty (places or objects)

Husbandry

  • Needle phobia
  • Difficult or dangerous behaviors during management visits (e.g. farrier, veterinarian, saddle fitter)
  • Won’t stand still for grooming or other husbandry procedures

Ridden

  • Bucking, bolting, balking, rearing
  • Laziness or Hyperactivity
  • Reactivity to bit/saddle/girth

Repetitive/Obsessive

  • Weaving
  • Cribbing/wind-sucking
  • Wood chewing (or other destructive habits)
  • Depression

Agressive

  • Abnormal incidents of biting/kicking directed towards other equines
  • Biting/kicking/charging directed towards non-human animals
  • Biting/kicking/charging directed towards humans

IS IT PAIN?

Many behavioral problems have their roots in pain. I recommend that you have a veterinarian to see the horse before arranging for a consultation to ensure any potential physical ailments are addressed before beginning a behavioral modification plan.

Initial Consult

Remote Consults Available Worldwide
$ 130
00
  • 90 minute consult
  • Behavioral Modification Plan
  • Weekly Checkins
  • 1 month post-consult support
    (via text/call/email)
  • 1-hour Follow-Up Session
Book a Consultation

Follow-Up Consult

Remote Consults Available Worldwide
$ 100
00
  • 1-hour consult
  • Weekly Checkins
  • 1-month post-consult support (via text/call/email)
Book Now

Consult Packages

Remote Consults Available Worldwide
Packaged sessions
as low as $60/consult
  • 1-hour consults
  • Weekly Checkins
  • 1-month post-consult support (via text/call/email) after each consultation
Explore Packages
Many behaviors will require longer-term plans that should be adjusted with time. Packages are great for those cases needing more intensive support.

What to Expect

Initial Contact

1

Give a brief description of your problem, what you would like help with, and a general timeline of when you hope to start seeing results for the behavior. If you already have a video of the problem behavior, include this in your initial contact. Together, we will discuss if a behavioral consultation is the right choice for you and your horse. You can book a free 15-minute information zoom to decide if a consultation is right for you.

PRE-CONSULTATION QUESTIONNAIRE

2

Fill out the pre-consultation questionnaire. The questionnaire is designed to gain a general understanding of your equine’s history and to help guide and expedite the formal consultation session. You can also use the form to ask me questions in advance of the consultation.

Veterinary checkin

3

A veterinary appointment is strongly recommended before pursuing a behavior consultation. If your horse has not had a veterinary checkup in the last few months (or since the problem behavior began), I recommend scheduling one prior to the consultation appointment. In non-emergency cases, the time between initial contact and our scheduled appointment is a good window to create an appointment with your preferred veterinarian. I am always happy to provide a copy of consultation findings to your veterinarian.

Consultation

4

Consultations are ~90 minutes in length, though may extend up to 2 hours. Consultations can be held on-site where your horse is, or they can be hosted virtually if you have a smartphone and good cell service. During the consultation, we will tour your equine’s facilities. You can introduce me to the people and animals who interact most with your equines and any owners or facility managers. To ensure confidentiality, at least part of the consultation will be held in a quiet location where you and I can talk privately about any concerns you have. By the end of the consultation, we will have discussed possible treatment plans and guidelines for behavior modification (if recommended). Within 24 hours of the consultation, I will provide you with 3 triage steps with which to immediately begin addressing the problem behavior.

SUPPORT PERIOD

5

Support begins immediately after the initial consultation and continues for 1 month. I will guide you through implementing environment changes and any recommended behavior modification training. During this time, please reach out to me with photos, videos, and questions surrounding your case. Depending on the nature of your case, you may also receive a written behavioral modification plan. This will have step-by-step guidelines on how to begin modifying your horse’s behavior.

Follow-UP Lesson

6

Your consultation includes a follow-up consult ~1 hour in length. I recommend using this towards the end of your support period so you get the most out of your time. However, you can use it at any time within 2 months of the initial consultation. While some behaviors can be altered relatively quickly, others need long-term diligence. I offer support packages for those interested in continuing working with me after the initial behavioral modification plan.