THE HORSE SOUND IN MIND AND BODY, NATURALLY!
You can reach your goals with your horse without force, and keep his confidence, curiosity, and dignity intact along the way. Geneviève Benoit teaches horse owners the natural care, handling, and development of the horse, so the two of you stay safe, willing, and happy together for the long term. The industry is waking up to this, and riders everywhere are discovering there is a better way.
VifArgent Horsemanship focuses primarily on horse lovers who enjoy riding or owning a horse for the long term. As such, you care about the relationship with your partner and about the horse’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being, no matter what your goals are. You want to develop your horsemanship naturally through psychology, communication, and understanding, versus mechanics, fear and intimidation. You want to do everything with and for your horse, not to him. You want a partner who responds and participates willingly and with enthusiasm, not a robot conditioned to reacting and obeying without thinking.
Communication problems are usually at the heart of frustration and misunderstandings between horses and humans. All a horse knows to do when having trouble is to resist, and sometimes quite violently. Every problem can be solved without force when you use love, language, and leadership. A growing number of horse lovers worldwide are learning how to see things from their perspective and to use strategies that make sense to the horse. Quick fixes don’t work. This is a true long-term solution. With the natural horsemanship approach, we can teach you how to solve problems permanently while respecting the horse’s nature, the way a horseman would.
Natural horsemanship is not specific to one discipline or to one style of riding; students range anywhere from the amateur trail riding enthusiast all the way up to an Olympic gold medal winner. Most people think expertise with horses only comes from riding. But riding is less than half of what you really need to know to be good with horses. There is so much more… how they think, how they learn, what’s important to them, how to communicate with them, how to help them reach their own potential. For the majority, the horse is no longer a work tool – he has become a partner for recreation and sport. It’s time to start taking into account his point of view and his needs, and to change things to make his world a better and more pleasant place to live.
For the horse owner (or future horse owner):
Where do you want to start?
With your horse, in person. Horsemanship Courses are the heart of what I do, and the place most students begin: clinics, private and semi-private lessons, customized VIP clinics, and hands-on workshops, on the ground and in the saddle. Some count toward continuing education hours for Ontario Equestrian and Equestrian Canada coaches.
With your horse, from home. Virtual Coaching Programs bring private, personalized coaching to your own barn at a fraction of the in-person price, in three levels to match how far you want to take it.
Without your horse, in a classroom. Conferences and horseless workshops cover horse psychology and behaviour, horse and rider development, and the natural care and management of equines, with simulation exercises so it sticks.
One question, one session. Saddle knowledge and fitting, because an ill-fitting saddle costs your horse his comfort and you your confidence. Independent profiling of horses, if you are choosing your next partner. And newly added: Equine Emergency First Aid training under the banner of Equi-Health Canada.
Not sure? Most people start with a private lesson or a clinic, and we go from there.
Not sure which one is right for you? Tell me about your horse.
Send me a note with where you are now and what you are hoping for. You will hear back from me personally, not from a booking system, and there is nothing to sign before we have talked. Everything I teach comes from years of formal training in both the traditional and natural horsemanship worlds, and more than fifty years of horses teaching me.
Contact Geneviève
Geneviève Benoit is a Certified Equestrian Canada Competition Coach, a former Licensed Parelli 3-Star Instructor, and a graduate of the Coaching Certification training with the International Society of Rider Biomechanics. She teaches ground skills, liberty, freestyle (bridleless), and finesse riding, along with trailer loading, saddle fitting, balanced riding, vet and farrier prep, kids’ workshops, and much more.
