Connecting with horses
Does Your Horse Feel Like a Puzzle You Can't Solve?
Learn to read their signals, ease their stress, and build the calm, connected partnership you both deserve.
Get Your Free Guide:
Creating Calmness with your horse in 5 Easy Steps.
A gentle, practical introduction to understanding stress, tension, and calm. So you can ease pressure and build trust, one clear step at a time.
Understand. Gain trust. Create calm.
Something feels off and you can’t quite put your finger on it.
You love your horse. You’ve tried the groundwork, the lessons, the clinics.
And yet, things don’t feel as easy or natural as you hoped.
Maybe your horse resists being caught, saddled, or ridden.
Maybe they seem tense, shut down, reactive, or unpredictable.
They bolt, freeze, or pull away and you're left feeling confused, frustrated, or even a little afraid.
And underneath it all, you’re left wondering:
Am I missing something? Am I doing this wrong?
Often, what’s happening isn’t a lack of effort or care
it’s a lack of understanding.
Horses communicate constantly through their bodies, their movement, their breathing, and their responses to pressure and pace.
When those signals go unnoticed or misunderstood, tension builds for both of you.
Here’s what I want you to know:
You’re not broken. And your horse isn’t either.
You don’t need to be firmer, louder, or more dominant.
You simply need a different way of seeing what’s already there.
My Intention.
This work began with a deep love for horses and it grew into something so much more.
Over the years, I’ve seen how horses respond when we slow down, soften, and truly listen. When we meet them with presence (not agenda) things begin to shift. Not through force or fixing, but through understanding.
At Herd Essence, we slow things down.
We learn to read body language, stress and calming signals, and nervous system responses in both horse and human.
We work with what’s present, instead of pushing past it.
Because when you understand what your horse is communicating, and feel safe enough to trust your own observations, calm and connection stop being something you chase. They begin to grow naturally.
My intention is to create a space where both you and your horse feel safe to be exactly as you are. Where there’s room for curiosity, softness, and going at your own pace. Where the goal isn’t perfection, but mutual trust and deeper understanding.
I bring a trauma-informed, heart-led approach that blends nervous system awareness with equine body language. I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all methods. I believe in learning to see clearly and responding with care.
Whether you’re here to understand your horse more deeply, reconnect with your own inner knowing, or simply feel less alone on this path:
I’m really glad you’re here.
Hey, I'm Francine (and this is Peaches)
For over 20 years, horses have been my greatest teachers. They’ve taught me that real partnership isn’t built through control or technique, it grows through presence, listening, and learning to understand what’s actually being communicated.
I know how unsettling it can feel when things don’t make sense with your horse, when you’re trying your best, yet nothing works. I’ve been there too. What changed everything for me was slowing down and beginning to really observe: body language, stress responses, subtle signals: in my horses, and in myself.
Over time, I saw how much clarity comes from understanding rather than pushing. When we work with what’s present, instead of overriding it, trust begins to form naturally.
These days, my favourite moments are still the quiet ones sitting with my herd, watching, breathing, and noticing the smallest shifts. It’s there that horses show us how much becomes possible when we take the time to truly see.
I created Herd Essence as a place for horse lovers who want a calmer, more respectful way forward. One rooted in awareness, understanding, and care for both horse and human.
Because when we learn to see more clearly, everything else begins to soften too.
Ready to go deeper?
Whether you’re longing for more trust and ease with your horse, or craving a deeper connection with yourself, these offerings are here to support you — gently, at your own pace.
1:1 Coaching:
Deepen Your Bond
Private Mentorship for You and Your Horse
A personalised, heart-led journey designed to help you and your horse feel safe, understood, and in sync. Together, we’ll slow things down and explore your unique relationship through body language, emotional awareness, and nervous system support — so that both of you can breathe easier and trust more deeply.
Membership:
In Company of Horses
Monthly Bite-sized Learning & Soulful Support
Coming Soon: This warm, welcoming space is for horse lovers who want to grow gently — with support, connection, and inspiration along the way. Inside the membership, you’ll receive mindful lessons, monthly themes, and access to a kind-hearted community that’s walking this path with you.
Group Journey: Reconnect
6-Week Online Journey: Reconnect With Your Horse—and Yourself
This immersive experience blends nervous system awareness, intuitive horsemanship, and soulful guidance — all in a supportive group setting. Together, we’ll explore what it means to slow down, tune in, and lead from a place of presence. For those ready to grow — gently, and in good company.
...to learn to observe the horses and then to be able to work with them -
to not only understand the horse better, but also yourself...
- CHRISTOPHER
FREE DOWNLOAD
Start with a gentle shift.
Creating Calmness with your Horse in 5 Easy Steps.
A calming, practical starting point for horse lovers who want more ease, trust and true partnership - without force, formulas, or rushing.
This guide will help you slow down, listen more deeply, and begin to rebuild your connection from the inside out- one soft step at a time.
FREE DOWNLOAD
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