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Course 101 — Ethology & Safety

Course 101 — Ethology & Safety

The second course of the Level 1 Foundational Horsemanship Certification. Course 101 is about the horse's mind and your safety, in that order and inseparably. You will learn how a prey animal sees the world, how to read ears, eyes, mouth, tail, and above all the feet, and why the horse is a mirror of the person handling it.

Then the skills: the catch as a conversation the horse chooses to join, leading with feel, tying with knots that always release under load, bridling without a fight, and the beginnings of round pen work, where a horse hooks on and chooses you. Every lesson is built on the barn safety rules at Ocean View Stables, and the certification at the end tests the judgment that keeps you and the horse safe.

Soft is strong. Clarity is kindness.

Join this Course
Responsible Zachary Leyden
Last Update 07/28/2026
Completion Time 9 hours 3 minutes
Members 1
Basic
  • Safety First (empty)
    9Lessons · 1 hr 47 min
    • The Barn Safety Rules at Ocean View Stables
      Preview
    • Blind Spots and Announcing Yourself
      10 xp
    • Dressing Right for the Barn
      10 xp
    • What to Do If a Horse Invades Your Space
      10 xp
    • Watch: Staying Safe Around Horses
    • Watch: What to Wear to a Lesson
    • Watch: Keeping a Horse Out of Your Space
    • Watch: What Keeps You Safe Around Horses
    • Watch: Bryan Neubert — Safe Handling Under Pressure
  • How the Horse Sees the World (empty)
    6Lessons · 1 hr 16 min
    • Prey Animal: Vision, Flight, and the Herd
      Preview
    • Reading Body Language: Ears, Eyes, Mouth, Tail, Feet
    • The Horse Is a Mirror
    • The Phases: Whisper, Conversation, Boundary, Reward
    • Watch: How Horses Read Body Language
    • Watch: Warwick Schiller — The Herd-Bound Horse
  • The Catch and the Draw (empty)
    5Lessons · 51 min
    • The Catch as a Conversation
    • When the Horse Will Not Be Caught
    • Watch: Catching the Hard-to-Catch Horse
    • Watch: Bryan Neubert — The First Catch
    • Watch: Craig Cameron — Catching as a Daily Habit
  • Leading With Feel (empty)
    3Lessons · 32 min
    • Position, Pace, and the Bubble
    • Leading Through Gates and Past Trouble
    • Watch: Groundwork With Feel — Buck Brannaman
  • Tying and Knots (empty)
    5Lessons · 55 min
    • Where and How to Tie
    • The Quick-Release Knot and the Bowline
    • The Horse That Pulls Back
    • Watch: The Quick-Release Knot
    • Watch: Warwick Schiller — Teaching a Young Horse to Tie
  • Bridling (empty)
    5Lessons · 1 hr 11 min
    • Parts of the Bridle and the Bit
    • Unbridling Without a Bang
    • The Bridle Is a Conversation, Not a Command
      10 xp
    • Watch: Bridling the Hard-to-Bridle Horse
    • Watch: Buster McLaury — Correct Haltering
  • The Round Pen (empty)
    4Lessons · 1 hr 2 min
    • Round Pen Safety and Setup
    • Hooking On in the Round Pen: From Flight to Connection
      10 xp
    • Watch: The Hooking-On Process
    • Watch: Monty Roberts — Join-Up Explained
  • The Certification (empty)
    1Lessons · 30 min
    • Course 101 Certification
  • Go Deeper (empty)
    5Lessons · 58 min
    • Watching Horses: A Field Practice
    • Watch: Buck Brannaman — The Horse Is a Mirror
    • Watch: Warwick Schiller — Creating Connection
    • Watch: Monty Roberts — Join-Up With a Wild Horse
    • Watch: Stacy Westfall — Reading a Horse at Hour Zero