Learn how your horse’s brain shapes trust, curiosity, and connection!
This short class gives you a simple, grounded peek into neuroscience, covering two Emotional Systems that influence daily care, groundwork, training, and the way your horse chooses to show up with you!
This is information every horse person should have.
Whether you own, lease, ride, handle, groom, train, or simply love spending time with horses, understanding how their brains shape behavior changes the way you see them!
It makes the everyday moments so much clearer. For example:
A quiet horse isn’t always relaxed.
A forward horse isn’t always confident.
Closeness doesn’t mean connection.
Responding or willingness doesn’t mean mental participation.
There’s always more to notice.
And once those patterns start to make sense, time with horses becomes more thoughtful, more connected, and honestly, a WHOLE lot more interesting!
After this class, three things shift immediately:
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***You'll stop guessing what your horse is feeling***
Instead of labeling behavior as “good,” “bad,” or “just how they are,” you’ll start recognizing when curiosity is present, when it’s fading, and when connection is steady or unsettled.
That means fewer second guesses in the moment.
More clarity in what you’re looking at.
And a much better sense of what your horse needs next! -
***Your timing and decisions get easier***
When you can tell the difference between curiosity and tension, or connection and uncertainty, you stop overcorrecting and stop missing important moments.
You’ll know when to:
Keep going
Pause
Soften
Or change what you’re asking
Training, groundwork, and riding start to feel more consistent because your responses match what your horse is giving you. THIS is where FEEL begins!
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***You'll notice less auto-pilot and more willingness***
Instead of a horse who simply does what’s asked, you’ll begin to see moments of curiosity, softness, and participation come back into the work…and make a big deal out of those moments!
That shift shows up everywhere:
In daily handling
In groundwork
Under saddle
And in the small in-between moments
The work doesn’t just get done.
It starts to feel like a conversation again!
Take Your Seat in Class
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Take Your Seat in Class ☆
Seeking + Care helps you understand two core emotional systems that shape how your horse learns, connects, and feels safe. You’ll learn how to recognize healthy and dysregulated states, better understand behavior beneath the surface, and support your horse in a way that builds trust, curiosity, and emotional stability.
What are these emotional systems, and where the heck did they come from?
The 7 Emotional Systems come from neuroscience research by Jaak Panksepp, who identified seven core emotional systems shared across all mammals.
That includes horses. And it includes us.
These systems are always running in the background, shaping:
What feels safe
What feels interesting
What feels overwhelming
How the body responds in the moment
So instead of trying to read behavior on the surface, this gives you a way to understand what’s driving it!
We start with SEEKING and CARE because they show up constantly in everyday work and have a direct influence on how your horse:
Engages
Connects
Stays mentally present
They’re essential to the way we train here at Willow’s Way Equine!
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SEEKING
Seeking is the system behind curiosity.
It’s what makes a horse want to look, investigate, move forward, and engage with what’s in front of them. It’s the difference between a horse that is just responding… and one that is mentally with you, interested in what’s happening.
When this system is active, things feel lighter. The horse starts to offer more. There’s a sense of forward energy that doesn’t come from pressure, but from interest.
When it drops off, the work can start to feel flat. The horse may still do everything you ask, but it feels mechanical. Distracted. Like they’re going through the motions instead of being part of the conversation.
Understanding Seeking helps you recognize when curiosity is there… and when it’s fading.
And once you can see that, it becomes a lot easier to adjust before the whole session starts to feel disconnected.
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CARE
Care is the system connected to connection and regulation.
It’s what allows a horse to feel settled around you, to stay emotionally steady, and to handle pressure without becoming tense, uncertain, or reactive.
When this system is balanced, the horse feels grounded. They can be close without needing to crowd. They can move away without losing connection. There’s a sense of calm that doesn’t need to be forced.
When it’s off, things can feel different. A horse may get busy in your space, look to the herd, feel unsettled, or have a harder time relaxing into the work.
Understanding Care helps you see the difference between a horse that is truly connected… and one that is searching for stability.
And when that becomes clearer, it changes how you respond in those moments, both on the ground and under saddle.
I’m Chelsie Brooks, an equine behavior specialist and an IAABC member with over 30 years of experience in the horse world. At the core of my work is a belief that horses deserve a voice. Every behavior is a form of communication, and when we take the time to listen, we uncover what our horses truly need. My role is to help you understand those signals and guide both horse and rider toward trust, relaxation, and balance. The general goal is always the same…creating space for horses to be heard and for real partnership to grow.
Nice to Meet You!
About Your Instructor
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Morrisville State University - 2003
Post University 2023
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Centre of Excellence - 150 hour certification
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Currently putting in hours for Equine Behaviorist Certification for the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.
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2.5-hour certification led by Debbi Bell + over 50 hours of hands-on experience.
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2 hour certification - Taught by Celine Homan
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Yoga Renew