About Me

Hi! My name is Brita Cumberton.

 

In summary….

I’m a highly sensitive soul in my 60’s learning new ideas every day from my 3 mares and the horses I have the honor of working with through much hands-on experimentation.

 

I believe in my heart that horses are calling us to discover that we humans can be so much gentler than many of us, including myself, have learned in the past.

 

I’m seeking horse friends/clients/mentors of any age or identity who are also passionate about learning to create gentler approaches to:

 

Postural Bodywork

Functional Foundational Movement

Positive Training

Positive Horse Care

 

Working within a mind/body nervous system perspective that is safe and enjoyable for both horses and humans.

 

More…

I’ve always had an awareness in my soul that there is so much more to uncover to better understand the equine mind and body.

 

My background includes 20+ years of horse ownership and many different practices from a variety of education resources in the areas of horsemanship, R+, dressage, hunters, trail riding, functional anatomy bodywork, posture and movement for longevity, veterinary movement rehab case studies, nervous system regulation practices, breathwork, heart coherence, intuitive bodywork and holistic care practices. 

 

With the idea that a horse’s foundational nervous system need is to feel safe….I continue exploring, questioning, and adapting through both in person and international online learning opportunities.

 

My current emphasis in learning is to integrate a foundation of Gentle Positive Training with gentle touch bodywork and gentle movement to create stability and safety in the mind and body. 

 

Since 2008 I’ve been managing my own little farm and continuously seeking out affordable and accessible care practices for my beloved mares, Nali (23), Hope (23) and Cherish (27ish). …I have made many mistakes along the way and I consider those additional learning opportunities. 

 

There is much work that can be done to better understand and meet the needs of our equine friends.

 

It’s not an easy path to travel on. The ideas of Gentle and Positive are often highly criticized in some Equine communities as ineffective. And I have seen some work labeled as Gentle and Positive where the horses receiving the work are showing that they do not feel good or safe about the work as evidenced by their nervous system language, posture or movement. 

 

I observe the individual horse’s responses in the moment rather than listen to the human’s language interpretation.

 

I’m absolutely interested in science as a consideration. I have learned that many studies created in specific environments often do not apply to present day living conditions or how I want to gently work with horses. 

 

I’ve had many people tell me they have so little time and escalating pressure is what gets results. I can agree that in many cases escalating pressure can achieve a result. What is often not understood is that escalating pressure can quickly set in a nervous system brace or shutdown with the horse that affects the way they use their bodies and can create significant behavior issues and posture/movement/health issues over time. 

 

In my practices with Positive Training, I focus on observing what a specific horse needs in our time together. For me, I think of Positive as addition - I am adding in low to mid value horse appropriate food when it is safe, verbal voice cue for each skill, encouraging verbal praise, and gentle touch cues with my hands.

 

Throughout our time together, I’m also considering how I might guide them to improve their physical posture and emotional response either standing or in movement. My attention is on starting with a calm connected horse who is able to respond thoughtfully and gently.

 

I will not upregulate a horse by creating a lot of energy to then calm the horse down. I invite the horse to calmly show me how they feel within the boundaries of keeping both of us safe. I’m frequently heard saying “Be careful love, I’m little”. Working in this space has resulted in me dropping or completely adapting many practices that are still considered mainstream to achieve a foundation of calm and trust. It is possible!!!!

 

When we can mindfully use gentle practices that create stability and safety in our interactions with a horse, I am finding that mutual trust, heart connection, joy, friendship and greater well-being are consistently the result.

 

I’m grateful to those who have generously shared their hearts and wisdom with me. I’m also deeply appreciative of the dear souls who have willingly entrusted me to spend hours practicing with their horses.

 

I‘ve connected with amazing kind humans and their horses all over the world who are exploring gentler nervous system based work and Positive Training. I envision that we are on the cusp of a huge shift in horse training and care. Our numbers may be small in the grand scheme now, but we are growing!  I invite you to follow my Blog and/or social media for Gentle Positive Safe ideas that are coming forward!

 

It’s just me…I have no staff and I’m usually out interacting with a horse versus sitting with electronics. If you would like to connect to share ideas, send an email to brita@gentlepositivesafehorse.com. Please be patient as response times may vary.