 Welcome to the Natural Horsemanship Mentorship Program
Are you interested in coaching and training natural horsemanship style?
Are you interested in becoming a staff member of Lindsey Forkun Equestrian?
The mentorship program is designed to be flexible for your needs, while setting you up for success with a future in coaching and/or training natural horsemanship.
The program is available to people with a little or a lot of past horse experience. Your current experience, ability to learn, and comfort level with horses will influence how quickly you are able to move though the mentorship program.
The mentorship program is not fixed or set in stone. It is flexible depending on the abilities and learning needs of the applicant. Some applicants may take years to complete the program, and other individuals that have previous horse experience and are able to invest time may be able to move through the program in a matter of weeks or months.
- The first step is to start learning natural horsemanship from Lindsey Forkun Equestrian (LFEquestrian). Enroll in a lesson or training package and/or participate in a clinic. Once you decide that LFEquestrian is the place where you want complete your membership, then you need to fill out an application form to be considered for the mentorship program.
- After you submit your mentorship application, you will be contacted to set up an assessment. The assessment fee is $60 and will assess what your learning goals are, identify areas of strength and areas in need of development, timelines for your goals, and more. Depending on your experience and level with natural horsemanship, a mentorship/lesson program will be developed around your needs.
- Start your mentorship/lesson program based on the plan developed. There is no charge for mentorship hours when you watch/assist with lessons/training, however, lesson fees are charged at the regular rate when participating as a student in a lesson.
- Once you have completed your mentorship/lesson program and you feel prepared to take the Natural Horsemanship Coach and Trainer assessment, you will submit your application to LFEquestrian. You will be contacted for an assessment date. This assessment cost is $100 and will be conducted by Lindsey Forkun. As part of the assessment you will indicate which category/discipline and level you are hoping to be certified for. The assessment fee covers your choice of one category/discipline plus the category/discipline of ‘ground games’. You can be assessed for additional categories/disciplines for a cost of $50 per category/discipline. Horses will be provided for your assessment.
- You will be notified of your approval at the appropriate level for your selected categories/disciplines. After your approval you can connect with LFEquestrian to be considered as a staff member. All staff with LFEquestrian are on contract and subject to availability.
- You must be a minimum of 18 years old
- You need to obtain your Standard First Aid and CPR certification
- You need to complete a minimum of 50 hours of lessons/mentoring with Lindsey Forkun Equestrian
There are currently 7 main categories/disciplines that you can be assessed in. Within each category/discipline you are given a specified level. The level is an indication of your expertise and experience within the category/discipline (For example, you could be an expert in Trail Riding, a novice in Dressage, and not certified at all in Jumping).
 Jumping
- Includes pleasure jumping and/or competition jumping in hunter, jumper, or cross country. When being assessed in this category, the applicant will specify which jumping type(s) they wish to be certified in. Assessment for jumping in the competition ring will require knowledge of competition rules/regulations and experience participating in the competition ring either as an assistant coach or as a competitor.
- Jumping includes understanding various exercises to improve the horse’s form and the riders form. Important methods of teaching/training jumping include free jumping, jumping online, gymnastic/grid work, equitation elements (counter canter to a fence, lead changes, walk a jump, etc), and jumping courses.
- The expert level can teach/train using all of the methods at 3ft or over.
- The advanced level can/teach/train using all of the methods up to 3ft.
- The intermediate level can teach/train using a minimum of jumping online, courses, and gymnastics/grid work up to 2’6”.
- The novice level can/teach train using a minimum of online, courses, and gymnastics/grid work up to 2ft
Dressage
- Includes pleasure dressage and/or competition dressage.
 When being assessed in this category, the applicant will specify which dressage type(s) they wish to be certified in (pleasure and/or competition). Assessment for dressage in the competition ring will require knowledge of competition rules/regulations and experience participating in the competition ring either as an assistant coach or as a competitor.
- Dressage includes understanding the various elements including extension, collection, piaffe, pirouette, passage, shoulder in, haunches in, 10m circles at walk/trot/canter, flying lead changes, counter canter, tempi changes, simple changes, renver, traver, and half pass.
- The expert level can teach/train all of the dressage movements.
- The advanced level can teach/train 75% of the movements.
- The intermediate level can teach/train 50% of the movements.
- The novice level can teach/train collection, extension, and leg yield.
Trail Riding
 This category is a general category which can be either Western or English riding. Knowledge of riding through various elements includes: open fields, forests, water elements, hills, roads, riding alone, riding in groups, and emergency safety measures. - The expert level can teach/train all of the elements.
- The advanced level can teach/train a minimum of 5 of the elements.
- The intermediate level can teach/train a minimum of 4 of the elements.
- The novice level can teach/train a minimum emergency safety measures, riding through open fields, forests, and hills.
Pleasure Riding (English or Western)
 This category can be for English or Western riding. The exercises within each type are very similar with differences being neck reining or direct reining, as well as the tack. For pleasure riding some key exercises for teaching/training include: circles, slow/fast walk/trot/canter, back up, forehand turn, haunch turn, leg yield, patterns (figure 8, serpentine, etc), scavenger hunt, one rein halt, and lateral bending. - The expert level can teach/train all of these exercises.
- The advanced level can teach/train a minimum of 8 of these exercises.
- The intermediate level can teach/train a minimum of 6 of theses exercises.
- The novice level can teach/train a minimum of 4 of these exercises.
Gaited Breeds
 Gaited breeds include Mountain horses, Tennessee Walkers, and Paso Finos. When working with gaited breeds you need to understand how to do exercises to help horses that tend to pace, and horses that tend to trot. - The expert and advanced levels can do exercises with pacers, gaiters, and trotters.
- The intermediate level can do exercises with a minimum of two types – pacers, gaiters, and trotters
- The novice level can do exercises with a minimum of one type – pacers, gaiters, and trotters.
Starting Horses
- Starting horses can be for any discipline, age, or breed of horse. The principles remain the same and the process remains the same - appropriate ground work and ground preparation with a gradual progression into the saddle.
- The expert level can work with all horse personality types when starting horses.
- The advanced level can work with most personality types when starting horses.
- The intermediate level can work with a minimum of sensitive horses, and horses that lack confidence when starting horses.
- The novice level can work with a minimum of sensitive horses when starting horses.
Ground Games
 Ground games are the basis of all natural horsemanship work. What you do on the ground sets you up for success in the saddle. LFEquestrian strives to teach as much as possible from the ground where it is safer and usually easier for the horse to learn and build confidence. Because ground games are so essential, this category/discipline will always be assessed along with another category/discipline of choice. Ground games include working with both direct and indirect pressure. - The expert level can work with all horse personality types when playing ground games. The expert level will demonstrate creativity and a large variety of games (minimum of 25 games) and exercises to be played on the ground.
- The advanced level can work with most personality types when playing ground games. The advanced level will demonstrate a large variety of games (a minimum of 20 games) to be played on the ground.
- The intermediate level can work with a minimum of sensitive horses, and horses that lack confidence when playing ground games. The intermediate level will demonstrate a minimum of 15 games to be played on the ground.
- The novice level can work with a minimum of sensitive horses when playing ground games. The novice level will demonstrate a minimum of 10 games to be played on the ground.
 When considering the level at which a person can instruct/train in a specified category/discipline, both knowledge and experience are considered.
When considering the experience of a person, the person will be assessed partially assessed on their ability to work with different horse personality types and partially on their knowledge of the category/discipline.
- Confidence
- Sensitivity
- Dominance
Advancing through the levels requires that a person be able to work with more and more horse personality types. Meeting the Expert level requires that a person can work with all horse personality types.
Horses can be a mixture of:
- Low, Medium, or High Confidence
- Low, Medium, or High Sensitivity
- Low, Medium, or High Dominance
To meet one of the levels, you must meet the following criteria, as well as any specific criteria for your chosen categories/disciplines (as mentioned above under categories/disciplines).
1. Expert:
- This level means the person has an in depth understand of the category/discipline with a wide variety of horses.
- The person has an abundance of experience (worked with over 50 horses within this category/discipline) and is capable of training and instructing at a variety of levels for a variety of horses.
- The person is capable of working with all horse personality types for this category/discipline.
- The person is able to improvise and adapt to new situations. The person is able to create learning/training goals, realistic learning/training plans, and implement the plan with skill and competency.
- This person demonstrates a commitment to natural horsemanship learning and education within this category/discipline.
2. Advanced:
- This level means the person has a high degree of understanding of the category/discipline with a wide variety of horses.
- The person has a lot of experience (worked with 21-50 horses within this category/discipline) and is capable of training and instructing at a variety of levels for a variety of horses.
- The person is capable of working with most horse personality types for this category/discipline.
- The person is able to create learning/training goals, realistic learning/training plans, and implement the plan with little to no assistance from ‘experts’.
- This person demonstrates a commitment to natural horsemanship learning and education within this category/discipline.
3. Intermediate:
- This level means the person has an understanding of the category/discipline with a variety of horses.
- The person has some experience (worked with 11-20 horses within this category/discipline) and is capable of training and instructing at some levels and many types of horses.
- The person is capable of working with some horse personality types for this category/discipline.
- The person is able to create learning/training goals, realistic learning/training plans, and implement the plan with little assistance from ‘experts’ and ‘advanced’ natural horsemen.
- Horse personality types that the person is experienced with will be specified (for example, working with sensitive horses, horses that lack confidence, etc).
- The levels at which the person is capable for teaching will be specified (for example, coaching up to 2ft jumps, coaching training level dressage, etc).
- This person demonstrates a commitment to natural horsemanship learning and education within this category/discipline.
4. Novice:
- This level means the person has an understanding of the category/discipline with some horses, and is working to expand their experience.
- The person has some experience (worked with 1-10 horses within this category/discipline) and is capable of training and instructing at some levels and many types of horses.
- The person is capable of working with some horse personality types for this category/discipline.
- The person is able to create learning/training goals, realistic learning/training plans, and implement the plan with assistance from ‘experts’, ‘advanced’, and ‘intermediate’ natural horsemen.
- Horse personality types that the person is experienced with will be specified (for example, working with sensitive horses, horses that lack confidence, etc).
- The levels at which the person is capable for teaching will be specified (for example, coaching up to 2ft jumps, coaching training level dressage, etc).
- This person demonstrates a commitment to natural horsemanship learning and education within this category/discipline.
Once you have been certified at one level, you may request reassessment at no charge if you are an LFEquestrian staff, or non staff can be reassessed at a cost of $50 per category/discipline. For example, if you are currently a ‘novice’ in Trail Riding, but since your assessment you have now worked with more than 25 horses and have learned more ways to teach/train for the various trail riding elements then you may want to be reassessed to be considered an ‘intermediate’.
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How the Program Works: 