VOICE OVER SPOTS As a medium or full member, you can book a voice-over spot as an alternative to a participant spot in one of the review classes. So, if you already know that you won't manage to be part of a review class or prepare a video in time, feel free to book a voice-over instead. This is how it works: - make sure to send me your video for the voice over the latest at the end of the month and I'll review it and post it in the group within a couple of days after you sent it - keep your video not longer than 10-12 minutes I'm looking very much forward to creating momentum together with you ... ❤

PARTICIPANT SPOTS You can book your participant spots for the review classes here. Medium members > Book your included review class spot Full members > Book your two included review class spots I'm looking very much forward to creating momentum together with you ... ❤ AUDITOR SPOTS You don't need to book your auditor spot here. All of you who booked for 6 months (or are in the Starter or Free Trial month) are allowed to audit all of the review classes, so there is no need for you to choose.

If you can't be there live, no problem at all, you can easily catch-up with the recordings.

Curiosity, Ego, and Adaptability in Horse Training Curiosity: The Most Underrated Skill in Horse Training Horse training often focuses on exercises, biomechanics, and techniques. We talk about transitions, lateral work, posture, and balance — all essential pieces of developing a horse into a healthy and capable athlete. But beneath all of these practical elements lies something quieter that shapes the quality of every training session: the mindset we bring into the work. After reflecting in Part 1 on how progress sometimes requires letting go of the plan, the next step is closely connected to this idea. If we let go of the plan, something else has to take its place. And that something is curiosity . When Something Doesn’t Work Every rider knows the moment. You ask for something that usually works quite well — a transition, a lateral movement, a familiar exercise — and suddenly the horse responds differently than expected. Maybe the rhythm disappears. Maybe the horse feels tense or resistant. Maybe the movement simply doesn’t come together. Our first instinct is often to fix the problem . We might try a stronger aid, repeat the request more clearly, or try to correct what seems to have gone wrong. Sometimes this is appropriate. But very often something more interesting is happening beneath the surface. Because moments like these are rarely just problems. They are information . The Fixing Reflex When something doesn’t work, many riders immediately move into correction mode. More leg. More rein. More insistence. This reaction is understandable. We want to help the horse do the exercise correctly. But when correction becomes the default response, we can easily overlook something important. The horse might not be unwilling. The horse might simply be struggling to organize its body or understanding in that moment . Maybe balance is missing. Maybe the exercise is too complex for today. Maybe the horse is trying, but cannot yet coordinate everything that is required. If we immediately focus on fixing the outcome, we sometimes miss the opportunity to understand the cause . Curiosity Changes the Question Curiosity shifts the way we approach these moments. Instead of asking: Why isn’t this working? We begin to ask: What is the horse trying to tell me right now? Is the horse confused? Is balance missing somewhere in the movement? Did I explain the exercise clearly enough? Or does the horse simply need a simpler version first? Curiosity invites us to observe more carefully and to explore different possibilities rather than pushing for an immediate solution. It turns mistakes into useful feedback . Creating Space for the Horse to Search One of the beautiful effects of curiosity is that it creates space. Instead of immediately correcting, we begin to explore. We simplify the exercise. We adjust the rhythm. We break the task into smaller pieces. And very often, when the pressure to perform disappears, the horse begins to search for a better answer . These searching moments are incredibly valuable. They allow the horse to discover balance, coordination, and understanding in a way that becomes much more stable than if we simply directed every step. Curiosity and the Learning Process True learning rarely happens in perfectly smooth lines. There are moments of uncertainty, experimentation, and reorganization. When we approach training with curiosity, these moments stop feeling like failures. Instead, they become part of the natural process of building understanding. The horse is not simply executing an exercise. The horse is learning how to organize its body and mind in increasingly refined ways . And curiosity helps us support that process rather than interrupt it. The Quiet Power of Curiosity Curiosity is not about lowering our expectations. It is about approaching the work with a willingness to observe, adjust, and learn from what unfolds. It allows us to remain open to what the horse is telling us — even when it does not fit the plan we had in mind. And in doing so, curiosity becomes one of the most valuable qualities a trainer can develop. Because it turns every training session into an opportunity to understand the horse a little better. In the next part of the series, we will explore something closely connected to this idea: the subtle ways our own expectations — and sometimes our ego — can quietly influence the decisions we make during training.

Curiosity, Ego, and Adaptability in Horse Training When Progress Means Letting Go of the Plan Horse training is not only about exercises, biomechanics, or techniques. It is also about how we think, how we observe, and how willing we are to adapt when things unfold differently than we expected. In this short reflection series, I would like to explore a few quiet but important aspects of training that often shape progress more than any specific exercise: curiosity, adaptability, and the subtle role our own expectations can play along the way. This first part begins with something many of us experience sooner or later: What happens when the horse changes the plan. When the Plan Meets Reality Most of us arrive at the barn with a clear idea of what we want to work on. Maybe today we want to refine the shoulder-in. Maybe we want to improve the canter transitions. Maybe we planned to continue developing half steps or work on collection. Having a direction for the session is not a bad thing. Thoughtful training benefits from structure and progression. But horses have a remarkable way of reminding us that training is not a perfectly controlled process. Sometimes the horse shows us something different. Maybe there is a little more tension than usual. Maybe the balance is not quite there today. Maybe the horse seems distracted, confused, or simply not ready for the level of coordination the exercise requires. And suddenly we are standing at a small but important crossroads. Do we continue with the plan? Or do we pause and listen to what the horse is telling us? When the Plan Becomes the Problem A training plan should be a guide , not a rule. But sometimes, very quietly, the plan begins to drive the session. Instead of observing what is happening in front of us, we start trying to steer the horse toward the goal we had in mind. Not because we are stubborn or impatient. Often, simply because we want the session to be productive. We want to see progress. We want to confirm that our training is moving in the right direction. But horses do not respond to our plans. They respond to what they understand and what their body can organize in that moment . If something in the horse’s balance, understanding, or physical comfort is not quite ready, pushing through the plan rarely leads to better training. More often, it creates tension, confusion, or unnecessary effort. Sometimes the most productive moment in a session is the one where we quietly say: Today we do something else. Listening Instead of Insisting When we allow ourselves to step back from the plan, something interesting happens. We begin to observe more carefully. Maybe the horse needs a simpler version of the exercise. Maybe the rhythm needs to be restored first. Maybe relaxation and swing need to return before asking for more coordination. Sometimes it means returning to something very basic. And surprisingly often, these moments are where real breakthroughs happen . Because instead of asking the horse to perform something, we are helping the horse find better balance and understanding . The Courage to Adapt Good trainers are not the ones who follow a plan perfectly. They are the ones who are willing to adjust. They simplify when necessary. They rebuild when something is missing. They allow the horse time to organize its body and mind. This kind of adaptability requires something that can feel surprisingly difficult: Letting go of the idea of what the session was supposed to look like. But in doing so, we open the door to something much more valuable. We allow the horse to show us what it needs today . When Letting Go Creates Progress Some of the best training sessions are the ones where the original goal quietly disappears. Where we take a step back, explore a simpler approach, or shift the focus entirely. And suddenly the horse begins to move with more ease again. The rhythm improves. The body organizes itself more naturally. In those moments, we are reminded of something simple but profound: Progress does not always come from insisting. Sometimes progress comes from letting go of the plan . 🌿 PIB Reflection Series Part 1 – When Progress Means Letting Go of the Plan Part 2 – Curiosity: The Most Underrated Skill in Horse Training Part 3 – The Quiet Ego Traps in Horse Training Part 4 – Adaptability: The Hidden Skill of Great Trainers

Training is often described as moving forward — progressing, advancing, ticking the next box. But over the years, I’ve come to experience something slightly different. Real progress doesn’t come from constantly doing more, harder, or sooner.It comes from clarity , from knowing what we are actually working on, and from having a way to orient ourselves when things don’t feel quite right anymore. Through groundwork, work in hand, riding, review classes, challenges, and countless quiet moments with horses, my teaching has slowly crystallized into a clear inner orientation. Not as a rigid system, and not as a step-by-step recipe — but as a way of thinking and acting  that helps me stay fair, progressive, and horse-centered. I now call this orientation tool the PIB Compass . Why a Compass? A map can show terrain, paths, and destinations. A compass does something else. A compass helps you orient yourself wherever you are . No matter which route you’ve taken, how long you’ve paused, or how often you’ve needed to circle back, a compass doesn’t judge. It doesn’t rush you forward. It simply helps you ask the right questions again. That’s why the image of a compass resonates so deeply with how I work and teach. The PIB Compass doesn’t replace feel, experience, or knowledge.It doesn’t tell you where you should  be. It helps you find a meaningful direction from where you are right now . The PIB Compass within the PIB Approach The PIB Compass is not the whole PIB Approach. It sits within  it. The PIB Approach holds the knowing — biomechanics, anatomy, learning theory, mental and emotional regulation, and the deep understanding of how bodies move and adapt. The PIB Compass helps translate that knowing into doing . It helps answer practical questions such as: Where are we right now? What does the horse need in this moment? Should we simplify, integrate, support, or wait? The Five Orienting Questions of the PIB Compass The PIB Compass guides my training through five recurring questions. They are not steps to climb, but directions I return to again and again: Understanding & Motivation - Does the horse understand the request and want to participate? Coordination - Does the body reflect that understanding in posture, rhythm, and movement? Integration & Combination - Does this understanding hold when elements are combined and context changes? Surefootedness - Can the horse stay balanced, confident, and organized within complexity? Collection - Can the horse carry more without losing ease, flow, and self-carriage? Depending on the horse, the day, and the situation, different questions come into focus. Sometimes progress means simplifying. Sometimes it means integrating. And sometimes it means waiting — on purpose. Orientation instead of pressure Training is not only about being “on track”.It’s about orientation — when things drift, wobble, or change —and sometimes about recognizing that things are already moving in the right direction, following the compass beautifully. A clear inner orientation doesn’t limit creativity — it protects it . It allows us to stay curious without getting lost, and to develop physical quality without sacrificing mental connection, motivation, or trust. Looking ahead This way of thinking will quietly guide everything I share in 2026: the ongoing PIB Membership work, future challenges and theory content, and also some new standalone resources for those who want orientation and inspiration at their own pace. If this perspective resonates with you, you’re warmly invited to follow along. There is more taking shape — and it will unfold step by step.

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