REIMAGINE HORSEMANSHIP, LLC

Reimagine Horsemanship, LLC is an organization dedicated to the practice and promotion of Equine Wellness and Relationship-Based Horsemanship. We provide advanced equine behavioral rehabilitation, professional multidisciplinary training and instruction, and various educational services based developing authentic connection with horses.

OUR STORY

Many horses have difficult and confusing lives. Our job is to diagnosis, heal, and enhance the horse-human relationship. We often have to reset how horses feel about humans so that we can then provide them with a new relationship-based education that makes sense to them.

Our methods are designed to develop strong, healthy relationships between horses and humans. We use liberty work to teach the horses a language of hand gestures and postures that serves as a base system of communication for the rest of their education. This system help strengthen their cognitive abilities and help us develop our energetic awareness.

Reimagine Horsemanship was founded by our head trainer, Heather Meyer, as a behavioral rehabilitation center for horses in Dutchess County, NY. Over the years, we have helped clients all over the country develop better partnerships with their horses. We have discovered that more often than not, our human clients go through just as powerful a transformation as their horses, because in order to work with our system effectively we must practice mindfulness.

Reimagine has now evolved into the Reimagine Horsemanship Equine Wellness Center and School of Mindful Horsemanship. Our hope is to continue to spread the life-enhancing magic of liberty work and relationship-based horsemanship to more and more people in the years to come.

HEATHER MEYER

Heather Meyer
Founder/Head Trainer

Heather Meyer is our head trainer and the founder of Reimagine Horsemanship. She was introduced to horses at the age of 4 by her mother to help her cope with her severely introverted nature. She grew up taking hunter/jumper lessons, competing in shows, and working off board for her Arab pony at local ranches, wrangling and riding 6-8 hours a day when she wasn't in school.

Heather is well versed in practical ranch riding as well as classical dressage, having studied with hundreds of horses across the US. In 2006, she began working for the original Royal Lipizzaner Stallion show based in Florida. She worked her way up the ranks by teaching interesting behaviors to the stallions in her care, and as a result became the principal performer for the next 5 years.

After leaving the show, she began working as a trainer at various facilities on the west coast. In 2014, she was offered an opportunity to work with the Colonial Spanish Wilbur Cruce Horses just outside of Fresno. These special horses are direct descendants of the original Spanish horse brought over by the Conquistadors in the fifteenth century.

Heather has spent a lot of time alone, with many different horses, in a lot of unique situations. Over the years, she began experiencing some profound shifts in her consciousness, and began referring to her practice as Mindful Horsemanship. She began publishing articles and information about this concept all over the web and ever since, mindfulness practice and energetic communication has become a cornerstone of her work with horses.

In 2016, Heather moved to New England to pursue some more training opportunities. She has worked in most facets of the equestrian industry, from ranch work to the "Airs Above Ground". On a visit to her family in the Hudson Valley of upstate NY, she began to realize that she should be working for herself. She formed Reimagine Horsemanship, LLC in 2018 and settled in Poughquag, NY, where she began focusing on rehabbing horses and teaching Relationship-Based Horsemanship. She developed her Inner Liberty system as a result of figuring out how to reset and re-educate troubled horses with liberty work. This relationship-based system is now being used for experiential education applications.

Heather has always had a knack for building quality relationships with horses. They have always been family to her. She often says that no human guru could ever replace what the horses have taught her over the years. All you have to do is slow down, listen, and observe. She loves teaching them interesting things and exploring the endless possibilities within the horse-human relationship. She now works with around 30-35 different horses each week and is currently writing her first book about energetic dialogue with horses.

KELLY KIRBY

Kelly Kirby
LCSW-R/EAL Facilitator

Kelly Kirby is a licensed mental health specialist. She is a highly experienced social worker who specializes in trauma based therapy, specifically EMDR. Kelly is also a student relationship-based horsemanship, having gone on her own special journey with her horse Bodhi here at Reimagine.

Kelly is a warm and engaging psychotherapist with 25 years of experience providing mental health counseling and treatment services for adolescent and adult clients. Her approach is client-centered and is always a partnership based on respect for each person's unique life, strengths and challenges.

Kelly was introduced to Reimagine in 2019. She and her horse Bodhi were experiencing some

Kelly is now the primary facilitator for our mindfulness activities here at Reimagine. She helps organize our retreats and experiential education programs while using her outstanding interpersonal skills to provide our participants with a socially comfortable experience during their stay. She works in conjunction with Heather to show the general public the life enhancing benefits of relationship-based horsemanship.

She and her Bodhi are a huge part of the Reimagine family. Bodhi is now one of our main lesson horses. His light-hearted personality has become an invaluable asset in helping us educate our participants on the art of Relationship-Based Horsemanship.

TMARA CAPUTO

Tamara Caputo
Assistant Barn Manager

Kelly was introduced to Reimagine in 2019. She and her horse Bodhi were experiencing some

Tamara helps Heather manage the farm when she is on the road. She handles the horses with genuine love and impeccable patience. She is an excellent student and helps keep the lesson horses fit while Heather works on her rehab cases.

THE PROCESS

Whisper
Star Liberty Lesson Horse

Whisper is our star liberty lesson horse. She is a beautiful Spanish Mustang mare who came to Reimagine in 2019. The moment she stepped off the trailer the entire farm took on a serene quality that continues to help the new rehab horses settle in when they arrive.

Whisper has a unique blend of tolerance, sensitivity, and a calming quality that wraps itself around everyone around her. She is the heart of Reimagine and she gives chills to everyone who is lucky enough to work with her.

Bodhi
Horsemanship and Liberty Lesson Horse

Bodhi is a Reimagine Horsemanship rehab graduate. He has grown leaps and bounds since he came into our family and we are very proud of him. He is a 12 year old QH paint cross with a huge personality and a great sense of humor.

Bodhi is one of our main lesson horses. He teaches horsemanship and liberty work to students of all levels.

Mia
Horsemanship Lesson Horse

Mia came to our rehab program in 2019 as a four year old. She is a stunning, highly intelligent Lusitano mare. She had a lot of baggage at a young age, very skeptical of people. She grew up unhandled until about 6 months prior to us finding her and we believe that she had undergone quite a bit of trauma in that short time frame.

Mia is doing great now. She has become an exquisite liberty horse and is now giving horsemanship lessons to beginner and advanced students.

Prince
Promotional Horse and Future Lesson Horse

Prince is a young Colonial Spanish stallion. He is Heather's little man! Prince has become a favorite demonstrational horse among our visitors.

Prince is a talented liberty horse. Just 13 hands but moves like a horse twice his size. He is super smart and enjoys figuring things out. He is being prepped as a lesson horse and is probably ready but Heather is a little protective over the little guy lol!

Ralphie
Demo Horse

Ralphie came to us in 2021 with our assistant manager, Tamara. She was looking to develop her relationship with him after having adopted him after he suffered a major rotational fall in his previous life as a big time eventing horse.

Ralphie is super intelligent but also extremely emotional and he could be very explosive at times. His body has gone through a lot in his 13 years of life and we are continually monitoring his physical condition and mental well being through the diverse curriculum here at Reimagine.

Ralphie and Tamara are now a huge part of the Reimagine family. Ralphie help Heather demonstrate her Dressage for Wellness concentration for visitors and students.

Theo
Demo Horse

Theo has been part of our family since late 2020. Theo had suffered heavy depression at his previous home after having to undergo stall rest for hi Navicular syndrome along with emotional abandonment from his previous owner. His new person Monica has offered him a new lease of life and he is now thriving in our program. Living in our herd, happy and healthy.

Theo is one of the friendliest horses ever. He loves people and now helps Heather demonstrate Dressage of Wellness at liberty to students and visitors.

Max
Spook Busting Partner

Max is Heather's best friend, companion, and protector. He is a young German Shepard who was gifted to her as a puppy in 2019.

Max was the runt of his litter but is now a majestic wolf-looking dog who loves people just as much as he loves his horsey buddies and his kitties.

Max helps the horses adjust to his big, playful energy by racing around when Heather is trail training or working in the round pen. Best spook busting partner ever!