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Course 101 — Ethology & Safety

Course 101 — Ethology & Safety

The second course of the Level 1 Foundational Horsemanship Certification. Course 101 is about the horse's mind and your safety, in that order and inseparably. You will learn how a prey animal sees the world, how to read ears, eyes, mouth, tail, and above all the feet, and why the horse is a mirror of the person handling it.

Then the skills: the catch as a conversation the horse chooses to join, leading with feel, tying with knots that always release under load, bridling without a fight, and the beginnings of round pen work, where a horse hooks on and chooses you. Every lesson is built on the barn safety rules at Ocean View Stables, and the certification at the end tests the judgment that keeps you and the horse safe.

Soft is strong. Clarity is kindness.

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Finish Course 100 — Equine Science & Care to unlock or join anyway
Responsible Ocean View Stables
Last Update 09/27/2026
Completion Time 8 hours 29 minutes
Members 6
Level 1
  • Safety First (empty)
    9Lessons · 1 hr 43 min
    Section 1 of 7. A thousand pound animal with a five foot sideways spook does not need to mean you harm to hurt you badly. These are the rules at Ocean View Stables, the reason behind each one, and the three distances that decide whether you are safe behind a horse.
    • Blind Spots and Announcing Yourself
      Directly in front of the nose and directly behind the tail, a horse cannot see you at all. How to move so that you are never a surprise.
      Preview 10 xp