"A great horse will change your life. The truly special ones define it..."
— Author Unknown
Hi, I’m maeve bandt
My goals, driven with a “horse first” mentality, are to help the horse & human work together to prevent lameness & develop continued soundness in mind, body & soul. Your connection with your horse is truly the baseline of every step of your journey.
As someone with a yogic background and lifetime working with horses, it lights the fire in my soul to help others on their journey with their horse. Through a lameness prevention lens, my effort is spent addressing proper biomechanics through training, myofascial release & energy work. My biggest goal for those I work with: the horse to feel heard & live more comfortably and sound; the human to feel empowered to be the best advocate for their horse, if at times it means trusting their gut and feeling like they’re going against the grain.
My Approach
The shift in the equine industry has begun….
There seems to be an increasing question of the “why,” rather than an almost blind following. It’s so relatable in this industry to always “trust the professionals.” Like most things, we easily suppress our gut instincts, because there’s someone around giving information we have to trust; or feel like we should because there’s an exchange of money involved.
How many of us can look at our own horsemanship approach and say, “that’s just how I’ve always done it.” What’s clearly visible is the shift. The shift of horse owners and leaders emerging who do not want to just do what they’ve always done. There’s been a very clear mentality of force and coercion that has driven the horse world for as long as I can remember, and well before that! It’s an honor to be a part of a the shift in providing the autonomy our horses deserve.
I think the collective of owners truly do want what’s right by their horse. I want to help horse guardians feel empowered to call back their power & step up for doing what they feel is right for their horse. We’re consumed by very loud voices exclaiming the “right way” of horsemanship approach; but what happens when the right way becomes blurred with the normal way and doesn’t sit right with us? Just because it’s normal, does not mean it’s correct. And the most “correct” of all, is a horse led and horse first approach.
Horses that operate in a proper posture, using correct biomechanics, are much more capable and willing to perform their jobs. In an encouragement for all humans to live their dreams out with their horse; there is never judgement or pressure passed for where you are or have been along your journey, but could be met with supportive advice for a life of continued health and soundness as you progress together.
Afterall, if we just made them the absolute priority, we’d see they’re the greatest teachers of all.
do you struggle with mystery lameness?
Sometimes it’s as simple as going back to the basics…
Sometimes it’s not. But hey - a good starting point can be taking things back to the basics. There will always be good that comes from checking back in with the basics, no matter what stage we are in. If we try and ask our horses to complete tasks that they’re simply not ready for, we can be inherently doing more damage than good. The body’s fascia binds down in trauma, and there it holds, being the great protector it is. The body though, doesn’t realize we’re living in a domesticated world where there’s typically no “life or death” situations to protect from, so it’s stimulated by man-made situations and reacts accordingly. The bodies are incredible and ever changing- so it’s very important to not confuse posture with conformation, when addressing our horses. And gently reminding us humans, we are not here to “fix.” That is not our job. What we can do, is help support our horses better for the lifestyle we are providing them.
WHY CHOOSE ME?
There are an incredible number of trainers in the world. There are an incredible number of trainers in our state. And of that - there’s a lot of fantastic humans out to put the horses first.
In the same breath, there’s a lot of trainers who follow traditional techniques, that we now know, are quite harmful for our horses. If there’s anything I would like to do differently; it’s help change the mentality of how we care for our horses. Educate horse guardians and lovers who want to know how they can help support their horse for a safer, healthier lifestyle. With this comes; lower vet bills (preventative maintenance,) improved performance in or out of the show ring, deeper connection to your horse & happier horses who are more comfortable in their day-to-day life. I’m so grateful for our equine vets, but they are over worked, and there’s a shortage of them; so now more than ever, it’s incredibly important for horse owners to feel empowered enough to advocate for their horse and provide them a lifestyle that helps prevent excessive injuries.
I’m a huge proponent of collaboration. Knowing an ever-increasing network of incredible horsemen and horsewomen, is so valuable. If I do not feel like I am the best practitioner for you - I’ll gladly share that with you and then provide you someone I’d recommend instead (if I can.) I think openly and honestly sharing what information is in our wheelhouse & speaking our truths and guiding a horse and human to a colleague goes farther than seeing other industry professionals as competition. Healthy boundaries are also very important. I believe they are in our horse and human relationships. I feel strongly that I must ‘walk the walk’ as well. So, I’ll gently remove myself from a client if I feel a moral injustice for the horses, with no regard for adjusting is made.
Overall - I am here to advocate and be a voice for the many horses I see, carrying so much dysfunction in their bodies. I am here to advocate for the guardians who don’t feel quite right adhering to the norm of equine practices. I am here for you.