Approach and retreat is just the surface. Underneath it lies the real structure: Orientation. Attention. Engagement. In this episode, Jake unpacks the hidden behavioral code that governs how horses process fear, curiosity, and uncertainty. You’ll learn why most riders misread “the try,” how to spot the difference between attention and engagement, and how to avoid unintentionally training your horse to spook, stall out, or resist. If you want your horse to confidently navigate any unfamiliar situation—not just cross a bridge—this episode shows you how to build the mindset that makes it possible.

After a long silence, Jake returns with clarity, purpose, and a warning: the old horse training game is dead. In this raw, unscripted episode, he shares why he stepped back, what he's been building behind the scenes, and how the next era of horsemanship will be shaped—not by gurus or gimmicks, but by a new structural framework he calls the “ontology.” This is the beginning of something deeper, sharper, and more honest.

What makes an elite horse feel the way they do under saddle is their mastery of these 5 "skills that scale" — Drive, Direction, Coil, Collection and Compression. These 5 abilities influence every single thing we ask our horse to do, and the more our horse masters these skills, the more balanced and correct movement they demonstrate, and more effortless responses they give us. If you’ve ever watched a high level Reiner or Cowhorse perform and felt the hair stand up on the back of your neck, it’s precisely because great movement is beautiful to the eye. We can sense movement that is better by how aesthetically pleasing it is. The best performance horses in the world are fun to watch because the way they move and responds is, MECHANICALLY, better. And it’s precisely those mechanics that our training system offers. There is GREATNESS in your horse, and we want YOU to feel it.

A quick audio summarizing the two most important milestones inside the High Level Pathway training system. These keys open the door to teaching advanced maneuvers, and ultimately promoting any horse to riding one-handed in the bridle with ease. 

Discover "Foundations Of Excellence" at:

www.advancedhorsemanship.com

Understand this, and you understand the whole game. In this voice memo Jake emphasizes the often-overlooked benefits of the yield-to-a-stop exercise, a crucial step in our colt starting process.

A quick mini-masterclass on connecting the word "whoa" with the sensation of a horse loading up, "getting into his legs", and stopping soft and balanced. How to make it muscle memory. And how it becomes the starting point for a really good sliding stop.

In this voice memo Jake offers several examples that illustrate what he calls the 'confidence equation': Confidence = (Horse Skills) x (Rider Skills)

That multiplication sign is important. Because if either the horse's foundation or the rider's abilities are at zero, then what's the product? ZERO. It doesn't matter how well trained your horse is — if your skills as a rider are lacking, and you encounter a situation where your horse needs to rely on you for leadership and guidance, you will fail the test. On the flip side, even an expert rider will struggle to maintain control of a horse with a poor foundation.

So if you want more confidence, fun and success in the saddle? Both you and your horse need to level up. It's as simple as that.

In this episode you'll learn the predictable, step-by-step formula we're using to help our Non Pro clients get wildly better results with their horses — going from "foundation" to "finesse" faster than they ever thought possible. We document our process with an owner who recently hauled to our facility for an Uplevel private lesson, then committed her reining horse to 30 days training with Lundahl Performance, and took another 3-day private lesson at the end of the program to experience and practice what her horse had learned. You'll discover what steps we followed, what exercises and concepts drove the biggest breakthroughs, the philosophy behind why they work, and how to get those results for yourself.

Ready to dive deeper into our training philosophy and get to the next level? Start your journey with this free training video: The Ultimate Lead Change Formula.

Lundahl Performance Horses Website: LundahlPerformance.com

Find Us On Facebook: Facebook.com/LundahlHorses

"Making Advanced Horsemanship Accessible"

Jake shares some personal experiences, and the story of a successful client, to illustrate how most beginner riders under-estimate their own capabilities, and their horse's potential. Only when you've taken the first major steps toward bettering yourself as a horseman, do you recognize the true scope of the opportunities in front of you. Want to experience that transformation for yourself? Visit coltstarting.com/dream and check out "Dream Horse Academy".

I've started a lot of wild mustangs over the past 13 years. Here's the biggest lessons I've learned. 

My program: 

https://www.coltstartingsecrets.com/

Training without a plan is just guessing. 

Don't guess. Learn the program. Follow the steps. 

Stay on track and stay safe. 

https://www.coltstartingsecrets.com/