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Struggling with Your Horse's Behaviour?Support

I provide ethical, science-backed solutions for lasting change. Compassionate, effective, and free of gimmicks

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3 Simple Steps

To a Better Life with Your Horse

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1️⃣ Assess and Understand: Identify what’s affecting your Horse’s behaviour—whether it’s health, stress, or environment. By addressing the root causes, we set your Horse up for lasting success. Your Horse deserves the best and so do you.
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2️⃣ Meet Their Needs and Guide Learning: Fulfill your Horse’s physical and emotional needs while gently guiding them towards the positive behaviors you want to see. With the right balance of exercise, stimulation and a strengthened your bond with ethical training, change becomes possible.
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3️⃣ Review and Adjust for Lasting Results: I’m with you every step of the way. We’ll review progress and make adjustments as needed because every Horse is unique and benefits from personalized support. I provide ongoing 1:1 support to ensure a happier, stress-free life for you and your Horse.

Ground Work & Handling Solutions

Tired of the Battle? Let’s Build Trust Again

From head-shy to hoof-handling, I offer kind, science-based solutions to resolve ground work issues and build trust, creating a calmer, more cooperative horse.

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Dangerous & Aggressive Behaviours

Safe, Compassionate Solutions for Aggressive Horses

Biting, kicking, or dangerous behaviour putting you at risk? I provide calm, science-based solutions to manage aggression, helping your horse become safer and more cooperative without force.

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Confidence Building in the Saddle

Poor Performance or Dangerous Behaviour? Solutions for Every Ride

Struggling with bolting, bucking, or poor performance? I offer tailored, science-based solutions to build confidence in both you and your horse, making every ride safer and more enjoyable.

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Performance Issues & Ridden Behaviour

My Horse Won’t Listen! Fix Ridden Issues Now

Is your horse acting up under saddle—bolting, bucking, or refusing to listen? I provide effective, science-based solutions to resolve ridden behaviour problems and improve performance for good.

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Hoof Care, Boot Fitting & Trimming: Equine Podiatry

No Foot, No Horse: Improve Hoof Health and Performance

Struggling with farrier visits, hoof handling, or transitioning to barefoot? I offer tailored hoof care solutions to improve your horse’s comfort, performance, and overall hoof health.

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Meet Barbara Hardman, Your Horse's Behaviour Specialist

Compassionate, Science-Backed Behaviour Solutions

Hi, I’m Barbara J. Hardman, an accredited Clinical Animal Behaviourist (APBC) and Equitation Science Coach with a passion for compassionate, science-based care. With a Master’s (MSc) in Equine Scienbce and a background in Zoology (BSc Hon), I specialise in animal learning theory, training and behavioural science. Based in Kildare, Ireland, I’m fully insured and dedicated to helping Horses and their owners build a happier, more harmonious life together.

testimonials

Read my Reviews

Barbara came to offer support, guidance, and demonstration of how to deal with a young equine who did not understand human body language. I was thrilled with her knowledge and understanding of both my fears and the physical challenges I faced adapting to a training program that would work for me to build lasting trust with him.

Deirdre & Oro

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Cannot recommend Barbara enough! She has been invaluable over the last few weeks teaching me the first steps of using positive reinforcement with horses and understanding equine behaviour. Her training is based on ethical methods backed by science and make so much sense. She has also been my right hand woman recently for viewing horses and assessing their behaviour and movement to ensure they are a suitable match. Would highly recommend her services. She is also great craic and really puts your horse’s welfare first.

Eilisha & Molly

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Despite spending many decades in the horse world I have never found someone whose philosophy meshed so well with mine - someone whose judgement I could really trust - until I worked with Barbara. Barbara always puts the safety, health and well-being of me and my horse at the forefront during our sessions (and beyond), which means she supports our progress and growth, without any of the pushing or rushing we have experienced in the past. She also clearly knows her stuff and is always ready with an example, study, or scientific reference to answer any queries I might have. Honestly couldn’t ask for a better or more knowledgeable equine professional to have on my side!

Rachel & Piper

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I’d highly recommend Barbara from Bright Horse, her knowledge and skill set using +R is in abundance. She approaches each horse/human on an individual basis and adapts her practice to help them achieve their goal and improve their understanding and communication. This really helped me and Bambi to become a fabulous little team. Prior to coming to us, Bambi was a complicated little soul. She had numerous fears and wasn’t happy AT ALL with her mouth being touched for dentist and worming. Barbara worked with us over the past month to help us achieve this goal using clicker & treats and today we succeeded!!! Not only has Barbara helped Bambi, but she has taught me valuable skills that I can apply in any situation and with any horse. Many thanks Barbara!

Deborah & Bambi

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As an avid supporter of Barbara’s ethos and methods at Bright Horse, I find it an absolute pleasure to share my experiences. Being a staunch believer in the philosophy of prioritising the horse’s needs, I’ve found that this approach consistently yields positive outcomes. My journey with Bright Horse has been transformative, particularly in gaining the confidence and skill to clip my horse India independently. The guidance and expertise provided by Barbara, have been nothing short of exceptional. Her dedication to horse welfare and owner education is evident in every interaction. My gratitude for the positive changes in my horse’s care and my own personal development as a horse owner is immense. I wholeheartedly recommend Barbara to any fellow equine enthusiast seeking a compassionate and effective approach to horse care.

Karen & India

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My Horse had absolutely NO brakes before I met Barbara, I was scared to ride faster then a walk. At first I wasn’t sure with the bitless bridle, but once Barbara explained to me how to turn and stop, it was SO easy! I wasn’t sure at first but after I did a 2 hours hack with it (including trotting by myself!) I really enjoyed it. India didn’t head toss at all, she moved so nicely and I was able to stop! Thank you Barbara for making me feel safe and have fun again.

Karen & India

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I would highly recommend Barbara at Bright Horse. She is currently working with myself and my horse Ace in relation to trailer loading. Her approach is so positive. She takes her time to explain each interaction or exercise to me so I understand why I am doing it too. Ace has been doing brilliantly and he really enjoys the exercises which I too have found some useful to focus him in other areas. I can’t wait to see the end result!

Cathy & Ace

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Barbara was hugely helpful with my young horse Tilly. Following Barbara’s sessions - and using her methods - I was able to make significant strides with Tilly in terms of work in hand, getting her to stand at the mounting block and moving forward. I would very much recommend Barbara to anyone having issues with the horse’s behaviour.

Nick & Tilly

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Barbara has been helping my horse Ellie and I overcome a serious stable anxiety issue with the use of target training. This positive reinforcement strategy couldn’t have been easier to implement; with Barbara’s easy to follow and understand instructions, we are making excellent progress. After experiencing Barbara’s calm, patient and knowledgable enthusiasm through a video coaching session, I am feeling ever more confident that we will succeed in reducing Ellie’s worries and supporting her to cope. Ellie and I both enjoy our training sessions (she loves when she sees the target coming out!) and it’s strengthening our bond all the time. So grateful for your expertise and support Barbara. Looking forward to our next session. Many thanks.

Sarah & Ellie

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Barbara is amazing at what she does and I would highly reccomend her, she had a great way of communicating with both the horse and the mammy. She helped my boy who had a terrible fear of clipping and it was a nasty experience for everyone involved by the end of it me and Monty had a much better understanding of eachother and I had a horse that was calm and enjoyed his clip. She was so facilitating to my needs as I was 9 months pregnant at our first consultation and 6 weeks post partum on our second. I couldn’t reccomend her enough monty is smiling from ear to ear now and is wondering when she’ll be back with the good treats.

Chloe & Monty

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have consulted with Barbara on a difficult case with a horse showing fear-based aggression. She is extremely knowledgable and can explain things in a way that’s easy to understand. She has the horse’s best interests at heart while being kind and compassionate with the owner as well and is very much able to meet people where they’re at. We have made fantastic progress with this horse and I have learned so much from working with Barbara. She is an encyclopaedia of equine science and it is really hard to find professionals with this level of knowledge and the ability to apply it in real life. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone who wants to learn to really build a relationship with their horse and learn how to train and deal with issues in a logical, horse-friendly way.

Louise Stubbs

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Not Sure If I'm the Right Fit for You?

Discover what working with me looks like and explore the support I offer to see if it’s right for you.

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Pricing

Find out more about Pricing & Services

Initial 1:1 Consultation
€196 / 2 hours

Perfect for horse owners seeking a detailed behavioural assessment or biomechanical assessment for hoof care and an actionable improvement plan.

  • Comprehensive equine behavioural assessment and training support.
  • 2-hour, 1:1 session at your yard or agreed location.
  • Includes an Equine podiatry assessment, hoof and movement/biomechanics evaluation.
  • Tailored behaviour modification plan for all behavioural issues
  • Barefoot trim and boot fitting, if required, to compliment behaviour issues like farrier fear and leg handling problems.
  • Detailed report included for your reference or vet, as needed.
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Follow-Up Consultation
€96 / 1 hour

Ideal for continued support and refinement of your horse's behavioural or hoof care improvement plan.

  • Ongoing equine behavioural coaching and training.
  • 1-hour session at your yard or another agreed location.
  • Refinement of hoof health and movement plans, barefoot trim with behavioural support if applicable.
  • Follow up shaping plans, as required, to progress behaviour goals
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Phone Consultation
€48 / 45 minutes

Convenient support for horse owners needing guidance or a plan for next steps.

  • 45-minute video or phone consultation for behavioural advice.
  • Actionable guidance to address specific equine concerns.
  • Recommendations tailored to your horse’s unique needs.
Claim Your Package

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