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Struggling with Your Horse’s Behaviour in Kildare?Support

Compassionate, science-based help for horses and their people, evidence-backed, ethical, and free from force or gimmicks. Lasting change starts with understanding.

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3 Simple Steps

To a Calmer, More Confident Horse

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1️⃣ Understand & Assess: Together we uncover what’s truly behind your horse’s behaviour, health, stress, environment, or emotion. Once you know the ‘why,’ change becomes possible.
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2️⃣ Support & Guide: We meet your horse’s physical and emotional needs while gently shaping the behaviours you want to see. Kind, ethical, science-based learning builds trust and confidence.
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3️⃣ Review & Maintain: Every horse is unique. I offer ongoing guidance and adjustments to ensure progress is steady, sustainable, and enjoyable for both of you.

Groundwork & Handling

Rebuild Trust from the Ground Up

From head-shy to hoof-handling, I use kind, science-based methods to rebuild trust and confidence. Calm groundwork creates a safer, happier horse, and a stronger partnership. Struggling with farrier visits, vets or grooming, I provide gentle training to reduce stress, improve comfort, and strengthen your horse’s long-term soundness.

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Aggression & Safety

Compassionate Help for Dangerous Behaviours

Biting, kicking, or sudden aggression can feel frightening. I help identify the underlying causes, fear, pain, or misunderstanding, and guide you to safe, lasting change.

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Confidence in the Saddle, Solving Ridden Behaviour

Make Riding Calm and Enjoyable Again With Kindness

From bucking to bolting, I offer tailored, evidence-based support to restore confidence in you and your horse. Gentle methods rebuild trust and joy in the saddle. Whether your horse resists, rushes, or won’t focus, I help uncover the reasons and guide practical, positive solutions that improve performance, without pressure or fear.

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Meet Barbara Hardman

Clinical Animal Behaviourist & Equine Science Coach in Kildare

I’m Barbara Hardman, a Clinical Animal Behaviourist (APBC) and Equitation Science Coach with a Master’s (MSc) in Equine Science and a background in Zoology (BSc Hons). Based in Kildare, I specialise in understanding the emotions that drive behaviour. My goal is to help horses and their people feel safe, connected, and confident again, through compassionate, evidence-based training.

What Clients Say

Trusted by Horse Owners Across Kildare

Barbara is brilliant, she provides fantastic advice tailored you and your pets. She’s helped me with managing introductions with new horses joining the herd and setting up a puppy for success. Her advice is easy to take on board in manageable chunks. Always uplifting and supportive.Her knowledge is fantastic and shes always up to date with the latest research. Very approachable- highly recommended 👌

Julia & Family

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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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Barbara was great help and support with my overly excitable Wolfadoodle! She provided us with the tools and knowledge for us to manage him and set some boundaries.

Aishling & Cuan

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From the off, I learnt so.many new things about my dogs and their behaviour patterns. Applying them has seen immediate results (obviously with some issues needing more time). I am looking forward more resolution and understanding. I can thoroughly recommend Barbara and Bright Horse. Friendly, thorough and informative :)

Martin & Rufus

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Barbara has superb energy and overall knowledge. She helped us out with Golden Retriever who had some Resource Guarding issues. She provided an overall assessment of his behaviour, as well as some great easy actions moving forward. She’s very patient and I would definitely recommend her! :)

Kirils & Gus

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Really enjoyed working with Barbara. She supported us in helping our puppy overcome anxious and avoidant behaviour. Would absolutely recommend if you are struggling with any behavioural issues.

Iolanda & Bailey

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Rarbara has been amazing at helping Lexi overcome her anxiety and be more settled in nature! Barbara’s positive reinforcement and continued support had been a fantastic tool for us all. Highly recommended

Melissa & Lexi

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Barbara spent time with me and my very active/rather noisy Jack Russell Pippin. Just want to say how grateful I am for your tips re modifying Pippin’s behaviour with cardboard box treat challenges. It has worked so well at those times e.g. doorbell, bedtime when she gets over excited. It’s also great for relieving possible boredom. Thank you for your time, patience and excellent advice.

Elise & Pippin

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Oh wow, our training plan we received is incredible, it is so thorough, clear, easy to read and follow and the pictures are really useful. Extremely professional but practical and exactly what is needed to help me remember all the steps of our training! The next day after our initial training he was great, I was able to catch his focus and he was super! Bright Horse has been fantastic for us, and I know it will be life changing for both of us, he’ll be happier, and I can get back to the canal!

Avril & Joey

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A friend recommended Barbara to me, and it was one of the best recommendations I’ve ever received. Bowie broke his little leg at 5 months old, and all my training went out the window while he was in recovery. Bowie was very reactive when it came to cars, trucks, and buses he’d bark, skip, and jump at them. He was afraid of the harness over his head, running away and making it very difficult and frustrating to even leave the garden for a walk. Barbara guided me on how to make it a fun experience for both myself and Bowie when putting the harness on, and finally, we were able to leave the garden. Bowie now waits happily, wagging his tail for treats, instead of looking nervous and agitated. It no longer takes over an hour of back and forth to get his harness and lead on! Bowie is learning to walk better on his lead at a more relaxed pace. He’s improving every day thanks to Barbara’s guidance!🐾.

Aisling & Bowie

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We contacted Barbara for some help with our rescue hound Snoop, who is the most gentle, docile dog around the house but very reactive when out for walks. Cats, birds, other dogs he was barking at, lunging and just generally making walks quite stressful. Especially as our other little hound Biccy is the world’s friendliest/nosiest dog and wants to go and meet every other person and dog we meet out and about. Barbara came to meet us, gave us some tips and processes we could work on immediately with Snoop, then we had a follow up meeting to check on progress and work on next steps. While it’s always going to be an ongoing process things are much improved with Snoop now, we even get to do some off leash play time with him which we just assumed was always going to be a no-no with a sight hound like him. Himself and Biccy love their runs up and down the canal bank. I’d highly recommend Barbara if you want to work with your dog, not just on specific issues but to improve your overall relationship and life with your dog. We’ve brought dogs to other trainers in this past but this is the first time I’ve felt really satisfied and in sync with what they were trying to do.

Trevor & Snoop

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Barbara not only helped with feeding but also taught us about enrichment activities that support our dog’s behavioural needs needs we hadn’t even realized were being missed! Thanks to her, we’ve learned how to help our dog live a more fulfilling life. Barbara is professional, kind, and incredibly knowledgeable. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone struggling with their dog’s behaviour. All of her advice and training were easy to follow, and best of all it worked! We couldn’t be happier with the progress our dog has made thanks to Barbara’s guidance.

Donal & Bell

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I contacted Barbara to get help with a specific issue but I have learned so much more about behaviour than expected! Barbara is extremely knowledgeable & provided loads of advice & information at the session which was all contained in the follow up plan. The follow up training material provided was excellent, extremely clear, easy to follow & the photographs were so helpful. Her plans are very tailored to the specific owner & in no way generic. She was excellent at answering any follow up questions as we began the training & very encouraging. I feel she really tried to figure out our issues and also me as an owner & what was required by us not only to achieve successful training but improve our overall relationship. I am very happy we found Barbara.

Marianne & Molly

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I rang Barbra during a very difficult period after rescuing a very loved dog and she spent a long time reassuring me on the phone . We made our appointment and had a plan . Meanwhile circumstances changed and we could no longer care for Daithi as we hoped and we found him a new loving home . Barbara cancelled her appointment absolutely no question or problem and on top of this provided me with lots of support and reading material during the transition. Barbra has a warm place in my heart though we never met and should anyone have any issues reach out to her . You can tell she’s in it for love not money. Thank you Barbra 😊.

Kalla & Daithi

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Barbara was so patient with us, never mind Roger! Anyone looking for help or guidance with behaviour should get in touch with Bright Horse. Positive Reinforcement = Yes!

Emily & Roger

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I could not recommend Barbara enough for dog training and behaviour. She has the utmost care and compassion for animals and helps both humans and the pet along the way during training! She taught us so much about dog behaviour in the months we were working with her, knowledge which we will now have forever! She’s authentic and funny and always puts the health of the pet first. If you are looking for a helping hand in understanding your dogs behaviour, working towards a happy household with realistic goals and some laughter along the way, Barbara is the trainer/behaviourist for you!

Aimey & Family

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Hi Barbara it’s Charlotte and Mad Benji here from the moment we met you accepted us for who we were and where we were at we work hard on getting Benji back on track and looking good also. You showed me nothing but compete professionalism at all times . I am so looking forward to our journey and will be very sad when it ends . All that’s left to say is l highly recommend you to anyone who has horse dog or any animal with issues your amazing 😍.. Heartfelt best wishes to you for the future. Congratulations 👏 you get five stars. Kind regards Charlotte Fabian and Benji woof woof woof..

Charlotte & Benji

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Barbara has been a great help to us. She has given fantastic tips and advice to help us with Vinny, a miniature schnauzer. I highly recommend her. Thank you Barbara!

Michael, Hazel & Vinny

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Barbara has been a great help with Skye, who is now a happier, healthier, calmer and more playful dog. Thank you!

Sarah & Skye

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Barbara really goes above and beyond to help the both the animals and the owners she works with; I couldn’t recommend her enough. As an owner you are fully supported going forward and have ample information to refer back to. Help with vets, medication if necessary and another adjunct therapies that may be need. You really do get the full package. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Barbara for any issue that arises with your canine companion, no matter the age of the dog or nature of the problem, you are in safe hands!

Jayne & Hector

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Barbara was wonderful to work with, she was so helpful with my reactive dog and used lovely techniques and knowledge during his training. She is patient and understands your pet so well. Barbara is always only a text away if you have any worries or problems and is always quick to respond❤️🐾

Rachel & Cairo

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Absolutely fantastic!! Barbara has helped me and my mare so much with positive reinforcement and with her barefoot journey, forever appreciative of Barbara’s support, highly recommend!

Hollie & Luna

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I am so grateful for the incredible work Barbara has done with me and my dog, Charlie.I approached Barbara as I was feeling quite desperate as my dog’s anxiety, attachment issues and resource guarding were affecting our life. She used an integrative approach to get to the root of the behaviour and thanks to Barabara , she first spotted some musco -skeletal issues with him which have now been diagnosed and he is receiving ongoing treatment to ease these spinal issues which were causing pain ! She also helped us prepare for a big international move . I’m now settled in my new country and my dog is thriving I couldn’t be happier and I couldn’t be more grateful to Barbara’s work.

Kate & Charlie

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Barbara Hardman is an exceptional animal behaviour therapist. From the very beginning, she became an absolute favourite in guiding me on what is truly best not only for my horse, Luna, but also for me as her owner. Barbara’s insight, patience, and ability to connect on such a deep level have been invaluable. She has helped strengthen the bond between Luna and me while giving us the tools to move forward with confidence. I couldn’t recommend her highly enough to anyone seeking genuine expertise and care for their animals. I might take a little longer, but is absolutely worth the stronger bond ❣️

Evanza & Luna

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Not Sure If I’m the Right Fit for You and Your Horse?

If you’re unsure where to start, explore what it’s like to work together. Learn how compassionate, evidence-based support can help you and your horse find calm, lasting change in Kildare and beyond.

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Pricing

Find out more about Pricing & Services

Clinical Behaviour Assessment
€325 / 2 hours

Behavioural assessment, behavioural modification and training

  • Comprehensive equine behavioural assessment with professional insight into underlying factors.
  • 2-hour, 1:1 session at your yard or agreed location.
  • Includes hoof and movement/biomechanics evaluation where relevant.
  • Prescribed shaping plans and training recommendations tailored to your horse.
  • Six weeks’ access to my online Moodle behavviour courses.
  • Veterinary liaison (summary provided for your vet if needed).
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Clinical Behaviour Follow-Up
€120 / 1 hour

Follow-up consultation, behavioural modification and training

  • 1-hour, in-person behavioural modification and training session.
  • Refinement of shaping plans.
  • Follow-up shaping plans provided to progress behavioural goals.
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Clicker Training Coaching
€100 / 1 hour

Clicker-training coaching session with you and your horse

  • 1-hour, one-to-one coaching session with you and your horse.
  • Practical exercises tailored to your experience and training goals.
  • Guidance on timing, rewards, safe food delivery and the use of a clicker or marker.
  • Support integrating clicker training into handling, groundwork, hacking or ridden work.
  • Six weeks’ access to my online Moodle clicker-training course.
  • Suitable for horses who do not require a clinical behavioural assessment or behaviour-modification programme.
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