BraveHooves

We help clients support their horses' wellness by building a deeper relationship via bodywork & lessons. I am also an independent distributor for BEMER.

The practitioner behind the scenes; Bethany Carlson

My passion for animals began by spending summers on my grandfather's ranch in western Nebraska. This is where I was first introduced to horses and where I learned to ride. My deep love of animals continued to grow throughout childhood and followed me into my college career. I have an Associate's degree in Business Management through Post Univers

ity as well as an Associate's degree in Equine Science through SUNY Morrisville. At Morrisville, I studied numerous equine classes, including training, nutrition, and rehabilitation. I then proceeded to become certified in the Amassage Method as an Equine Massage Therapist through the School of Midwest Natural Healing for Animals (MNHA). I offer all-inclusive bodywork sessions that meet the horse and the human where they are at. I have been teaching horse lessons for 11 years and am excited to now offer lessons with a Soulful Horsemanship lens that prioritizes honoring the horse first and foremost. All lessons have a focus on the whole horse and learning the basics of care and communication. You can come learn with my horses or I can help you get more connected with your own horse. I specialize in beginner lessons for all ages with an emphasis on maintaining a low pressure environment. Helping clients find the right horse or find the right home for their horse is another service offered by BraveHooves. I have helped many friends and family with the process of buying and selling horses. I am now pleased to offer this service to the public. Please reach out with any questions.

06/11/2026

☀️ Do you put sunscreen on your horse?!

I do! Chiron's white nose and chin area are prime spots for getting sunburned.

He doesn't like being restrained and doesn't like anything coming near his face, so sunscreen application is something that we're working on improving through positive reinforcement training. Thankfully, he's much more tolerant of it now, but we're not at the end goal yet. He can now actually think through things and participate versus before he would just immediately react and do whatever he needed to leave the situation.

Quil also gets a little sunscreen applied to the white area on his nose. He's much more accepting of this task. We still use positive reinforcement to maintain that easy cooperation.

Neither Gulliver or Ember have white on their faces, so they don't need sunscreen protection. They do still have care behaviors that they're working on though! Ember doesn't like fly spray and Gulliver doesn't like dewormer.

What type of additional seasonal care is the most challenging for you and your horses?

~ BraveHooves 💜 (B)

06/09/2026

An exercise in following your intuition.

Name the first thing that comes to your mind for the following questions. It could be a color, a word, an image, a memory... just whatever comes in first.

If you have multiple horses, envision a clear image of one them in your mind.

1. What does your horse need right now?
2. What would they like to do more of with you?
3. Where can you practice balance for yourself?

My answers are in the comments.

~ BraveHooves 💜 (B)

06/04/2026

✨ Calm vs Chaos 🌀

In my last post, I mentioned that how we respond in stressful or unplanned situations can be largely linked to our past experiences.

Patterns play a huge role in our responses.

This is also true for our horses.

Responses to stress give us information, they provide insight into patterns that have become established within the body.

The cool thing is that just because it is doesn't mean it has to be.

What I mean by that is.... just because we typically respond one way doesn't mean that's how all future stress responses need to play out.

The same is true for our horses.

We can observe the information of stress responses as feedback of where the body currently is. Then we can give the body space to be acknowledged. A pausing of sorts. Sometimes this is enough for the nervous system to be guided towards less jagged responses.

Sometimes further intervention is involved. Further support of witness, connectedness, and grounding followed by suggestions of gentler responses. Repetition is often helpful.

So if you or your horse have a tendency towards a certain chaotic behavioral response in stressful situations I'm here to tell you - just because it is doesn't mean it has to be.

Explosivity or freezing or fawning doesn't have to be the go to. You don't have to stay stuck.

My herd and I have, and are continuing to, work through gentling our own stress responses.
We'd love to offer you support when you're ready.

~ BraveHooves 💜 (B)

06/03/2026

The unplanned. Hitting you with some reflection questions here! 📍

How do you react in unplanned situations? Are you calm or does your body panic?

✨ Your immediate response is usually linked largely to your past experiences. ✨

If you do panic, do you have tools to help ground yourself in the moment?
After the immediate situation has passed, are you able to give yourself space to process and allow that stress to leave your body?

How do you handle stress compared to your horse?
What similarities can you draw?
In 15 years of owning horses, I have never had an experience with active colic with one of my personal horses, until last week.
Quil had a minor colic incident. Early intervention from Northern Lights Veterinary Service made a big difference in keeping his symptoms from progressing. Dr. Hannah and Casey were there swiftly and helped make him comfortable.
What started out as a normal afternoon of feeding hay nets and supplements turned into an assessment of his behavior and vitals.

Rolling
Rolling
Rolling
Rolling x 10
Lethargy
Laying down
No interest in food
Parking out
Sniffing at sides
Bloating
Increased breath rate
Pale gums
TIME TO CALL THE VET!

Thanks to having a good relationship with our vet, the entire process was as low stress as it could have been. Quil spent a few days in recovery, but is now feeling great and back to his normal activities.

You never know when that emergency is going to show up. Taking time to have some things in place help unplanned situations run smoother.

Things to consider:
- are you a current client of a local vet?
- do you have a safe space to separate a horse if needed?
- are you able to perform a vitals check on your horse to report to the vet over the phone?
- do you have savings set aside for unplanned expenses?
- do you have electrolytes and banamine on hand?

Another part of preparedness is assessing our emotional capacity and our own stress responses. Acknowledge where you may need extra support and seek ways to develop these areas.

~ BraveHooves 💜 (B & J)

06/01/2026

What's your favorite hair care tip?

We are big fans of Equine Elite - Silky Shine & Shield as a routine detangler and protectant, but I'm always interested to hear what others use and am open to maintenance ideas!

~ BraveHooves 💜 (B)

05/27/2026

Not all bodywork sessions look the same and that's because every horse is different!

Factors we assess that help us determine how to best support your horse:
- medical/injury + care history
- training goals + history
- environment
- age
- temperament/personality + breed

We're prepared to meet your horse where they're at and support them in the healing or maintenance that they're ready to receive.

~ BraveHooves 💜 (B & J)

05/25/2026

The eyes tell us so much in a moment.

What we see is communication and feedback of how the horse is experiencing a situation. These two photos show very different information. Neither is inherently good or bad - just different feedback. It is our responsibility to notice the differences and adjust accordingly.

Learning how to observe the nuances of equine expression is extremely helpful in discerning where a problem lies. If missed, we may end up with big behaviors that can be dangerous to people. Most times we think the sudden and explosive behavior "comes out of nowhere," this is rarely the case.

Once we're aware of them, choosing to ignore the subtle communications of our horses is doing them a disservice and often leads to poor long term training outcomes.

If we can notice the shifts in our horse's facial expressions, we can more easily identify holes in training and be more equipped to give our horses the support they need.

Sometimes that support will come in the form of breaking things down for a clearer education. Sometimes it will mean helping them emotionally to let go of fear, anxiety or negative associations to certain things. Other times it might mean supporting them physically to find comfort and safety in their bodies.

With no context to the situation - -
What can you observe from these two photos?

~ BraveHooves 💜 (B)

05/22/2026

I'm going to be hosting Stacia Strong for a BTMM clinic in September (19th & 20th)!

This clinic is a combination of nerve release bodywork, connection based groundwork and postural exercises.

Currently there are 4 Participant spots left.
*But if there's enough interest I can add one more day (either Friday the 18th or Monday the 21st).

Reach out via messenger or text (906) 202-3808 to reserve a session for you and your horse or to reserve an auditor spot.

There are many avenues to support healthy movement in your horse, and if practicing balance through movement sounds in alignment for you, sign up and give it a try.

~ BraveHooves 💜 (B)

05/20/2026

Did you know?

Jacey offers equine photography!

She can do sessions with you and your horse, or pictures of your horses within their herd (like this picture of Quil here).

Pricing starts at $85 for horse photography and $100 for horse and human pairs.

Reach out to JC Photography to book a session. *Mention that you're a BraveHooves' client to be entered in a surprise drawing at the end of May* 🤠

~ BraveHooves 💜 (B & J)

05/17/2026

The Farrier's Eye View clinic was an honest and wholesome event put on by Namaste Barefoot Trimming. Meghan did a lovely job sharing her knowledge and provided hands-on learning.

The best way to advocate for your horses is to be armed with knowledge! The good professionals out there want you to understand what's happening with your horse.

A blind following is risky for the horse. An involved and educated relationship with your horse's equine professionals sets a strong foundation for your horse's success.

When you understand the lingo and basics, you have more confidence to ask questions and gain clarity on your horse's care plan.

Continued education is critical for professionals, but is also incredibly important for horse owners.

What's an educational topic you'd like to see put into clinic form?

~ BraveHooves 💜 (B)

Address

Chatham, MI

Telephone

(906) 202-3808

Website

http://bravehoovesup.com/

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