annablake.com

What It Is

Anna Blake is an internationally recognized horse advocate, clinician, and award-winning author. Her website primarily promotes the “Relaxed & Forward Barn School,” offering online horsemanship courses and virtual clinics centered on equine welfare. Its core philosophy is “affirmative training,” emphasizing an understanding of horses’ psychological and physical well-being, and building trust and two-way communication between horse and human by listening to the horse’s “calming signals.”

Core Dimensions

• Course areas: Focuses on equestrian training and equine behavior, with niche topics including reading calming signals, non-traditional groundwork, dressage, and massage.
• Teaching format: Uses small-group online instruction, usually around 8 participants, with weekly video homework submissions and online discussion sessions. It also offers in-person “concept clinics” in the United States and worldwide.
• Instructor background: Anna Blake is an experienced international clinician and the award-winning author of 7 equestrian-related books. Her teaching style is humorous, combining brain-science-based thinking about horses with principles of classical dressage.
• Best suited for: Horse owners, riders, and anyone who wants to improve the horse-human relationship in a gentler, more scientifically informed way.

Pricing and Certification

The website does not publicly list specific course prices, nor does it state whether any certification or certificate is provided after completion. Prospective students need to inquire further for fee details.

Pros and Cons

Pros: 1. Progressive philosophy that puts equine welfare first and moves away from traditional coercive training; 2. Highly interactive small-group format, allowing students to receive video feedback tailored to their own horses; 3. Strong community atmosphere, with a dedicated “Barnies” online group for ongoing support; 4. Authoritative instructor with both hands-on experience and theoretical depth.
Cons: 1. Pricing is not transparent, with no clear reference point for costs; 2. No stated certificate or formal credential, which may not suit professionals who need proof of qualification; 3. Extremely niche, making it relevant mainly to people with specific equestrian needs.

Who It’s For

This course is especially suitable for horse owners and riders who have hit a plateau in training, or who have noticed anxiety issues in their horses and want to find solutions from the horse’s perspective. If you believe in “equine welfare first” and are willing to invest time in practice and reflection through video homework, this highly supportive small-group community could be an ideal fit.

Access in China

The site is a standard English-language website, and its content does not mention any access restrictions for users in China. In general, personal education websites of this kind are usually directly accessible, but online meetings may rely on tools such as Zoom, which may require a proxy in mainland China. Overall, it is assessed as “partially restricted.”