California: Patron - A very strong and high ranking horse
Published on: 16/03/2025
California: Patron - A very strong and high ranking horse.
NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP TRAINING AND BITLESS RIDING
New US Clinics Fall 2025
Learn the method
taught by horses!
Experience what happens
when horses choose....
NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP TRAINING AND BITLESS RIDING
US Clinics Fall 2025
Learn the method
taught by horses!
Experience what happens
when horses choose....
NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP AND BITLESS RIDING
New US Clinics
Fall 2025
Learn the method
taught by horses
Experience what happens
when horses choose....
A Weekend of Deep Connection,
Transformation and True Partnership
Friday–Sunday | With or without your own horse
Join us for a transformative three-day clinic where you’ll learn a unique horse training method — one taught by horses themselves.
Through practical sessions, observation, and hands-on guidance, you’ll discover how to build a deep connection based on trust, choice, and mutual respect.
This method allows your horse to willingly follow you — freely and without pressure. From groundwork to riding, every step is guided by the horse’s own response.
That’s why we ride without bits, often with just a cordeo — or completely without equipment — in a way that is both safe and powerful.
You will learn to:
Build true partnership and connection
with any horseStep into a calm, confident presence
that horses naturally respond toCommunicate clearly and respectfully,
without forceExperience the freedom and safety
of bitless riding
If you bring your own horse or if you attend as a spectator, you’ll leave with new insights, tools, and inspiration — and a renewed sense of what’s possible when horses are given a voice in their own training...
A Weekend of Deep Connection, Transformation
and True Partnership
Friday–Sunday | With or without your own horse
Join us for a transformative three-day clinic where you’ll learn a unique horse training method — one taught by horses themselves.
Through practical sessions, observation, and hands-on guidance, you’ll discover how to build a deep connection based on trust, choice, and mutual respect.
This method allows your horse to willingly follow you — freely and without pressure. From groundwork to riding, every step is guided by the horse’s own response.
That’s why we ride without bits, often with just a cordeo — or completely without equipment — in a way that is both safe and powerful.
You will learn to:
Build true partnership and connection with any horse
Step into a calm, confident presence that horses naturally respond to
Communicate clearly and respectfully, without force
Experience the freedom and safety of bitless riding
If you bring your own horse or if you attend as a spectator, you’ll leave with new insights, tools, and inspiration — and a renewed sense of what’s possible when horses are given a voice in their own training...
Schedule and information
Mia will work with every horse and owner twice a day. Mia will bring a
co-WHC instructor and therefore it is possible to work with two horses
at the same time.
For participants not bringing their own horse, we will match each
person with the right horse to work with in the training sessions.
Day 1: We begin with Mia doing a short demo and presentation of
the method "When Horses Choose". We will learn from each participant what specific themes each participants is especially interested in working with.
Day 2: We begin at 9 AM and the day is about 'leadership'. We will learn about body language, horses behaviour and problem solving in general. We are working with the horses completely free and one at a time. Lunch is 12.30 PM and we will finish the day app. 6 PM.
Day 3: We begin the day at 9 AM. We will continue leadership training from ground and in riding. We will see horses choosing to follow our lead and we will see new results in the training. We will work primarily with riding in the afternoon and we will be riding without a bit and in a cord - and maybe even completely free!
Schedule & information
Mia will work with every horse and owner twice a day. Mia will bring a co-WHC instructor and it is possible to work with two horses at the same time time
For participants not bringing their own horse, we will match each person with the right horse to work with in the training sessions.
Day 1: We begin with Mia doing a short demo and presentation of the method "When Horses Choose". We will learn from each participant what specific themes each participants is especially interested in working with.
Day 2: We begin at 9 AM and the day is about 'leadership'. We will learn about body language, horses behaviour and problem solving in general. We are working with the horses free and one at a time. Lunch is 12.30 PM and we will finish the day app. 6 PM.
Day 3: We begin the day at 9 AM. We will continue leadership training from ground and in riding. We will see horses choosing to follow our lead and we will see new results in the training. We will work primarily with riding in the afternoon and we will be riding without a bit and in a cord - and maybe even
completely free!
Clinic dates & locations 2025
Hatfield, PA
October 24-26
Hamilton, MA
October 31 - November 2
Webster, FL
November 7-9
Hempstead, TX
November 14-16
Mia is available for private sessions in the weekdays between the clinics.
If want to sign up for a clinic or if you would like to know more - or if you are interested in a private session, please mail Free Riders Horse Association at:
[email protected]
Where It All Began: The Viking Saga Ranch
I was only 17 years old when I first came to The Viking Saga Ranch to work with the wild Islandic horses. Elisabeth Haug, the owner of Viking Saga Ranch, had imported the first Islandic horses into the US and were now breeding them. She had a large heard of app. 300 Islandic horses and a separate heard of app. 20 Islandic stallions living free and wild in her area 'The 1000 acres'.
In October and November 2023 I went back to the US to do clinics. This time I visited 11 different states and worked with more than 100 horses.
A long held wish of mine finally came true: A visit back to where it all began more than 20 years ago, The Viking Saga Ranch in Solvang, California. And especially to meet up again with my old mentor Elisabeth Haug, who used to own the Viking Saga Ranch until a few years ago.
My job at the ranch was to every day walk the 1000 acres, find the wild heard of horses and check up on every horse. Check them for injuries and make sure that each and every one was well.
Finding the heard out in the 1000 acres in 1996.
I spent hours and hours every day walking the fields and getting close to all the horses and this gave me the unique opportunity to be able to study the wild horses behaviour and their language.
I became very familiar with how the 'language' among the wild horses in the heard was, so it was easy for me to adopt the 'language' into my own training of new horses. It was easily understood by the horses and it worked every time. What I learned from the wild horses years ago is the core of her method 'When Horses Choose' that she is still teaching today.
The Viking Saga Ranch now has new owners, but fortunately I was invited in to visit the ranch once again. The place is now a museum for different kinds of horse equipment used through many years of American history of horse training. See the video and remember to turn on sound.
Stories from training sessions in US...
Colorado: Private clinic - handsome Stallion St. John
Published on: 08/05/2025
St. John is 5 years old and the owner wanted to be able to ride him bitless and in a cordeo.
New York: Ex race mare saying NO!
Published on: 07/05/2025
Sometimes a horse will speak out loud to communicate about they past and traumas - in order to get to the other side...
Texas: Pool party with the horses
Published on: 06/05/2025
We had a great clinic in Texas some hot summer days - with ex race horses with a very hard past, now living in a good and safe place.
Philadelphia: Riesling - 3 year old sports horse
Published on: 12/08/2025
Riesling is a sweet and beautiful 3 years old mare. She lives in a stall most of the day, every day - besides a few hours alone in a paddock.
New Jersey: Moonlight - 18 years old gelding and had never been ridden
Published on: 12/08/2025
I was working with Moonlight for a few days in a NJ Clinic. He was already 18 years old and the owner would like to be able to ride him.
Glimpses from WHC work and life...
First canter in a cordeo
In need of horse friends
Sometimes they say NO!
18 years old and first ride
Tired after much thinking
Biting or speaking?
Free trot in 15 minutes
Letting go can be exhausting
Tired after much thinking
Safety without equipment
They talk about fear
They talk about friendship!
