Create a Calm, Willing Horse Without Force or Frustration:
A step-by-step classical ground work program for riders struggling with spooky, disconnected, or resistant horses, and want a real relationship, not just compliance.
Imagine Walking into the barn…
and your horse immediately softens when you approach.
→ No tension in the rope
→ No rushing
→ No resistance
Just calm focus, connection, and willingness.
That transformation doesn’t happen by accident.
It happens when the horse and rider have a common language they understand.
It’s the kind of partnership people notice the moment you walk into the arena.
This may be the most important groundwork training you ever learn.
Here is what most training gets wrong.
When a horse is tense, spooky, reactive, or hard to connect with, the instinct is to look for a work around. A stronger aid. A different piece of equipment. Something that will make the horse behave.
But the horse is not the problem.
What is missing is a shared language. One that is clear enough for the horse to understand, and calm enough for them to trust. When that language exists, you do not need to force anything. The horse can finally relax, pay attention, and respond.
Work in hand is where that language is built. Not from the saddle, where there is anxiety, speed and a lot happening at once, but from the ground, walking alongside your horse, where the communication is simple and the horse has space to find the answer.
That is what this course teaches. Not tricks. Not control. A conversation.
Sound Familiar?
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You’ve learned the techniques.
The exercises.
The tools.But something still feels missing.
Many riders are taught pieces of riding…hands, legs, pressure, gadgets, without ever learning how it all works together as one clear system.
So the horse becomes confused.
Progress stalls.
And every ride starts to feel harder than it should.Before long, you start wondering if high-level riding just isn’t in the cards for you.
We’re here to change that.
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You ask. The horse does not respond, or responds wrong, or overreacts.
So you try again, a little differently. Maybe with more pressure. Maybe with less. Maybe with something different that someone recommended.
The horse tries to figure out what you want. You try to figure out why they are not getting it. And slowly, without either of you meaning to, the tension builds.
What is often happening is that the aids are layered on top of each other, each one adding noise rather than clarity. Work in hand strips that back. One clear signal at a time, until the horse can actually understand you.
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Today’s riders are overwhelmed with information.
New methods.
New gadgets.
Conflicting advice from every direction.Before long, training becomes confusing and inconsistent…for both you and your horse.
Progress stalls.
Confidence drops.
And many riders start believing they’re the problem.But the truth is:
Most riders aren’t failing.
They’ve just never been shown a clear system their horse can actually understand.That’s why we created Harmony in Hand.
A simple, classical approach that helps you build softness, balance, and true communication without force or confusion.
Because when the horse finally understands, everything begins to change.
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Some horses are always on alert. Always waiting for the thing that is going to go wrong. They are not bad horses. They are horses who have not yet found a reason to settle.
Others seem present enough, but the connection feels shallow. They come to you for a treat, not for you. There is compliance, but not real partnership.
Both of these horses are telling you the same thing. They do not feel safe enough, or understood enough, to truly relax into the work.
That changes when the communication becomes clear.
Meet Megan Sorentino
Megan grew up being told to “make the horse do it.” Show him who’s boss. Don’t let him get away with that.
But even as a young rider, something about that never felt right. She could sense the issue was not the horse, it was the conversation.
Everything changed when she discovered classical equitation through her mentor Craig Stevens in 2012. For the first time, horsemanship became less about pressure and control, and more about clarity, biomechanics, and understanding how horses learn.
Today, Megan teaches riders across the United States and internationally through a compassionate classical approach that helps horses and humans find true partnership. At the heart of Harmony in Hand is a simple belief: when a horse struggles, the first question is never “What is wrong with the horse?” but “What does the rider need to understand differently?”
Certified Instructor, Foundation for the Equestrian Arts
BS Equine Science & Business, Colorado State University
International Clinician
“I have so many ways to communicate with the horse now.”
Real results through work in hand from an international rider, Linnea, based in Sweden.
Let us introduce…
Harmony in Hand
Today: $200 (regularly $250)
Try the first module risk-free. If you decide the program is not right for you, contact us within 7 days of purchase for a full refund.
Harmony in Hand changes everything.
Instead of adding more pressure, more tools, or more confusion…
you learn a clear, classical system your horse already understands.
So your horse can finally relax, focus, and respond with willingness, not resistance.
This isn’t about forcing results.
It’s about teaching your horse in a way that makes sense to them…
so softness, balance, and connection start to happen naturally.
Benefits of Work-In-Hand
Work in hand is a foundational classical horsemanship training technique that teaches you to train your horse from the ground. Through targeted groundwork exercises for horses, it improves communication, balance, and responsiveness, while addressing common behavior challenges like spooking or resistance. This method builds trust, confidence, and correct horse biomechanics, creating a calmer, softer, and more attentive horse ready for riding or further training.
Improve focus, responsiveness, and trust
Reduce tension, resistance, and spooking
Develop better balance, posture, and movement
Build softness without force or harsh aids
Create calmer, more confident training sessions
Strengthen your horse physically and mentally
Develop communication your horse actually understands
What You'll Learn Through Harmony in Hand
Expert-Backed Training
One of the biggest breakthroughs with classical work in hand is learning to separate the aids instead of layering pressure and conflicting signals. You’ll begin with a single primary rein, allowing the horse space to search, respond, and discover the movement without interference. When the aids become simpler and more precise, your horse no longer feels trapped between mixed signals, leading to greater softness, relaxation, and willingness.
Separate The Aids
Every exercise has a clear purpose and a clear outcome. You will know what you are doing, why you are doing it, and what to look for in your horse's response. This is not theory. It is training you can go and use the same day.
Gain Practical Tools
One of the most valuable things this course develops is your eye. You will start to notice things in your horse's body and behaviour that you never saw before, and you will know what to do about them.
Learn To See Differently
Whether your horse is young and inexperienced, or older with established patterns, this programme meets you where you are. There is no prerequisite level, and no horse that cannot benefit from clearer communication.
Strengthen Your Foundation
From Our Clients
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![Young woman with sunglasses on her head smiling as she takes a selfie with a brown horse with a white star-shaped marking on its forehead, in an outdoor rural setting.]()
Life Altering Training
I never realized how tense both my horse and I had become, and how much of that tension starts on the ground, until I started these exercises. Now, I finally feel like I truly understand my horse. I can show up confidently and help them stay calm and focused, breaking up any resistance before we hop in the saddle.
- Averee D
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![A man in a helmet standing with a blonde horse in an open field, touching its forehead.]()
Transformative!!!
The Harmony in Hand Course significantly improved my understanding and made working with my horse easier. I now ask better questions. The videos on timing of the aids and how I move with my horse were game changing. My horse and I are happier and having more fun!
- Kim S
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![Woman in a red dress standing with a horse during sunset]()
Feel Safe Again
My horse had an unpredictable habit of tripping making him too dangerous for me to ride at first. I still wanted to work with him and help him, so instead we spent a lot of time on the ground. Work in hand allowed me to start building a relationship, where my horse understood I wanted to listen to him, in a low stakes environment that kept us both safe. By building his body from the ground, he no longer struggles with tripping and we are happier than ever on our rides together!
-Ashley K
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![A woman wearing a gray beanie and a tan coat gently touching the muzzle of a brown horse inside a wooden horse stable with sunlight streaming in from the open door.]()
Every detail was thoughtfully executed
This course was great! All the info is so important and the way it is presented flows really well, making it easy to understand. It is super useful to be able to go back and review some of the basics when you are practicing a concept and you can start to understand it in a new light.
- Eden P
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![Person wearing a helmet riding a horse in a wooded area.]()
Simplify The System
Sometimes you need to be able to break things down into the smallest parts, which is one of Megan’s strengths. The sessions with Megan have a huge impact on different parts of my work and relationship with my horse.
If you ask me, Megan is one of the best trainers of our time. Her understanding of horses and her ability to teach complex methods in a digestible way for riders, is a rare talent that few trainers have. Anyone who has the chance to learn and work with her is incredibly lucky.
- Anneli E
You don’t need a special horse. You don’t need expensive training or years of experience.
You simply need a desire to learn the art of classical horsemanship.
The Path Forward
You can continue managing symptoms
hoping things improve with time.
Or you can begin building the foundation that makes real progress possible.
When horses develop better balance, strength, and understanding, many of the problems riders struggle with begin to fade.
The stronger the foundation, the more relaxed, capable, and trainable your horse becomes.
What is Classical Riding?Centuries old training
dedicated to the art of softness, harmony and clear communication with the horse
Traditional methods have traded the mental and emotional side of training for more pressure and harsh gear to silence the horse.
The “push through it” mindset just makes things worse.
Harmony in Hand is a in-depth program that reveals the subtle language horse’s instinctively understand.
This is the foundation great horseman have used for generations, now made accessible so any rider can experience it.
Harmony Begins Here
Your Questions, Answered
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You’ll enjoy lifetime access to the course. You can revisit all lessons, videos, and materials anytime, as often as you like.
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Absolutely. This course is designed for all levels of riders. The foundation work is explained clearly, and advanced work simply refines the basics and deepens your understanding. Whether you’re just starting out or already experienced, you’ll gain valuable tools to improve your balance, timing, and communication with your horse.
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Yes! Advanced work is about precise control of balance, thrust, and weight placement on each of the horse’s four feet. In this course, you’ll refine your aids and gain the tools to communicate clearly and effectively, no matter how advanced you are.
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The Harmony in Hand course benefits any horse, from a young one that’s barely halter-broke to an older horse you’d like to keep mobile and engaged. Every horse can develop better posture, responsiveness, and confidence through this work.
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No, an arena isn’t required. While having one can be helpful, there are many effective ways to train without it. You’re welcome to ask the instructor for guidance on how to adapt the exercises to the space you have available.
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Yes — you are welcome to email the instructor, Megan Sorentino, at msorentino@classhorsemanship.com with any questions. Please note that while we do our best, we can’t guarantee quick replies to every email.
For the best support, faster responses, and continued education, we highly recommend joining our Harmony with Horses Membership, where you can connect directly with Megan on an ongoing basis.
Inside the membership, you’ll receive:
• One monthly online group lesson (recorded for replay)
• One monthly live Q&A session (recorded for replay)
• Email access for follow-up questions
• Exclusive discounts on courses and additional learning opportunities
Membership is only $20/month, and your first month is free.
This is the ideal way to stay connected, get personalized guidance, and grow alongside a supportive community of riders.
Try an exercise for FREE today!
Curious about work in hand? Enter your email and try one exercise with your horse for free today!