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My childhood horse
As a child, I desperately wanted to have a relationship with a horse like I saw in the movies.
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Those magical sunset rides, free of all tack and restraints
Not because I wanted to ride tackless so much as I wanted *that* kind of relationship with a horse.​
I thought that when I started taking riding lessons it would be like that. Boy was I wrong.
Over time I was taught to control, restrain, force, manipulate, manhandle, and dominate.
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It wasn’t until I was much older, married, with three kids, and decades of horse experience that I finally realized that wasn’t true.
It took a very special horse to show me that I had it all wrong.
I wanted my horse to engage with me, and to have a choice in it.
ENTER TIGER
See, Tiger wasn’t easy. She bucked, reared, and bolted under-saddle. She was like riding a ticking time bomb. She used to make me SO mad.
But I loved her - so, even though nothing was going right...
I DECIDED TO CHANGE. FOR HER, I WOULD CHANGE
I would set aside all my expectations, all my goals, all my experience…and become that young student once again.
What she taught me was so profound. My entire life changed.
I relearned what horses want, how they communicate, how they learn, and how to reach their heart. How to achieve that relationship I had wanted once upon a time. For real this time.
The bucking, rearing, and bolting stopped. She started meeting me at the gate each day.
And I realized I had happened upon something I wanted to share with the world. So here I am, shouting it from the rooftops!
If this story resonates with you, let me share with you what Tiger, and countless horses since Tiger, shared with me.
YOUR HORSE WILL THANK YOU.
YOUR YOUNGER SELF WILL THANK YOU.
ALL YOU NEED IS 20 MINUTES A DAY
And here’s the part I know you’ll appreciate if you’re a busy working parent like me. With just 20 minutes a day you can transform your relationship with your horse into something you’ve only ever dreamed about.​​
Even if your horse is pushy around food.
Even if they have a history of biting, rearing, bucking, or bolting.
Even if they are *impossible* to catch.
Even if they make you REALLY frustrated on a daily basis.
I promise you. Together we can turn things around for you both!
With my signature coaching program that includes an online curriculum, PLUS 1-on-1 support and a robust community, you will experience the joy and wonder of an unbreakable bond with your equine companion. The stuff fairy tales are made of! Except, it will be your reality.
WHAT THE WILLING EQUINE ACADEMY OFFERS
Positive reinforcement is at the heart of the Academy's teachings. Adele Shaw teaches a thoughtful and effective approach to training using positive reinforcement and a marker signal, often a clicker, to support clear communication between horse and human. But it is more than just learning how to use a clicker. It is about creating a training foundation that supports real, lasting progress and a stronger partnership with the horse.
Students begin with training seven core behaviors that become the building blocks for everything that follows:
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Default Neutral
Stand-Stay
Stationary Targeting
Stationary Mat
Cone Targeting Patterns
Back-Up
Following a Target
These skills are simple, adaptable, and incredibly powerful. Whether the goal is cooperative hoof care, groundwork, trailer loading, liberty, or performance, these foundational behaviors help create a shared language and mutual understanding. Every advanced skill can be traced back to these basics, making them essential for long-term success.
This isn't just another "clicker training how-to" though. The real difference lies in how it is applied. Rather than focusing on rigid methods or demanding perfect behaviors, the emphasis is on supporting the learning process in a way that feels safe, empowering, and effective for both horse and human.
More than anything, the focus is on doing positive reinforcement well. That means teaching with clarity, consistency, and compassion. It means reinforcing effort, not just perfection. And it means avoiding the common pitfalls that can lead to confusion or anxiety, such as withholding rewards when the horse is unsure or struggling to understand.
We're laying a foundation of understanding, calm, and willingness for the partnership of your dreams with your horse.
WHAT SETS THIS APPROACH APART?
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Unhappy facial expression. Pushing into your space. Nipping at your pockets.
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Maybe you've decided that training with food reinforcement just doesn't work for your horse.
Trust me, I used to think the same thing.
Does your horse look like this when you train with food?
It’s not uncommon to see horses trained with treats or clickers still feeling anxious or frustrated. Frustration and anxiety often happen when reinforcement is withheld, or used as pressure, leaving the horse uncertain or confused. The Willing Equine Academy takes a different path.
Instead of relying on pressure or perfection, the focus is on understanding. When something unexpected happens, it is treated as information, not failure. The plan is adjusted, the environment is reconsidered, communication is clarified, and the effort is acknowledged.
This approach builds trust and helps horses feel secure and confident in the learning process. The result is not only improved behavior and achieved training goals, but a horse and handler team that feel good about it every step of the way.
See that soft, relaxed expression?
Every horse can feel this way around food rewards...with the right approach.
INSIDE THE ACADEMY,
EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON:
Creating a supportive environment where horses and their people feel safe to engage
Observing and responding to equine body language with clarity and empathy
Refining key training elements such as shaping plans, timing, and reinforcement delivery
Developing partnerships where both horse and human feel heard and respected
Mistakes and messy moments are seen as part of the learning journey. With the right tools and perspective, those moments become opportunities for growth rather than setbacks. We welcome imperfect humans and horses!
This is horsemanship grounded in ethics, informed by science, and shaped by compassion. It is training that honors the horse, supports the human, and creates lasting, positive change.
YOUR TRANSFORMATION AWAITS
Your Academy membership includes these four courses - Foundations of Harmony, Foundations of Trust, Foundations of Cooperation, and Foundations of Consideration. You'll also gain access to our private networking platform and app, weekly livestreams, and exclusive events. AS an Academy member, Virtual Coaching and Behavior Consulting Services are available for purchase at any time.
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Choose the plan that works best for you:
Full Payment
$547 USD
Paid upfront
Save $40 USD
3 Monthly Payments
$189 USD
Paid monthly for 3 months
Save $20 USD
6 Monthly Payments
$98 USD
Paid monthly for 6 months
MEET YOUR COACH
My name is Adele Shaw and I’m a Certified Equine Behavior Consultant and a Horsemanship Mentor. I’m also a mother to three beautiful children, have my own personal herd of seven lovely horses from all backgrounds, and am a native Texan.
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I’ve dedicated my life to improving the relationships between horses and people, and I have such a deep passion for helping horses that are struggling. I now specialize in working with highly fearful and aggressive horses around the globe in a way that honors the horse and focuses on relationships first.
I created The Willing Equine Academy to be a place where horse people just like you can find community, support, clear guidance, accountability, and ultimately… a safe haven.
Whether you're here because you are ready for something different for you and your horse...Or if you're here because you've been trying to do things differently with your horse but it's not going as well as you hoped...I hear you!
I've been in your shoes and want to help you and your horse...just like I've helped countless others.
SISTER'S STORY
After a rough start in life, Sister landed with a wonderful family who took her in at a very young age. Initially her training and handling followed a method that focused on dominance and control, but that didn’t sit well with her humans and so they began exploring a different approach.
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While Sister was young they dabbled with some clicker training and using food rewards successfully. That is, until Sister started unexpectedly acting out towards her humans and becoming very unpredictable. They couldn’t even be in the same space as her safely.
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We connected and began working together. Together with her team of care providers and the TWE community, we saw an incredible change in Sister. She became more comfortable, consistent, patient, and happier. Her humans too also experienced a big difference in themselves, becoming more confident and enjoying spending time with Sister again.
MORE ABOUT THE ACADEMY CURRICULUM
Foundations of Harmony:
Begin Your Journey to a Positive Equine Partnership
In this course, you’ll learn how to work with your horse in a new way that creates trust, communication, and understanding!
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Foundations of Trust:
Begin your clicker training journey with Adele's highly successful course that creates a cooperative partner, not a treat monster. Includes a 1:1 video feedback coaching session​
The Art and Science of Positive Reinforcement For Equines
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Foundations of Cooperation:
The Art and Science of Positive Reinforcement For Equines
Learn to apply an errorless learning process to trade frustration, anxiety, and conflict for a willing, calm, and confident equine partner.
Includes a 1:1 video feedback coaching session
Refine your understanding of the theory & discover how to apply the foundation behaviors to achieve all your training goals.
Includes a 1:1 video feedback coaching session ​
Foundations of Consideration:
The Art and Science of Positive Reinforcement For Equines
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Additionally, you'll also have access to all the things that make The Willing Equine Academy SO special:
Weekly Livestreams
Connect with me on a weekly basis to watch live training, share updates, ask your questions, and more! Livestreams are interactive and participants can suggest topics for discussion and education.
Community & Support
Throughout your journey, you will have the support of your TWE Academy community to fall back on, feel encouraged by, and to build lasting friendships with. As a TWE Academy Member, you don't have to be alone in your horsemanship journey!
Private Networking Platform & App
Maximize your learning and minimize distractions with the TWE Academy's totally private, ad-free social networking platform that you can access from your phone or computer, with an app or through the web browser.
Access to 1:1 Coaching & Consulting
You'll have access to purchase additional Virtual Coaching & Consulting services with Adele Shaw, CEBC, and TWE assistant coaches. 1:1 coaching and behavior consultations are a great way to get in-depth, personalized feedback.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT TO DIVE EVEN DEEPER
The Willing Equine Academy also offers additional courses for purchase and educational resources for your horsemanship journey. We call this the Academy Journey, and here's what it can look like:
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LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR AVAILABLE COURSES:
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Available for purchase as add ons for Academy members
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While courses are fantastic, I strongly believe that 1-on-1 coaching and community are the keys to a successful outcome. Which is one reason why The Willing Equine Academy so unique. The TWE team is the dedicated to offering constructive and kind feedback, support, and encouragement in the form of 1-on-1 coaching and a welcoming community.​
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That's why I've included a recorded video feedback session with Foundations of Trust, Foundations of Cooperation, and Foundations of Consideration. And also....
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THE BEST PART OF ALL
YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR RECORDED OR LIVE COACHING AND GET SUPPORT AT ANY TIME
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Our community and platform is one of a kind! Supportive, authentic, honest, funny, and very active. Not to mention, far away from social media.
And… Aspiring professionals, or professionals who just want to keep learning more, I have something special to share with you! I offer a professional mentorship program to Academy members.
It’s a 9-month live course with weekly meetings, internships,
and so much more.
You can learn more about that program here:
FOR BEGINNERS & PROFESSIONALS ALIKE
Whether you're completely new to the idea of training with positive reinforcement, or are already a professional in the industry, you are welcome here!
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I’ve designed my curriculum to explore the foundations of training at a deep level, while still remaining accessible and practical. We then flush out more nuanced conversations in our weekly livestreams and more advanced courses that are accessible as add-ons to members.​
PLUS, SATISFACTION IS 100% GUARANTEED!
I GET WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM...
It can be daunting to fully commit and jump all-in to yet *another* program. Which is why we took our big signature offer (The original Foundation Course, plus a monthly membership) and restructured it to be more accessible.
This path will allow you to more gradually invest into the core of The Willing Equine Academy, while being able to quickly access the benefits!
If you’re wondering if your horse will be an “exception” to this…. (Probably because you have tried just about everything else out there).
I’m SO confident it’ll work that I'll give you your money back if you’re unsatisfied!
Because I’ve seen time and time again how powerful this is. But don't just believe me, hear what my students have to say!
HEAR WHAT OUR MEMBERS HAVE TO SAY:
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WITH JUST 20 MINUTES A DAY, YOU'LL LEARN HOW TO BALANCE THE ART AND SCIENCE OF TRAINING
We will tap into the tremendous potential you and your horse have together in a way that honors your horse and remains focused on the true goal:
PARTNERSHIP
IF YOU'RE READY TO...
Develop a willing partnership with your horse but don't know where to start
Find lasting success with positive reinforcement training
Join a program that provides personalized, one-on-one support
Start off or start over on the right foot with your equine companion
Embrace change for your anxious, fearful, reactive, or defensive horse
Finally feel at home in a community that celebrates every success
DON'T WAIT!
You don’t need to continue to struggle with your horse’s difficult behaviors, feeling alone and uncertain, or anything less than the amazing partnership that is waiting for you and your horse.​
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