Finnhorse Body Language & Communication | Ruska Laukka

3 hrs

max. 4

Groundwork, horse body language, Horse encounter, Horsemanship, Private lesson, Reading the horse signals, Wellbeing experience

Basic skills, Confident rider

730,00 €

A private Finnhorse experience centred on communication, body language and real interaction with the horse. Through observation and practical groundwork, you explore how a horse communicates and how your own movement, direction, distance, breathing, focus and timing influence its responses. The programme is shaped around each participant’s experience and interests and the individual Finnhorse taking part – offering meaningful discoveries for both less experienced guests and experienced horse people.

3 h · Max 4 guests · Private, only your group · Year around
Less experienced to experienced horse people · Individually adapted programme · Group price

Learn to read the horse, notice its responses and discover how your own body becomes part of the conversation.

When the horse begins to speak

A horse communicates through its whole body. The movement of an ear, a glance, a change in breathing, body position, distance or direction can all tell us something about what the horse notices and how it experiences the situation.

At Ronivaara, you explore these signals together with a Finnhorse. You learn to notice when the horse becomes interested, approaches, pauses, asks for more space, turns towards you or chooses to move with you. At the same time, you discover how closely the horse is reading you.

The experience takes place from the ground. Through practical exercises, you explore how your own movement, direction, use of space, breathing, focus and timing affect the interaction. A small change in what you do can bring a different response from the horse. Together with your guide, you look at what happened and what the horse may be communicating in that moment.

An experience shaped around you

For someone with less horse experience, the programme can open a new way of understanding the horse: how it sees its surroundings, communicates and responds to people.

For an experienced rider, horse owner or professional, the same work can move into much finer details. How clear is my body language? How does my timing affect the horse? What changes when I alter my direction, focus or use of space? What is the horse actually responding to?

Maneesissa nainen pitelee hevosen riimunnarusta kiinni ja hevonen seisoo rauhallisena paikoillaan.

Exercises are selected according to each participant and the Finnhorse taking part. Within the same private group, one person may explore the horse’s basic signals while another works with subtle questions of timing, body use and communication. There is no fixed sequence: the work develops from the participant, the horse and what happens between them.

The individual Finnhorse matters

At Ronivaara, you work with the Finnhorses who live here as part of everyday farm life. Each has its own history, character, experiences, relationships and way of responding.

Your guide knows these horses as individuals. With one horse, the interaction may draw attention to distance and personal space. Another may make timing or movement especially clear. With another, you may notice how a shared direction develops from very small changes in your own body.

This makes the horse an active part of the experience. Its responses influence what you explore next.

The Finnhorse is Finland’s native horse breed, with a long history alongside people. Here, that history becomes something very immediate: communication between one person and one individual Finnhorse at Ronivaara.

Guided by experience, curiosity and the horse

The experience is guided by Sanna, whose work with horses is grounded in years of training, riding, coaching and observing horse behaviour, herd dynamics and communication between horses and people.

Her approach is also informed by the learning gained through Piet Nibbelink’s three-year Deepening training. At its centre are communication with the horse, body language and the person’s use of space, as well as how movement, direction, focus, intention, timing and body use influence the horse’s responses.

At Ronivaara, this knowledge is combined with horses Sanna knows well. The focus remains practical: the individual horse in front of you, your own way of communicating and what develops between you. Some of the most meaningful discoveries can begin with very small things – a glance, a breath, a change in distance or the moment when you recognise the horse’s response to something you have changed.

Ulkokentällä nainen ohjaa luonnollista vuorovaikutusta käyttäen hevosta, joka kulkee kentällä vapaana.

Take the experience with you

At the end, we pause for a seasonal drink and talk about what happened with the horses and what you noticed in your own interaction.

If you wish, your guide can share personal observations and practical suggestions for your own communication with horses. The discoveries made at Ronivaara can then travel with you into your future encounters with horses.

Good to know

Who is this experience for?

This private experience is for people who want to understand horses more deeply and explore how horses and humans communicate with one another.

It can suit someone with less experience who wants to discover the horse’s world, behaviour and body language in a guided and practical way.

For an experienced rider, horse owner or horse professional, the experience can move into finer details of communication: timing, body use, direction, space, focus and subtle changes in the horse’s responses.

Participants within the same private group can have different levels of experience. Exercises are adapted according to each participant, their interests and the Finnhorse taking part.

What does the experience include?

The experience includes:

private three-hour Finnhorse experience at Ronivaara
observing equine body language, behaviour and communication
practical interaction and communication exercises with a Finnhorse from the ground
exploring how your own movement, direction, distance, breathing and timing influence the horse’s responses
exercises adapted to each participant’s experience, interests and the horse taking part
exploring situations and the horse’s responses together with an experienced professional guide
a seasonal drink and shared reflection at the end of the experience
personal observations and practical suggestions for your own interaction with horses, if you wish

Format: private, for your own group only
Experience level: less experienced guests to experienced horse people
Price: €730 / group
Booking: online booking closes 24 hours before the experience. Please contact us directly to ask about other available times.

Good to know and arrival at the farm

The experience takes place at Ronivaara Farm in Kuusamo.

Address:
Meskusvaarantie 79b, Kuusamo.
Location in Google Maps

Please arrive in good time so the programme can begin calmly at the agreed time.

The experience takes place with horses from the ground in the farm and stable environment. Depending on the situation and the exercises, you may work in the indoor riding arena, outdoor arena or around the farm environment.

Wear practical clothing suitable for being around horses and dress according to the weather and season. Sturdy footwear is recommended. In winter, warm layers, gloves, a hat and warm outdoor footwear are important.

FAQ

Do I need previous horse experience?
The programme can be adapted for both less experienced guests and people with extensive experience with horses.
For someone with less experience, the focus may begin with understanding the horse’s basic signals, behaviour and ways of communicating.
With an experienced horse person, the work can move further into timing, body use, personal space, intention, clarity and subtle changes in the horse’s responses.

Can people with different levels of horse experience join the same group?
Yes. The experience is private, and exercises are adapted individually according to each participant’s experience, interests and questions, as well as the Finnhorse taking part.

One person may explore the horse’s basic communication while another works with finer details of timing, body use and interaction. The group can still share the observations and discoveries that emerge with the horse.

What do we actually do with the horse?
You work with the Finnhorse from the ground.
You observe how the horse communicates and then explore interaction in practice. Depending on the participant and the situation, the work may involve movement, direction, distance, use of space, body language, breathing, focus and timing.
Your guide helps you notice how the horse responds and understand what may be changing within the interaction.

What do horse body language, communication and interaction mean in this experience?

Horses communicate with their whole bodies. You may observe the ears and gaze, head and body position, breathing, direction and rhythm of movement, distance and changes in the horse’s overall expression and behaviour.
At the same time, you become more aware of what your own body is communicating. Through practical exploration, you can see how changes in movement, direction, distance, focus, timing or body use affect the horse’s response. Your guide helps you consider these signals together, always in relation to the individual horse and the situation.

Do we ride during this programme?
The experience focuses on communication and interaction with the horse from the ground.
Working from the ground makes it possible to observe the horse’s body language, your own use of space and the communication between horse and human particularly closely.

What happens at the end of the experience?
We finish with a seasonal drink and a shared conversation about what happened with the horses and what you noticed during the programme.

If you wish, your guide can also share personal observations and practical suggestions that you can take into your own future work and communication with horses.

What should I wear?
Wear practical clothing suitable for the weather, season and horse environment. Sturdy footwear is recommended.
During winter, dress warmly with several layers, gloves, a hat and warm outdoor footwear

Book now!

A real Finnhorse farm in Kuusamo

Ronivaara is our family home and a working Finnhorse farm. The horses and other animals live here throughout the year, and everyday life follows their needs, the seasons and the work of the farm.

When you arrive, the day is already under way. For a while, you become part of the place and its everyday life.

Discover Ronivaara & the Farm

Horse welfare comes first

Ronivaara’s Finnhorses are known as individuals. Their health, behaviour, workload, recovery and everyday wellbeing guide both their daily care and the activities they take part in.

The horses live with other horses and have opportunities for movement, outdoor life, rest and species-typical behaviour.

Read About Horse Welfare

Responsibility is part of everyday work

We have developed our work around animal welfare, safety, sustainability and the care of our surroundings over many years.

Our work is also recognised through established Finnish tourism and equestrian quality systems. For us, responsibility is not a separate promise – it is part of the everyday decisions made at Ronivaara.

Sustainability & Responsibility

Not sure which experience is right for you?

Tell us about your group and your previous horse or riding experience. We can help you choose a suitable Finnhorse experience.

Contact Us Explore Finnhorse Experiences

Journey into the Finnhorse’s World – Body Language, Communication & Interaction