About Lauren

Lauren Fraser, ACHBC has always had an affinity for horses. A good portion of her childhood and teenage years were spent riding, predominantly in English disciplines. After a brief absence from horses during her twenties, she was fortunate enough to purchase Raz, who although semi-retired, is still a big part of her life. Around that same time she was also introduced to a different philosophy of working with horses.

A Paradigm Shift In Thinking

A decade working as a veterinary assistant (both large and small animal) and four years managing Whistler’s no-kill animal shelter gave Lauren a solid background in animal behavior, health, and welfare. This background, coupled with her previous riding experiences, allowed her to see that this training philosophy was more humane, better respected the horse’s true nature, yet still allowed them to maintain their dignity. As the famous quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes suggests, "Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions." The decision to commit her life and career to a better way of being with horses inevitably followed.

Certifications

Although certified to teach both Western and English riding, Lauren’s true passion remains focused on helping people better understand their own horse. Lauren passed the rigorous screening to become an Associate Certified Horse Behavior Consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) - and is the first horse-specific certified behavior consultant with the IAABC in North America. She particularly enjoys working with "problem" horses to resolve unwanted behavioral issues, and taking the science of behavior and learning theory out of the lab, and applying it to real-world situations. Fascinated by behavior, learning styles, personality traits and motivators, she is equally flexible whether teaching horses or people.

Dedicated To Lifelong Learning 

Lauren devotes countless hours annually to attending clinics, riding, and studying with the best horsemen, researchers, and scientists in the field. She has also chosen to further her knowledge of all things equine, and is currently completing both a Diploma in Equine Studies and an Equine Welfare Certificate from the University of Guelph, ON. Her personal horsemanship interests include endurance riding, and the old Vaquero traditions of developing her horses from the hackamore to "straight up in the bridle".