Introduction
If you’ve seen the Horse Help Challenge online and wondered what it actually is, you’re definitely not alone. This challenge has been getting a ton of attention lately because it focuses on something every horse owner wants more of:
👉 Confidence, clarity, and a stronger bond with your horse.
Whether you’re working with a green horse, a rescue (like mine!), a nervous rider, or simply want a better relationship with your horse, the Horse Help Challenge gives you a simple, approachable roadmap to follow.
This guide breaks down what the challenge is, how it works, who it’s for, and why so many everyday riders love it.
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1. What Is the Horse Help Challenge?
The Horse Help Challenge is a structured, step-by-step training program designed to help horse owners build a more confident, respectful, and connected relationship with their horses.
It focuses heavily on:
- Groundwork first
- Clear communication
- Trust and respect
- Confidence-building for BOTH horse and rider
You don’t need special equipment, a fancy arena, or years of training experience. It’s built for the average horse owner who wants real results without feeling overwhelmed.
2. Who Created It?
The challenge was created by Michael Gascon, a well-known horse trainer nicknamed “The Horse Guru.”
He’s known for:
- Helping everyday horse owners
- Making training simple and approachable
- Confidence-building techniques
- Focusing on safe, practical horsemanship
His teaching style works especially well if you’ve ever felt stuck, nervous, or unsure where to start.
3. How the Challenge Works
Before you begin, it helps to have the right tools — and the one recommended throughout the challenge is a rope halter and lead set. This is the style Michael uses in his program because it gives clearer communication and helps you stay consistent.
While every version of the challenge may vary, the overall structure is similar:
- Weekly training videos that break down skills step-by-step
- Groundwork lessons to build a foundation before riding
- Daily or weekly exercises you can repeat at home
- Clear goals for each week so you always know what to work on
- Supportive community of fellow riders doing the challenge
- Everything is designed for all levels, including beginners
It’s not about pushing your horse harder — it’s about creating understanding, confidence, and connection.
You may also see someone with the challenge kit. You can see what that is here:
4. Who the Challenge Is For
The Horse Help Challenge is a great fit for:
- New horse owners
- Riders lacking confidence
- Nervous, pushy, or unsure horses
- Rescue horses needing structure
- Riders who want better communication
- Anyone wanting a stronger bond with their horse
If you’ve ever said, “I feel stuck,” this challenge is made for you.
And actually- when I joined, there was another trainer who was doing it, so he could learn how to teach his clients how to handle their horses better! So really, this challenge is for everyone who wants to grow and learn–no matter where you’re at.
If you’re like me (brand new to horsemanship), or Jack (a professional trainer), there’s something here for everyone!
Plus–it’s free, so why not?
5. What You Learn Week by Week (Breakdown by Grades)
Here’s a clearer look at how the challenge progresses, using the grade-level system from Michael Gascon’s program. This is a general explanation of what each grade represents, not proprietary step‑by‑step paid content.
Week 1: Preschool
This week focuses on free‑lunging over obstacles with no lead rope attached. The goal is to teach your horse to move over an obstacle without crowding your space, cutting in, or trying to avoid it.
The purpose of Preschool is simple:
👉 Your horse should respect your leadership more than their fear of the obstacle.
This sets the tone for all the weeks to come.
Week 2: Kindergarten & 1st Grade
Kindergarten introduces the foundation of Gascon’s whole program: respect.
- Your horse learns to back out of your space without halter pressure.
- They should stop when you stop.
- They should back up when you ask.
First Grade focuses entirely on attention.
- Your horse must walk a circle while keeping one eye and one ear on you.
- This eliminates mindless, disconnected lunging.
If you’ve ever lunged your horse and wondered why nothing changed… Week 2 is the fix.
Week 3: 2nd, 3rd & 4th Grade
Now it’s time to keep your horse’s focus no matter what’s happening around you.
This week covers:
- Desensitizing at a standstill
- Desensitizing in motion
- Building a horse who stays calm regardless of the environment
After desensitizing, Week 3 also introduces mounting work:
- Teaching your horse to stand still at the mounting block
- Making sure they don’t walk off when you get on
These are major safety components for every rider.
Week 4: 5th, 6th & 7th Grade
Here’s where riding becomes more structured.
You’ll learn:
- Flexing, which functions like your horse’s steering wheel
- How to get your horse to stop under saddle at all gaits
- How to soften left and right
If you’ve wanted to feel more in control in the saddle, Week 4 is a turning point.
Week 5: 8th, 9th & 10th Grade
Now you begin to control individual parts of the horse’s body.
You’ll learn the concepts behind:
- Hindquarter disengagement
- Shoulder control
- Flexing and softening in motion
This is where your steering, guiding, and confidence really grow. When you can move each part of your horse, riding becomes 10x safer and smoother.
Week 6: 11th & 12th Grade
The final weeks bring everything together.
You’ll work on:
- Speed transitions to teach self‑carriage (your horse holds the speed YOU set)
- Obstacles, which can be anything your horse finds uncertain — puddles, footing changes, shadows, bridges, poles
The idea is:
👉 If you can’t handle obstacles, you aren’t ready for the unpredictability of outside riding.
Week 6 ties everything together into a horse who is more confident, safer, and tuned in to you.
6. My Experience So Far
Because Diamond and I are still early in the challenge, my experience looks a little different — and honestly, that’s what makes this program feel so encouraging.
Right now, we’re still solidly in Kindergarten, working on the very first layers of respect and attention. I haven’t ridden her yet, and that’s intentional. Diamond came to me with some confidence issues, some food-related tension, and a lot of uncertainty about people in general.
I’m also working with her to fix her ulcers.
Jumping straight into riding would set both of us up for stress.
Instead, the challenge has given us:
- A clear starting point
- A simple structure to follow
- Zero pressure to rush into the saddle
- Space to build trust at Diamond’s pace
Even just focusing on Kindergarten-level work, I’ve already seen improvements:
- She’s learning to stay out of my space more consistently
- She checks in with me more instead of tuning me out
- I’m learning how to communicate clearly instead of hoping she’ll guess
- Our sessions feel calmer and more purposeful
The fact that I’m brand new to owning a horse — and she’s still adjusting, still healing, still settling into her new life — makes this groundwork feel even more important.
It’s simple, doable, and feels designed for real-life horse owners, not professionals.
7. Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Beginner-friendly
- No expensive equipment needed
- Builds confidence for horse and rider
- Structured, step-by-step format
- Realistic exercises you can do at home
- Encourages consistency
- Community support helps motivation
- Free (yeah, there’s a paid version, but there’s also a free version!)
Cons:
- Requires daily or weekly commitment
- Results depend on your consistency
- Some exercises may feel repetitive (on purpose!)
- Not a “quick fix” program (but nothing with horses is!)
8. Is the Horse Help Challenge Worth It?
If you want to check it out for yourself, here’s the link to join the Free 30‑Day Horse Help Challenge
In my experience — yes.
If you want a clear, supportive, easy-to-follow roadmap to:
- Build your horse’s confidence
- Improve communication
- Strengthen your bond
- Become a better, calmer leader
…then the Horse Help Challenge is absolutely worth trying.
It’s especially helpful for rescue horses or horses that come with “mystery” backgrounds.
One thing that I’ve really appreciated is that Michael doesn’t rush you through the program. Even though it’s set to be a 30 day program, every horse-human pair is going to go through the training a little differently.
There are weekly video reviews, and he will point out what you’re doing right, what you’re doing wrong, and how to improve every step of the way on a live Zoom call. This is incredibly helpful for someone like myself, who needs to be able to take the baby steps to get to a better horse and better horsemanship.
I can’t speak highly enough about the Horse Help Challenge and Michael Gascon and his wife (who is also extremely experienced and knowledgable–she pointed out some issues she saw with my horse just from watching videos, that
9. Final Thoughts
The Horse Help Challenge gives you:
- Structure
- Direction
- Confidence
- A deeper understanding of your horse
It’s not about perfection — it’s about progress.
If you’re ready to improve your horsemanship in a simple, approachable way, this challenge is a great place to start.
10. What’s Next?
Here are a few posts you’ll love next (including my full review of the challenge):
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