10x Your Obstacle Training with the ATML Model
ATML: Get 10 Times More Efficient with Obstacles via a Competition Athlete's Eye (Kali Kiger)
Before I taught horseback riding, I was a competitive freestyle snowboarding coach for an organization that produced 3 current Olympians. In snowboarding, jumps are HUGE, and the risks are enormous. We used a simple framework called ATML — Approach, Take-off, Maneuver, Landing — to break down complex jumps and help athletes execute them successfully.
When I transferred those same principles to obstacle work with horses, something amazing happened: the horses became more confident, more successful, and much easier to train.
Now I teach ATML for horses.
This concrete, innovative approach can completely change the way you think about obstacles. Instead of simply asking a horse to “get over” something, ATML helps you understand and intentionally train every part of the process — from the approach to the landing.
The result? Fewer issues, clearer communication, faster learning, and bigger breakthroughs.
I’ve used these principles with hundreds of rescue horses and untrained young horses, and they work beautifully for both kids and adults.
No prior horse experience is necessary. Lifelong riders, trainers, and experienced horse people will find the approach especially enlightening and thought-provoking.
Most importantly, ATML isn’t just about obstacles. It can improve your everyday interactions with horses and make difficult things feel much easier for both of you.
Learn to see obstacles differently. Train with intention. Create confident horses.
Train on Your Own but Get Coaching When You Need It
The ATML eBook is designed to give you a practical system you can use on your own, whenever it works for you. Read through the lessons, try the exercises with your horse, and start seeing obstacles differently.
And when you get stuck, we’re here to help.
You can:
Send us videos of your training for feedback.
Schedule a video chat lesson so we can coach you and your horse in real time.
Set up a phone consultation when you just need to talk through a problem.
Use a Pivo for a live video lesson and get coaching as you work.
You can also join our live online group classes for weekly coaching, feedback, and support from an instructor and other horse-loving riders.
The idea is simple: try it yourself first, and get help when you need it. You don’t have to pay for a traditional private lesson every time you have a question or get stuck.
It’s an affordable, flexible way to keep learning, keep training, and make real progress with your horse—without having to be at a barn every week.
