Franklin Levinson

Franklin Levinson, Horsemanship Training and ConsultingFranklin Levinson has been a professional horseman for nearly 50 years. At 13 years of age he was the youngest registered polo player in the US. In his early 20s he created and ran equestrian programs at large summer camps in N. Michigan. He has always taught success with horses to be a life enriching process for both horse and human and that horses are never naughty or bad. In his teaching he states; “All unwanted behavior from a horse is a symptom of the animal’s fear and never deserves punishment.” He is adamant about humans not merely ‘using’ horses for selfish enjoyment. Franklin’s goal that the horse and human become partners through the inspired and excellent leadership of the human. Additionally, his desire is that the horse be honored and highly respected within any horse – human activity. He was an outfitter and wilderness guide at his ranch on the island of Maui for 30 years (Adventures on Horseback), along the way creating The Maui Horse Whisperer experience. This was the first Equine Facilitated Learning program in the Pacific basin and one of the first in the US. He is credited in Your Horse Magazine 2004, UK’s premier equine magazine, as being the first person to introduce EFL for children with a learning disability to the UK. Additionally, about that same time, he is credited as the first person to bring EFL to Australia. He founded the Australia Equine Facilitated Learning Pty. Ltd. (AEFL) several years ago. With his Training Through Trust DVD, filmed in 2005, he created the first video documentation of EFL for children with learning disabilities. For many years before the Natural Horsemanship bandwagon and craze he taught his brand of gentle, effective horsemanship (Beyond Natural Horsemanship, Successful Training through Compassion, Wisdom, Skill and Trust) and EFL in seven countries annually. For over 25 years Franklin has been published internationally in various print media outlets. Other media credits include: podcasts, webinars and numerous television and radio appearances, on the topics of horse training, horsemanship and Equine Facilitated Learning. He even acted in a western movie titled September Dawn starring Jon Voight. He has recently released his first book, an eBook titled Trust ‘n’ Horses Volume 1. It is available, along with numerous DVDs, through his website.