The Beginning of the Horseman’s Pursuit
Different From The Start
Even from his younger years, it was readily apparent to those around him that Josh Nichol had a remarkable gift when it came to interacting with horses. Fortunate enough to have parents that noticed his affinity for the equine early on, much of Josh’s life has been spent developing his understanding and knowledge of horsemanship. Under the guidance of world-class mentors, Josh quickly learned his life’s calling: continually seeking and developing better methods of creating long-lasting relationships with one of God’s most fascinating and beautiful creatures. Driven by a passion for connecting with, and understanding the needs of horses, Josh has created a transformative approach to horsemanship: Relational Horsemanship.
The Method
Relational Horsemanship is built on a foundation of forming a deep connection with our horses by striving to understand their needs and empowering them to perform at peak capacity rather than dominating them. Refined over two decades of experience working with clients from across Canada and across multiple disciplines, Josh’s method has rapidly gained an international following among horse owners and equine professionals alike.
Josh’s students now span the globe, with a wide variety of services and training materials ensuring that his Relational Horsemanship method is easily accessible. What began as an interest in spreading a deeper understanding of these incredible creatures has evolved into a rich fountain of knowledge for everyone, from recreational enthusiasts all the way up to Olympic competitors.
Always Inspired
Josh’s innate ability to help his clients connect with their horses in new ways, as well as accomplish their objectives with ease has made his program a standout within the industry, attracting clients from as far away as Texas and Sweden. Always inspired by the animals and people he works with, Josh believes there are many things we can learn about ourselves by listening to our equine companions. “One of [their] gifts,” he believes “is the way horses will deal with your inner turmoil, show you what they feel from you, but not give up on you. If we look past the mentality of dominance and submission and believe that the horse’s thoughts and opinions matter, we can learn much about ourselves. In this way, the horse provides an amazing avenue to deepen the measure of our own heart and mind.”
Leading Expertise
As a world-renowned and highly sought-after expert, Josh has been featured in events as diverse as “The Horse” Exhibition at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, and The Mane Event in Red Deer, AB. As a regular published contributor, Josh’s articles have appeared in several magazines including EQUUS, Horse Canada, and Western Horse Review. He also gives team-building seminars for businesses as well as other organizations, works with equine-assisted therapy groups, and now has protégés of his own going out into the world to teach his methods.
A Heart For Family
Josh lives in Athabasca, Alberta, Canada with his wife Cindy, and three children: Taylor, Jackson, and Christopher. As a family-focused individual, he takes great pride in spending as much time with those in his life as possible, and helping his children learn the valuable lessons passed on to him by his mentors.
MEET THE TEAM
Cindy Nichol
Chief Operations Officer
Cindy and Josh have been happily married now for 14 years. In addition to the full time family responsibilities that come with raising 3 awesome children, Cindy handles the day to day operations of A Horseman’s Pursuit Ltd.
Cathy Nichol
Ranch Manager
Cathy and her husband Bob own and operate the beautiful Eagles’ Wing Ranch where most of Josh’s clinics and winter programs are held. She keeps the horses at the ranch in glowing health, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to every aspect of their care, from diet to body work to hoof care and more.
Brooke Rempel
JN Advanced Instructor & Tack Shop Manager
Brooke Rempel began apprenticing with Josh in 2012 and continues to develop her horsemanship under his instruction. Brooke is an established trainer and clinician, and has a dedicated focus on helping create a soft feel and lasting relationship between horse and rider.
Kylie Bartel
Media, Communications & Marketing Specialist
Kylie is an equine photographer and filmmaker with background in public relations, social media, and digital marketing. She completed her BA in communications and her MA in counselling psychology in Langley, BC. Kylie is also a Canadian Certified Counsellor with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) and loves how Relational Horsemanship creates deep connections and growth opportunities for both horses and humans.
Taylor Nichol
Social Media Coordinator Assistant
Taylor is Josh & Cindy’s oldest daughter. Taylor’s love for horses started when she was very little and has been riding since she was three. She has traveled to many clinics and expos supporting Josh. Taylor will graduate in 2025 and plans to take small business with a focus in media and marketing. Taylor also has a huge passion for rodeo and competes in the Alberta High School Rodeo Association. She has become the newest member of the JoshNichol team as our Social Media Coordinator Assistant.
Josh Nichol
Lead Instructor & Mentor
Most people are used to working with Josh in clinics but the majority of folks don’t get to see how much he also does behind the scenes at A Horseman’s Pursuit. Josh plans and regularly presents new training material in the Relational Horsemanship Master Course. He also mentors the JN Advanced Instructors and speaks regularly on podcasts to help more people discover how they can deepen their connections with horses. It would be impossible to list everything Josh does but it all aligns with the purpose of building an incredible community that truly honours the relational heartbeat of the work.
JN Advanced Instructors
Brooke Rempel
JN Advanced Instructor & Tack Shop Manager
Brooke Rempel is an established trainer and clinician, and has a dedicated focus on helping create a soft feel and lasting relationship between horse and rider. She began apprenticing with Josh in 2012 and continues to develop her horsemanship under his instruction. Brooke’s passion is mentoring people to develop a level of awareness of themselves and how to best meet their horse’s needs. Her work is influenced by the classical schools of horsemanship with an emphasis on creating a balanced horse and rider, working with the horse’s physiology to empower them to perform to their best potential!
Matthew Doyle
Advanced Instructor
Matt loves colt starting, problem solving, and helping people open doors to new relational depths. Matt grew up riding bareback in the mountains and was one of Josh’s youngest mentorship students when he started training with Josh at the age of thirteen. He is passionate about sharing the lessons he has learned over the years and his earnest desire to help people makes him really easy to talk to. Matt loves to get his own horses out on cattle and work toward goals such as brandings and finishing bridle horses. He also really enjoys working with horses that require more patience because Matt finds that those horses often inspire the greatest changes in people.
Emelie Letskog
Advanced Instructor
Emelie is a life-long horse enthusiast and is the owner of EmJoy Horses in Sweden! Emelie met Josh in 2013 and has loved taking her horsemanship deeper under his guidance and mentorship. Emelie has experience in starting horses, western showing, and extreme cowboy racing. Her passion in life is to work with horses and humans who are struggling and help them get unstuck. Emelie lives and works in Sweden but has travelled to Canada multiple times to ride with Josh and offers online mentorship in English and Swedish.
Carlee Anderson
Advanced Instructor
Carlee went to school and received her Level 1 EC English and Western coaching certificate at the age of 18. She continues to build her business and knowledge with many great mentors, including Josh Nichol. She competed for a few years in reining but always sought a more connected way of riding for achieving maneuvers and now applies some classical dressage principles into her work. Carlee takes a holistic approach to training that considers each horse individually, focusing on working the horse in a relaxed state of balance, regardless of their discipline.
Zuzana Schrammová
Advanced Instructor
Zuzana is passionate about the feeling of harmony and power expressed in peace through the movements of classical dressage. She met Josh in 2010 and her pursuit of Relational Horsemanship is ongoing; she also studies classical dressage as practiced and taught by the Portuguese master Manuel Jorge de Oliveira (Vertical) in Germany. Zuzana loves connecting the 3 facets of leadership, seat/rider biomechanics, and athleticism to use Relationally Vertical training in her work. Zu owns ZS Horses and rides/trains in Enderby, BC.