Grace* came to Stand InBalance to work through some childhood emotional and physical trauma.  In one particular session, she was working with “Star”, a horse she wasn’t too familiar with. Star had a “horsenality” that required one to be more tuned into his subtle, non-verbal cues than the donkey she normally worked with. Knowing this about Star had already created some anxiety within Grace. In response, Star quickly reflected his awareness of her mental state by flattening back ears back as she approached.  Grace apprehensively tried again, putting her hand out. Again, Star was said “nope!” and flattened his ears while glaring at her.

When asked how she was feeling, Grace shared that she knew this horse was “harder” than the donkey and was […]

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Change isn’t always easy. Even a change for the good can be difficult. One of the benefits of working with equines is being able to witness their behavior shift and change as the human working with them shifts and changes. It could be the littlest thing like a sigh or a big bolt of energy, or something as simple as a walk.

April* came to Stand InBalance because she felt stuck in her life and was falling into a deep depression. She had moved away from a town she loved dearly in order to pursue her career. While she knew it was the right decision, she felt lost and was not as happy in her life as she had been before the move.

After meeting the 4-leggeds, April* felt particularly […]

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“Joy is not in things; it is in us.”- Richard Wagner

Joy is a primary emotion. Think of babies (or puppies). Most of the time, they are pretty joyful without needing anything special, except for their basic needs to be met.  That joy exists within each & every one of us. We don’t need a fancy car or some external pleasure to be joyful. We only need to learn to access the joy already within us. It may seem too good to be true – but it is possible and it becomes easier and easier with practice. Give it a try, you may like your results!

Here are 7 steps to unlock your inner JOY!

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We asked some of our friends that work with or own horses, to tell us how HORSES bring JOY to them.  Here are their stories:

Humans have been connected to the spirit of the horse for centuries. We see ourselves in their behavior and our world in their eyes. A horse’s joy is boundless. When turning out my horse in an empty arena with some of his friends (or even by himself) He will buck and prance and run around for no reason other than for a resounding WOOHOO, THIS IS AWESOME!! His tail perks up, head held high, he’ll jump and twist and kick. Then he’ll drop to the ground and roll all the way over on either side, jump up and run around again. Just happy […]

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The relationship we humans have with our expectations is a complex one.  Expectation can be beneficial, but only when there is BALANCE and flexibility.  When held too tightly, our expectations can lead us to a myriad of unpleasant states: disappointment, resentment, fear, worry, perfectionism, low self-esteem and conflict with others.

Expectation comes in many forms – the expectations we have about a certain outcome for the future, the expectations we have placed on others in our lives, the expectations we have for ourselves and our own success as well as those we imagine others have for us. When we are in expectation, our focus is on the future.  Planning for or at the very least considering the future is a necessity in today’s world,  but too much time dwelling in the […]

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