Horses are amazing teachers about accepting reality, staying in the present moment, and moving forward.

Mark* came to Stand InBalance after a painful divorce that left him bitter, lonely, and lost.  He was immediately drawn to a horse that he thought would be “easy” to work with.  As the session unfolded, Mark found himself struggling to get the horse to like him and partner with him in the activities.  As Mark became more frustrated and resentful he realized that the horse reminded him of “Nancy,” his ex-wife.  The more frustrated he became the more difficult the interaction.  After 30 minutes, Mark and “Nancy” found a nice, cooperative, rhythm together.  However, this was quickly undone as “Nancy” started pulling him off course toward another horse in the arena.  […]

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Horses are consummate teachers of authenticity. Through their genuine interactions with each other, horses maintain the cooperation, teamwork, and loyalty that ensure the cohesion and prosperity of the herd.  As prey animals with finely tuned senses, equines are experts at sensing in-congruence in their environment and they are powerful messengers that mirror back their direct experience of us humans — without judgment or bias.

When the horse Jenny* (31 y.o.) had chosen to work with dramatically backed away from her as she announced that she was “feeling really good”, he was making was a clear statement about her lack of authenticity.  When Jenny finally acknowledged that she had been “putting on a happy face” for decades and that underneath she felt scared and uncertain about who […]

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“Women’s empowerment means stronger communities and stronger economies. It means an entire population will flourish – not just one segment.” – Marissa Sandler

It has become increasingly evident that the more balanced a society is the more successful and harmonious it is. The effort to re-empower women has a long history and is boldly evident today. Women’s empowerment doesn’t just benefit women, it benefits the entire human race.

When people are empowered, they are able to contribute their best to the rest of the world.  Being empowered isn’t just about social equality, although that’s a huge part of it. It’s also about personal empowerment. Looking around us and recognizing those who have been empowered can help us find that strength and power within ourselves.

What does an empowered woman look like?  […]

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“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”  –John Maxwell

A leader in any social dynamic is the inspiration and director of the action. She or he is the one that possesses the combination of personality and leadership skills to motivate the group towards a common goal.

In a herd of horses, the lead mare is generally an older mare that has gained the wisdom and experience needed to provide for the health and safety of the herd. She is respected for her abilities — such as being a peacemaker when fights break out or her assertiveness when establishing dominance.  Dominance in this sense is not related to the physical stature or aggressiveness of a horse; the alpha female it is not the “biggest and the baddest” horse in the herd. Rather, she has demonstrated her worthiness to lead the herd through wisdom, clear communication, […]

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Marla’s* work with our big bay gelding, whom she named “Jim*” (because he reminded her of her husband), is a perfect example of bringing love and clarity together. 

Marla was annoyed at “Jim’s” intrusive and demanding attempts to get affection.  He continually pushed his big body into her and tried to nibble on her jacket.  In response, Marla would either get frustrated and walk away or ask him to move…but when he didn’t actually move away she’d start petting him.  She was afraid that he would be hurt and angry if she really asked him to move.

As you can imagine, “Jim” was often confused and frustrated, he figured that the best way to get some affection from Marla was to keep bugging her until she gave in. Recognizing how often this dynamic […]

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