Horses LOVE to take care of themselves. They sleep whenever they want, they play whenever they want, and they look to each other for shared grooming time. The health of the herd depends on how each individual horse takes care of themselves. Equines natural survival instincts insist that they care for themselves and they have the freedom to do so without questioning it or judging it!

How often do you find yourself in some kind of debate about whether or not you should take a day off, or schedule that much needed massage? More often than not, we tend to put ourselves last, not realizing just how important our own well-being is in order for our best Selves to show up in our lives. Witholding […]

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Once in a while, someone crosses your path and you are forever changed. There’s something about them that makes you feel seen, heard, safe and loved on a level that’s not often felt, a healing happening in places you didn’t know that needed to be healed and in an instant you are connected to something greater than yourself. Our beloved Condina, the matriarch of our herd, was such a creature.

To know her was to love her. She was kind, patient, loving and willing. She embodied beauty and grace with a large and undeniable presence. Horses knew it and humans knew it. She was the queen, referred to by us simply as “Mama”.

“Mama” taught us about the joy of a good brush and Self-care. She taught the value of being connected […]

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What does connection mean to you? How does being connected make you feel? Human beings naturally crave connection and when we feel like we are disconnected in some way it can be uncomfortable and even scary. Not being connected also makes us feel separate, which can lead to feelings of isolation, fear and even danger. As a tribe society, it is natural for us to gravitate towards connecting with one another and to feel discomfort when we feel cut off.

Being connected gives us a sense of safety, peace and belonging. However, many of us don’t realize that it is the act of connection itself that brings about these comfortable feelings, not necessarily who or what we are connecting with specifically. The same positive effects can be achieved whether […]

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The connection between horses and humans is as ancient as it is sacred. It’s truly a unique relationship from a prey and predator perspective that continues to evolve to this day. Connection is a shared interest among horses as much as it is among humans and the relationship between horses and humans was likely created because making that connection with each other has been, and continues to be, beneficial for both.

Liz* came to us for some life coaching. She’d been struggling with a “passion project” that she had started and was feeling stuck and uninspired. Liz wasn’t ready to give up on it, but she was starting to feel more weighed down and stressed out about it than passionate!

After entering the arena and introducing herself […]

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Jerry* came to us through a program for Veterans. He and his wife, Anna, were participating in an activity that involved walking their equine around the arena to four designated barrels labeled with different topics to discuss and reflect on. On top of the barrel, labeled “Self Care”, there were a few brushes to invite the opportunity to take some time to brush their horse and talk about what self-care meant to them. When Jerry and his wife had a turn at the “Self Care” station and started to brush their horse something unexpected happened.  “Mama”, the horse they’d been working with, didn’t seem happy at all with the brushing she was receiving, she held her head high and kept trying to move away from the brush. […]

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