A few years ago when I was meditating, I had a flash in my mind that I should reconnect with horses. I immediately looked online for something linked to horses.
In the middle of all the trail-riding companies, horse trainers and equine therapists, The Healing Equine Ranch stood out to me. The website mentioned something about studying natural horsemanship (which I had never heard of before) while learning about yourself in the process.
Me and Blazer
Kiki, The Healing Equine Ranch
I was intrigued. I called immediately to learn more. After a few minutes of talking with Kiki, the owner of the ranch, about what she offered, I told her I’d think about it and would be in touch. I literally hung up the phone, called her right back and set up a time for a lesson. Kiki chuckled.
My life changed dramatically in that moment. I went from no horses in my life to horses being a part of all aspects of my life. I think and breathe and live horses.
Horses are a part of my relaxation and leisure time, my work and my dreams. These magnificent creatures have helped me to learn so much about myself and to heal parts of myself that I didn’t even realize needed healing. I wanted to share my experience with everyone and I did.
I brought many friends, family members and colleagues to the ranch to learn about natural horsemanship, knowing that they would each take something valuable from their experience with Kiki, a master and badass horsewoman, and her herd of six amazing horses; August, the lead stallion, Rose, the lead mare, and the rest of the herd members, Cowboy, Davey, Violet and Wizard.
The horses taught me how to communicate more effectively and helped me to see some behaviors I had that were getting in my way at work. For example, micro managing or giving mixed messages when I wanted to be clear and direct but also wanted to avoid hurting others. I learned about my boundaries and how important connection is to me. Interestingly, when a connection feels strong, my boundaries weakened in a way that hampered my effectiveness. I learned how tightly wound I was.
I became aware of how my negative patterns, like self-doubt and procrastination, were still playing out in my life. I am well on my way to conquering my patterns and if an issue sneaks up, it’s typically in a new learning situation. I am really good now at differentiating between real and imagined danger so my response to people and situations has positively shifted.
What used to frustrate me now makes me curious. I also learned to feel free again, like I did when I was a kid.
And, I really love the woman I’ve become.
I have opened the door to my intuition in a different way and am more in tune with my body and my heart. My love for myself has deepened. I feel confident, effective and successful in ways I’ve never felt before. I feel daring and I’m taking risks I would have never taken in the past.
I am no longer hiding the healer within me. Way beyond my skill as a leader, psychologist and coach for personal and professional development, I am a light giver and energy healer. I am a meditator. I am a guide for others. I feel free. I have so much love and joy and gratitude in my heart to share. I feel so lucky to live the life I have. My fortune runs deep in my relationships with my family, friends, clients and colleagues. Every time I think I couldn’t possibly love my husband any more than I do, my heart swells and I love him more. It truly has been an amazing journey so far.
I remember the day I decided to get my own horse. It was about six months after I started taking lessons with Kiki. I was going to the ranch every Saturday. I could not wait to get there. The vibe was incredible. Kiki was so generous with her space, her horses, her knowledge and with sharing herself and her growth. She is a great guide to the self. Everything felt perfect. We were standing near her horses and she said, “so, I may have this opportunity to rescue some horses and I thought you might be interested in getting one.”
I can feel it right now as clear as that day, my body filled with excitement and joy and I said, “Everything in my body is saying yes!” I went home and researched how much it cost to care for a horse. I thought through my time to see if I could be a good horse mom and give a horse the time and care necessary to live a good life. It was also super important to me that my horse be able to live with her herd. Horses are social animals and their herd is important to them. It’s their family. I got yes’s on all fronts and went for it! Everyday since, I have woken up so excited that I have this beautiful horse, Tara, in my life and that I get to engage with her, all of the other horses and all of the amazing people at the ranch. I learn and grow everyday.
Here I am now. I’m doing the work I love. I’m most excited about becoming a great horsewoman and working collaboratively with horses to help others learn, heal and grow! It’s exciting to help people to connect to their true selves, so they can love and be loved more, have amazing relationships, contribute positively to their communities and the world, and experience deep satisfaction in life. I’m also happy that I can help anyone in the world with video coaching. That is an amazing gift from the technology world.
It feels incredible to be connected so deeply with myself, knowing that this enables me to offer more value to others. I used to think I had to be perfect to help others. I realize now that I just have to be real and stay true to the gifts I have to offer.
Would love to be added to your email list if you have one for monthly emails!