All I want is to be happy!!!

How many times do we say " I just want to be happy", or "I just want to have fun". But what does this actually mean? Or here is one of MY favorites: 

I JUST WANT MY HORSE TO LISTEN TO ME!

Well, your horse IS listening! But what are you SAYING? And are YOU listening? We so often want our horses to do what we ourselves are ignoring. We expect them to have better self control than we can muster. How many times have expected our horse to stay calm and collected when we ourselves are an emotional mess? I know I have done it myself often enough.

One of the cool things I learned through bodywork is the ability to get out of my head and back into a listening/observing mode. It allows me to see what my horse is communicating or feeling about a certain situation or request. It taught me FEEL. To soften, to ask and not demand, to work WITH him and not just ON him, to give and not take. And believe me, your horse will feel it to, he will know the difference in you without a single doubt. 

And then I was able to take all of those things and incorporate them into my riding and being around them. Grooming, tacking up and un-tacking, riding, giving a bath, taking them out to the pasture, all those become moments of contentment and happiness. 

Whenever someone comments on horses being an expensive hobby, I always tell them that horses are my marriage counselor, my gym and my mental therapy all wrapped into one - and that's a darn good bargain. I would call it Happiness, yes, with a big capital "H". 

I am just a realist - or am I?

I recently met a woman who became aware how much she wanted to educate people about the dangers of mold. She had become ill during her child hood years while living in a house containing mold. I could tell immediately that her experience still effected her immensely. And while she was passionate and emotionally charged on the subject, she was also at the same time talking herself out of pursuing that passion. And I became aware of how many of us start rationalizing why we can't possibly do what we KNOW we WANT to do. Or how we find all sorts of reasons why things are the way they are. Be it changing jobs, pursuing a new career, asking someone out on a date, suggesting a new direction for the company. We do the same with horses. How many times have you heard:

• that's how we have always done it
• nobody is interested in doing it differently
• people don't want to change
• nobody cares
• I don't have time or energy
• I am just a realist
• I don't like mares
• I only like geldings
• my horse has always done this
• he just needs to do his job and all will be fine
• my horse is dumb, why would he spook at that?

But are those actually true? What if I told you that what you experience and see is not reality at all? What if I told you that to change your reality, the only thing you need is a desire to do so?

We all don't need to turn into a super hero - all we need is a willingness to shift our perceptions, increase our awareness, be willing to open our minds and hearts.

When I first started studying bodywork, I wanted to understand how the body works, how I could improve health, wellness, performance. How to maintain health. What I discovered was so much more. I noticed how horses started connecting with me, how their trust increased, how communication became clearer, how much more willing they became. This is what I want people to see and experience, this incredible connection. The possibility of a whole new level of partnership with your horse.

Yes, mares can have "issues" when cycling, yes, horses have their personality traits, and yes, we all have our way of thinking about it. But what if I could show you a new reality, shift the way you see and experience it, create the possibility of you understanding and connecting with your horse on whole new level? 

If you want to experience a different look at what your horse is telling you, shoot me an email!

#lovemynewreality

Finding beauty in the ordinary

I recently saw this beautiful close-up picture of a magnolia blossom - taken by Jeanne Schlesinger. Jeanne just has this way of capturing the beauty in seemingly ordinary things we see but don't really see. Check out her facebook page - www.facebook.com/JeanneBlairSchlesinger for some truly stunning pictures.

Admiring this image, it reminded me how often we gloss over those small, seemingly insignificant things with our horses. The softness of their breath on our skin, the feel of their just brushed coat under your fingers, the gentle look in their eyes. One of my favorite moments is when my own horse Chase puts his head on my shoulder and gentle breathes against me. 

We tend to get busy, have schedules, notice things when we get hit over the head by a 2x4. I know I have been there done that myself. Our horses communicate beautifully in a very subtle manner. A glance, a half step, a softening or hardening of their eye, leaning a bit more on the right rein, having difficulty of picking up their left hind, not greeting you quite as enthusiastically as usual. Most "problem solving solutions" focus on the training aspect, and by no means do I want to diminish the importance of this. But often times our horse is not having a training issue. I find most of the time we have not been listening.  

What if we could find a way to tune into those beautiful ordinary moments? What if we could hear our horses more clearly? What if by hearing them we can address those situations with a clearer understanding? 

If you are ready to start a new chapter in your partnership, post a comment or connect with me via email. 

Can you feel me now?

Have you ever gone to dinner with a group of friends and just knew something was not right? Maybe a couple argued, or something was said and one person was hurt or angry. You didn't know the details, but you KNEW!

Energy - it is all around us. It effects our physical bodies, our emotions, our thoughts. Go to a crowded event like a concert and you can feel it. Or stand by the ocean - you can't miss it. Our horses are masters at reading energy. They know when we are tired, frustrated, angry, happy, excited. Yes, they read our body language - but more importantly, they read our energy.

And they can also influence ours. I recently worked on two horses. As I finished the first horse, him being nicely relaxed and chilled, I asked for the second horse. What I FAILED to do is check in with myself! This second horse was tense, tight, breathing shallow. And suddenly I felt jumpy like someone had plugged my finger into an outlet and I felt all jittery. I had left my energy field wide open, I had not prepared myself for the tension. And I mirrored him. So I stepped away for a second to get myself all settled, and once I did, so did the second horse.

So why do you ask does this matter to me? Because your horse becomes your mirror. Some of them are better at filtering our "stuff", but others are going to show you exactly what you are bringing to the table. My own two horses are the biggest tattle tales, ever! But the beauty of it is, they also taught me how to recognize when I AM out of sorts and how it effects my life, how to manage my energy, how to breathe into those tight spaces, how to let go of tension. And I have learned to do the same for horses. I have learned to recognize how to redirect, dissipate, reduce or increase the energy flow, not just for training but also for general wellness.

We all have this incredible ability to become aware, to become conscious of the effect we have on others. It is powerful. It is awesome. It's something you can use anywhere and everywhere - with horses, other animals, people.

We talk about horses using body language to communicate, and yes, they do. But part of that body language is the energy behind it. And most importantly, once you learn to read it, you have the ability to really connect with your horse on a deeply personal, intimate, subtle level.

When people ask how I get horses to trust and cooperate with me so quickly, this is one of the tools I have. And it's available to anyone willing to explore this incredible gift we have - the power of perception and awareness.

LOVE THIS!

I recently attended a conference for small business owners and was so inspired, not just by our coach, but also by all of the attendees who are so passionate about what they do and how they serve.

One of the most poignant messages during the event was when our coach shared something her husband said to her:

LOVE THIS!

And I remembered why I started this journey - I wanted to help horses feel better. Not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. AND I wanted to find a way to help their owners understand what was going on with their partner, their friend. I started my business because I saw with my own two horses what is possible when I started to listen, when I became aware.

Our horses live in this space of awareness - all the time. And they can teach us how to get back to this state - a state of being, of experiencing, of living. And I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn from this. It is why I love what I do - and I want to invite you to find that one thing in your life that can also bring you into that state of awareness and connection. It is a place of peace, of gratitude, compassion, understanding and love. Of nurturing and caring. Of having an open heart and giving but also receiving. It's just plain awesome and you will LOVE IT.