My First Blog Post!

I do not love technology. I spend some time every day without it. We specifically leave technology out of equine-facilitated learning and personal development services at Shooting Stars Horsemanship and the Heart to Wild Heart program, all that we can. Yet here I am, jumping into the world of blogging on the WORLD WIDE web! Because I know that the horses I've touched and touched me, the lessons they've taught directly or supported the learning of, are valuable. Interesting. Heartfelt. Useful. In sharing my ideas, experiences, and studies along with the powerful wisdom and love equines have to offer the world, I hope to enhance your love for learning and personal development so that you may be empowered or inspired in some way along your personal journey. I am not alone in this endeavor, as the horses have my back and contribute in countless ways every day. As they will here!

Learning and growth require change. Change is often hard and messy, but it doesn't have to be. When I bring in a formerly wild (or any other!) horse that has been misunderstood and mistreated, I do not have predetermined timelines and expectations of specific results. I simply trust the process of learning and growth. I trust in the results of compassion, understanding, patience and persistence. I trust the results of putting relationship and wellbeing first. These are the things we will be exploring in this heart-centered blog space.

My perspective and experience are not that of the typical horse trainer. I started with the most difficult horses. I wanted to help them. I was told I couldn't, because those horses are just different... or they can't learn, they can't change... they were "dangerous", "untouchable" or whatever other label they had been given by humans. But as I entered young adulthood at 16 years old, I was already educating myself through science and experience - The School of the Horse. I found that in almost every instance (barring physical or neurological reasons), horses can change. Horses with tons of unwanted behavior CAN change. It may not be as easy as it is to start with a clean slate but is in no way impossible. It all depends on how you go about it. I've found that what horses need to be okay, grow and progress is exactly what humans need, too. In working with these difficult horses - that's what I call them at the beginning of rehabilitation and retraining - I've had to teach the humans how to change to contribute to their horse's further development in a way that the human gets the desired results when my training or coaching (for DIY trainers or professional trainers) ends. To achieve this has taken endless hours of study and practice out of the metaphorical box. So, this won't be a 'how to train your own horse' blog. Rather, a sharing of all the knowledge and experience of working with horses and humans in a different way than most trainers do.

My horse♥man♥ship priortizes:

• Philosophy/Beliefs

• Integrity

• Healthy mind, body, emotions & spirit

• Relationship (Fairness, Individual Expression, Equality, Teamwork/Partnership, Honesty, Trust, Awareness, Compassion)

• Communication

• Freedom of Choice & Movement

• Authenticity/True Self

• Science & Heart

• Measured Progress Tracking

Does any of that sound applicable and useful to humans? Human learning, growth and wellness? I think so. I believe so. Because of the many simple and profound experiences I've witnessed between horses and humans throughout my life, I KNOW this applies to humans and their own personal development as well as physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing. This is why I went through the intensive education, training, and practice to become certified as an EFL Practitioner and Master Transformation, Empowerment & Self-Care Life Coach. This is an expansion of my life's work, with an increased emphasis on the human development part. SELF development (both for myself & clients) has been a key component of my horsemanship instruction for 30+ years. But I usually had to slip it in on the sly 😉

We will be exploring many topics together in this blog. I have created these categories for the blog page: Horses, Donkeys/Burros, OUR Horses & Donkeys Too, Horsemanship, Leadership, Science, Equine Assisted Services, Inspiration and Wellness. I will be sharing various information, stories, ideas, research, and lessons in each category. The Horsemanship category will cover anything to do with horsemanship. For example: Relationships, leadership, trust, communication, honesty, philosophies and principles, training methods, working with difficult or different horses, and equine-specific science in many areas. The first few posts I do will be in the INTRODUCTIONS category and I will tell you more about the areas likely to be covered in each category. As new followers come to the Heart to Wild Heart: Learning with Horses blog space, the INTRODUCTIONS area will be the starting point to explore what can be found here.

By the way, I am not yelling each time I type “INTRODUCTIONS”. I am typing it in all caps for the sake of consistency and ease for you since I typed it that way when setting up the categories. It looks nicer that way in the blog heading as well as in my behind-the-scenes blog manager. Each time I type it, I hope it is not being mistaken for yelling! Lol. Consistency is a training skill I have developed as an employee, supervisor, manager, mother, trainer, mentor, coach, trauma intervention volunteer, crisis scene coordinator, businesswoman, friend… and of course as a horseman. So, if you see something in all caps here, I am probably just being consistent or am excited!

I DO want to hear from my audience, and to interact with you personally. However, this website is not only a blog and is full of information already, so I will not be enabling comments here. Instead, please go to the Heart to Wild Heart Facebook page, give it a like and comment on posts there. There is a Facebook icon at the bottom of each blog post and each page (bottom left corner) of this website to make it easy quick for you to go right to our Facebook page. I will get Instagram and Twitter going soon for those who do not do Facebook much. Please like, share, comment, converse! Keep contributions kind, compassionate, positive, and contributive. Enjoy the learning that will occur in the Heart to Wild Heart herd. This herd is like a tribe of horses and humans, coming together intentionally to learn, grow and be well. We will look out for each other on our chosen and shared path. Questions within this context and framework are welcome.

To me, life is all about learning. We come in as babies ‘knowing’ nothing (okay, that might be a topic to expand upon later). We certainly come into this world as babies needing to learn pretty much everything. Then, whether we go to a public school, private school, or even no school at all, we spend the next 18 to 20+ years learning from our parents, friends, colleagues. Throughout life we learn from our children, from those around us and from ourselves. The environment around us affects everything, so we had better learn about that as we go. We learn who we are, how to be; most of us will learn and relearn that time and again as we grow and develop as a human throughout our lives. The best teachers are always learning. So, we use learning in our lives, consciously or unconsciously, all the time and what we choose (even by not choosing) to learn as well as how we go about learning it has immediate and lasting effects on all areas of our life. I embrace learning. I love to learn, and I love to share my love for learning. Even my horse training emphasizes learning over teaching, as we are always listening to and observing the horse to see what they are telling us, expressing, or contributing. Using my training methods, it is constant learning for horse and human. The learning continues after training goals have been reached, because we care to always seek to understand (learn) where the horse is at, what the horse needs and wants, and where we are headed together. Every day. Every time. Therefore, we embrace learning. We learn with intention, together. Like communication, it is a two-way street. And to reach our training goals and desired results, we need to be the best we can be for our horses. With inspiration from them and relationship with them, we are better equipped to learn about ourselves and life.

Horses have a way of inspiring us to be our best. Probably because, in their natural state of wellbeing they are always in the here-and-now, giving their best to us. Just like humans, if they are not giving their best, they are lacking a basic need which they have a God-given right to. We should help – or sometimes simply allow – them to find how to meet that need in a way that is good for everyone involved.

This blog will discuss learning from a holistic perspective. That is, involving mind, body, emotions, and spirit; horses and humans as entire beings. This is not just for the mind, nor just for the heart. Rather, an expansion of the educational environment we – horses and humans – have created at Shooting Stars Horsemanship’s Horse & Human Learning, Growth & Wellness Center for the Heart to Wild Heart horse and human personal development program. You can check out the other pages on this website to learn more about the program. I will be continually adding to and updating the website, so you can come back for more when you want to. To me, retention is a part of true learning. When horses and humans try to take in too much too fast, the information swims around the mind instead of settling down into the full being to stay forever more. So, enjoy a little bit here and there. When you learn something you want to keep, you might explore a little further. But before learning something new, take the time to digest the piece you just learned. Soak on it as you soak in the new thing or idea. Soaking is a horseman’s term that applies well to our human lives!

I am thrilled to be facilitating learning, growth and wellbeing using The HERD (Human-Equine Relations Development) Institute model of Equine-Facilitated Learning (EFL) in conjunction with transformation and Self-empowerment life coaching, therapeutic art, meditation, earthing, being in nature, connecting with horses and humans... all enhanced by the presence of, and interactions with, the horses. It is amazing work. I look forward to sharing things we can learn for ourselves with horses, for horses, and about horses in this forum!

♥♥♥Excellent Horsemanship IS Excellent for Life ♥♥♥

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