Joy Rides Coaching

09/20/2024

I don’t know about you, but as I get older, I sometimes just have random anxiety. When this happens, I usually need to move my body a lot, to get some energy out.

So all day yesterday, I had this anxiety tightness in my chest and gut for no apparent reason. I wasn’t really worried about anything. Maybe I had bad dreams the night before, maybe it was something in the air, maybe it was crazy hormones, but regardless, the big hike I took with lots of steep climbing, did nothing to make it go away.

Then I went to the horses. We messed around in the arena with some tarps and I did a lot of grooming and just hanging out. I didn’t notice anything at the time, but as I drove back home, that anxious feeling was completely gone and replaced with calmness and peace.

Horses do help heal and take away stress. They help regulate your nervous system when nothing else works. They remind you to breathe and be.

Is there anything in your life that does that for you? If not, maybe you should find some horses to play with!

09/19/2024

I’m thinking about Portugal and Turkey for my 2026 horse trips. What do you think?

09/16/2024

My hummingbird feeder sits empty of hummingbirds. The leaves are starting to change and the dog days of summer are over.

Tell me, what are your fun plans for this fall? If you don’t have any yet, how does it sound to plan a few things?

If you feel like summer flew by, don’t let fall do the same thing. In the blink of an eye, this beautiful season will be over and then it’ll be off to the races getting ready for the holidays…

Slow down time and plan something fun!

09/13/2024

About 2 years ago - this was Freya’s first day with me. Look at how little she was! We’ve really been through a lot since then.

She’s now such a big girl and actually pretty darn good for a 2 year old. She hopped in the trailer this past weekend with no problems and is settling into her new place very easily.

It definitely helps having her best friend Daisy with her every step of the way, but having a good friend to help us navigate change and stress helps us all, doesn’t it.

Hope you get to spend some time with a good friend this weekend. Happy Friday all!

09/12/2024

I do believe it’s true that the stress we all have today is different and continuous. This is a good article to read if you have more stress lately and don’t know why. And it shows why gratitude practices, self-care and connection are more important than ever!

Temporary stress ends once a perceived threat passes. But what's happening today is different, the perceived threat isn’t passing. Secondary traumatization (here broadly includes vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue) occurs when a person is exposed to traumatic events through another person's f...

09/11/2024

Fall foods - https://mailchi.mp/89b09125a4b3/livelovelaugh-8328818

09/10/2024

Get ready folks. The best time of year is quickly approaching. I hope to get lots of horse time in. How about you?

09/06/2024

I was so excited when I found these at a random grocery store in the US. It’s just a small thing but it makes me so happy.

First of all, they are delicious l! Secondly, they bring me right back to my times in England.

There’s nothing like a cup of tea and a digestive biscuit (which is really just a yummy cookie).

What’s a small thing that’s making you happy today? What’s putting a smile on your face?

When I go to England next fall, I’m definitely going to stock up!

Happy weekend all!

09/05/2024

The most common complaint that I hear from almost all of my clients is about stress and overwhelm.

One simple tool to help with this is to focus on what you have rather than what you don’t. Make a list and find a few statements to support the positive.

For instance:

I have time
I have friends
I have my health
I have a roof over my head
I have mobility
I have money
I have a job

And then find examples:

NO “buts” allowed.

This won’t take anything off of your to-do list (that’s a different tool) but it will give your brain the signal that everything is ok, which will calm your nervous system, which will decrease stress.

If you do this daily, it will help, I promise.

09/04/2024

Back in the good old days when my baby horse could be on pasture and enjoy the green grasses of summer…

Fast forward a year and life has thrown us a curve ball and she can no longer be on grass. It’s a terrible diagnosis for a horse, especially for one so young, but we just more forward and figure things out, right?

This week we all move to a place on the “dry side” and it also has some arenas, so let the training games begin for real. Hopefully by this time next year, I’ll be riding this girl!

Who wants to volunteer to get on first? I don’t bounce as well as I used to!

09/02/2024

Truth!

People are disappointing. And we’re probably all a disappointment in someone else’s life. We have the arrows in our heart, and we’re the arrow in someone else’s heart.

A horse can be your true friend, if you accept it. A horse can show you try, and trust, and geniuine caring. A horse can show you fear, and worry, and resistance. A horse is truth- people are opinion.

I believe horses are here to shape us. Slowly, over centuries of conquering and breaking and categorizing- slowly, maybe we can be taught. Taught to listen, and taught to love without condition or label or self congratulation.

We live in a warped world, and we warp it continually with our stories. A horse is reality- they are the rock of feeling without being swept into the river of emotion. They are sensitivity without self pity. They are awareness without ego, knowledge apart from information.

A horse can teach us quite a bit about living well, and much more about friendship. Few of us have true friends, fewer of us know how to be true friends.
If we listen, a horse can show us- friendship is not a condition, love is not an emotion, but a permanent state to Wade in, like the river of time, always moving, always available, buoyant like a web shining in the sun to catch our eye, if the sun hits just right.

08/28/2024

It feels like fall is in the air. I’m 100% ready.

I used to love summer with its long days, kids at home, a less busy schedule. Now most of what I feel in summer is just plain hot.

I think that’s what getting older does to us. Now I just want to put on jeans and a sweatshirt and drink tea all day.

Who’s with me?

08/27/2024

It’s been a summer. Lots of changes, lots of health issues with my baby horse, big money spent for lots of different vets.

I wouldn’t change having animals for the world, but sometimes the stress outweighs the joy. So please remind me of this when I’m looking at pictures of baby burros and really thinking that I want one.

08/26/2024

My heart is sad this morning as we drop my son off to college and drive home without him.

When the feelings get too big, distraction can be a good coping tool, so I’m looking at photos from Italy.

Over ten years ago, this place is the first Joy Rides trip that I ever planned and it continues to be fantastic every time.

If it’s been on your bucket list, come and join me next June. It’s hard to describe what an amazing trip this is, at such a special place, and I probably won’t be going back for a long time after this…

08/23/2024

I’ve been talking to many clients lately who have expressed a big amount of dismay about summer being almost gone and having done nothing exciting or fun.

If that’s you, one of the best ways to avoid it happening again is to plan an epic adventure for next summer. You’ll have something to look forward to and have a reason to stay/get in shape all through the long, cold winter.

As Mary Oliver says, “tell me, what is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life”.

No regrets!

Immerse Yourself in a Complete Local Experience while Exploring the Wilderness and Mountains of Montenegro ~ June 24th-July 2nd, 2025 Enjoy the wild beauty and serenity of the mountains as we ride through Biogradska Gora National Park, which hosts one of the last virgin forests in Europe. On this pr...

08/21/2024

Careful what you wish for!

I made this vision board many years ago. Almost all of these things (and more) have happened since then and honestly, every trip has been spectacular.

There is something very powerful about putting your dreams on paper.

I think it’s time to create a new vision board. Who wants to join??

08/20/2024

Another great trip with an amazing group of strong, capable and lovely women.

The trail was tough and pretty challenging in many areas, but we pushed and pulled each other through.

It was super fun getting to know and work with the llamas. While I still love horses the best, the llamas were all really good boys and worked hard for us. They are definitely unique animals and I’m grateful for the time I got to spend with them.

And, the weather gods blessed us!

Big gratitude for a safe, remarkable and healing trip in the high country.

Until next time…

08/15/2024

Gifts at the barn

08/12/2024

I was talking to a client today about giving herself a break.

Why is it so hard for us to give ourselves a break and a little compassion and so easy for us to put huge pressure on ourselves and beat ourselves up?

It’s Monday. The perfect time to start practicing a bit of ease and kindness.

What if every day this week, we all traded self-criticism for self-kindness, at least a few times every day.

Just think how much better everyone would feel.

I challenge you!!

08/09/2024

A week from today we’ll be in the high country with these guys. Please send good vibes that this stormy weather we’ve been having will be done by then!!

08/07/2024

This is the new thing I’m incorporating into my work with horses and people and it fits so well together.

It’s amazing to help a person regulate their nervous system by mindfulness, breathing and focused attention while working on their horse. Definitely a win/win.

I’m just playing right now, but am planning on going to my first workshop this year and then on my way to certification.

If you want to start doing something with your horse that also decreases your stress levels, let me know!

08/06/2024

If you’re ready for something different and adventurous, come join me in Montenegro next June for this incredibly special trip.

Immerse yourself in the midst of nature. experience a traditional culture unique to this area, and step into a completely off-the-beaten-path experience.

(Right now I have a horse trip only planned, but if anyone wants to mountain bike, I can make that happen too, so just reach out if you’re interested).

This is a great article with a lot of info about katyn life, then and now.

Mountains are the story of Montenegro and the katun serves as narrator. Katun mountain huts are worth exploring for Montenegrin culture and adventure.

08/05/2024

A field of daisys. Literally thousands of them in this huge meadow.

It was absolutely gorgeous! But also hot as hell and the bugs were kind of bad.

Just a reminder that not everything that everyone is doing on Facebook is as idyllic and joyful as it looks!

08/02/2024

Doing some training for my llama trip coming up. The wildflowers are gorgeous in the high country right now!

07/31/2024

If You Believe in Magic - https://mailchi.mp/fc0558d81f37/livelovelaugh-8327851