Heart Centered Horsemanship

09/12/2025

Zella tends to be a bit suspicious of men, which made the connection between these two even more beautiful at our Mindful Horsemanship class yesterday.

I explained to participants that through touch we can create a bond in which the horse chooses to stay with us, then we are able to communicate with them through our own embodied movement.

I don't teach positive reinforcement training with treats, I told them. Mostly because I train people, and it would be a little weird to give the humans a cookie when they got it right 🤣

09/11/2025

09/10/2025

The horses and I had a great time today introducing a group of Catawba College Students to Equine-Assisted Mental Health and Learning.

They learned the power of presence, self-regulation, boundaries, and building authentic relationships through listening, respecting, and supporting.

We discussed topics of holding a safe space, embodied communication, congruence, and moving through avoidance.

True leadership isn't about dominance and control, it is about how we show up, how we respond, and how we offer mutually beneficial partnerships. Building a herd is about meaningful connections that support joy and abundance for all.

Horses give us immediate feedback, they can guide us towards acting with confidence and purpose and at the same time with empathy and compassion. They are incredible teachers, and have such a lovely way of making the lessons fun to learn.

09/06/2025

Looking forward to our upcoming 6-week program at LaBelle Equestrian with Unbridled Counseling & Wellness beginning September 23!

✨ Have you ever wished you could feel more grounded and centered when life feels overwhelming?
✨ Are relationships leaving you drained or unsettled?
✨ Have sudden changes knocked you off balance, leaving you anxious, down, or ungrounded?
✨ Do you miss the sense of joy and ease you once had?

💫 The Gift of Presence: An Equine Guided Journey to Peace and Joy offers a supportive space to restore calm, reconnect with yourself, and rediscover your inner joy—with horses as our guides.

As the holiday season approaches, give yourself the gift of showing up as your best self—peaceful, resilient, and ready to fully embrace life.

To learn more and register, click the link below!

https://heartcenteredhorsemanship.com/gift-of-presence-2025

09/02/2025

Mindful Horsemanship is about is about being fully in the present moment, getting grounded, listening to the horses, honoring what they communicate, and creating authentic connection. It is about learning to communicate in the horse's embodied language, being intentional rather than reactive, and choosing consensual partnership. It is about being supported, going within, and deepening awareness of body, breath, and senses. It is about discovering the possibility of co-creating with empathy and compassion. If this sounds like something you'd like to experience, you are invited to join us on Thursday afternoons at LaBelle Equestrian. Learn more and register here: https://heartcenteredhorsemanship.com/mindful-horsemanship-thursday-sessions

08/29/2025

This fall, the horses at LaBelle Equestrian and I will be partnering with Unbridled Counseling & Wellness to offer an incredible experience that will have you going into the holiday season with a deeper sense of peace and joy.

This unique 6-week series isn’t about riding or performance. It’s about being. Through guided experiences with horses, you’ll explore presence, authentic connection, coherence, and the quiet joy that comes from simply sharing space with another sentient being.

If you’re ready to step into a welcoming space where both horses and humans can experience peace, support, and authenticity, I invite you to join us. Find more information and register through the link below!

This 6 week experience is designed to help you slow down and reconnect with yourself and discover the grounding wisdom horses offer. Through intentional practice you will explore presence, boundaries, and authentic connection while learning practical tools to balance your nervous system. Each week b...

08/28/2025

Mindful Horsemanship is about:
🌿 Being present in each moment
🐴 Listening and responding with awareness
💫 Creating a safe space for both humans and horses
🤝 Developing authentic connection
🌀 Communicating through the embodied language of movement and energy

On October 25, LaBelle Equestrian will host a full-day clinic where you’ll experience:
🧘 A class on the mat to build body awareness
🐎 A group groundwork session introducing Debono Moves and Speaking the Horse’s Language
🎯 Semi-private lessons—choose riding with mindful movement or another topic you’d like to explore more deeply

No horse? No problem! You’re welcome to learn and play with one of our herd.

A clinic for those seeking an enjoyable and cooperative relationship with their horse through non-aversive methods and clear communication.

08/27/2025

Scarlett and I are honored that we are featured in this month's edition of the Salisbury Magazine along with LaBelle Equestrian and Happy Roots! As you can imagine, I had a lot to say about the benefits of equine assisted learning, including:

"it's a wonderful way to teach mindfulness to anybody, especially for kids. That's because there's a tangible response from the horse."

"Instead of focusing on what everyone else needs to do, it's about what you need to do to be okay. It's not focusing on controlling the horse, but rather on controlling your own response to what the horse is doing to create the outcome that you want."

"Horses are deep wells of joy.... when you give them the right environment, the right care, the right circumstances and treatment, they will give people joy."

08/26/2025

Mindful Horsemanship Thursdays are open for all ages! Come explore the power of engaging with horses without an agenda, but with curiosity and awareness. You will learn basic grounding techniques, ways to connect through presence and touch, and how to communicate with your body as you speak in the horse's language of movement and energy.

Classes are $35, children under 8 are free but must be accompanied by a paying adult.

Weekly sessions designed for those seeking a deeper, more meaningful connection with horses — beyond traditional riding lessons. This course focuses on creating relationships built on mutual trust, clear communication, and embodied connection between horse and human.

08/25/2025

Yesterday's Mindful Movement and Horses class at LaBelle Equestrian was all about tuning in to our senses, holding a grounded presence, connecting with the horses through offering safety and support, and communicating with body language and energy.

The session began with a yoga/mindful movement class led by Morgan Andersen of Your Mindful Muse. It was so nice to be able to participate in a class for a change! Following that I gave a brief demonstration before inviting the group in for some hands-on experiential learning.

Some of the group had never been around horses before, just being near them was a powerful experience. More than a lesson in horsemanship, this class focused on the many benefits of sharing space with horses and allowing ourselves to be positively impacted by their energetic presence. We discussed HeartMath studies on how being with horses can increase coherence and Heart Rate Variability, the power of nervous system co-regulation, resonance, and other benefits of hanging our in the horses' energy field. We also talked about how members of the herd support each other's well being, and what they can teach us about creating balanced communities.

It was a great day of learning from horses. I'm looking forward to doing more of these events, please let me know if you want to be notified about the next one!