Willow Equine Arts LLC

12/22/2023

Lisa and I had fun playing with Ovation's piaffe together. He had the sit, our cohesive support helped him start finding rhythm.

01/10/2023

Moonrise over Estella. First full moon of 2023! A moon encouraging us to appreciate our nests, to curl into them. Stella has a motherly quality, particularly she reminds me of my own mother in some ways. Our journey, my mom and mine, to get Stella was a heartwarming endeavor to say the least. Stella is an absolute gem. Sweet and engaging, sensitive and sensible. I'm definitely falling in love with the breed and I only have 2 half Lipps!

12/23/2022

Hickory is a 7 year old 14.2 QH Grullo gelding with a sweet and engaging disposition. He has a lovely pedigree, his stud, Casper was a lovely horse, a big thinker. Hickory's had a fair bit of groundwork and liberty training. He loves to hook on, lunge loose and is a wiz at learning tricks. He’s had some positive reinforcement training as well. He’s super easy to keep; low maintenance feed wise (though he will need a muzzle on lush grass), excellent feet and has done really well in most herd situations. He loves to play so another gelding who plays with him is his happy place. He does well with mares too. He’s been in larger and smaller herds all of his life. Mostly he has lived outside with shelter though he is accustomed to a stall and does fine, he’s quite tidy. He has what we’re fairly sure is a congenital stifle subluxation, due likely to malnutrition during key development stages in eureto. No reflection of the stallion. For the full diagnosis he will need further Xrays/Ultrasounds. He had a ligament injury as a weanling that required extensive stall rest from which he fully recovered. He is deeply loved but unfortunately is not the right horse for his owner given his medical prognosis and size. She’s had him since he was a weanling, he’s been loved and well cared for. It’s been very hard to come to this decision so it’s paramount that he goes to a very good home, one that we will be allowed to keep in touch with and know how he’s doing. He would be absolutely fantastic as a ground therapy horse, he’s very tuned in and sensitive. He has done some of this already. He has connected with a few people very deeply and it shows; he would thrive having a loving owner who played with him, taught him tricks and scratched his neck when he asks. $1,500

10/29/2022

Felipe and I were the welcome committee this evening for the premier of Horse Teacher, a documentary created by Shandoah Goldman about the life of Galleywinter Farm and its visionary mother, Gail Todter. I'm honored to support my wonderful mother and her hard work.

10/29/2022

Solo coming into my life has challenged me to grow, illuminated another layer of nuance in the relationship between human and horse and given a fascinating example of how the nervous system operates. His journey to find trust in himself and in me has been a heartwarming one to say the least. Using training and massage techniques designed to help regulate his nervous system has allowed him learn to let go of his tension, trust that he doesn't have to be on high alert look out duty all of the time, find deep relaxation and comfort away from other horses.

06/13/2022

05/12/2022

Moseley arrived here mid March, I went to pick him up from his long-time home in Nelson County on a misty Thursday morning. He has done so many things in his life so far and was looking for a new job at the same time I was looking for a veteran to give confidence to students and young horses. He was a special find in my book as he's an absolute sweetheart, loves to connect, has seen the world, is responsive and quite forward and soft in the bridle! A less than common find for a horse that has been ridden by many different people of different skill levels. He has been a wonderful teacher already and I trust will continue to be. Today he had his first session with Sean, focused around their mutual introduction and connection building. It went really quite marvelously! Moe played hard to get a little in the beginning but it ended with some fun liberty play for them both! Besides Moe trying to jump the trot poles unsuccessfully. Thankfully he navigated them with the nimbleness of a youngster :)

05/07/2022

Bringing the little series about my journey with horsemanship, business name and logo to a close I want to share the fun story about how the logo came to be. It was late February of 2019 and my dear friend Alanna and I were enjoying a snow day together. Alanna is an artist and had begun to focus on photography. We had the brilliant idea to suit up and go photograph the horses in the snow, perhaps throw me in there with my elf costume! Willow and me in my elf costume became the focus. Wills lit up and relished in being photographed, she seemed to love performing. It took me a little longer to get into my character but I found the warrior goddess within eventually and we all had a blast. When I was designing my logo, naturally I wanted it to be a horse and a Willow tree. I have always been a lover of silhouettes. Symbolism and having sometimes hidden meaning behind names and images of importance is also a fancy of mine. So became the logo. It’s a silhouette of me and Willow on that snowy day in the woods beneath a Willow tree drawing. Even though she’s no longer with me, she’s in greener pastures and her memory will live on in my heart and embedded in my business inspirations.

04/25/2022

In continuation of the earlier post about my journey with horsemanship I want to share the meaning behind the business name and still to follow, the story of the logo.
Of course, the name Willow Equine Arts was initially inspired by my dearest Willow and the life altering effect she had on me and my trajectory. But, as I pondered the name further, I thought of the qualities of the Willow tree; strong and flexible, a lover of water and rich in wisdom. All important qualities to bring to horsemanship and also to train our horses to carry within their bodies! To have a strong and supple horse that is fluid in movement and able to move through different physical exercises and mental challenges with a calm and engaged mind is a well balanced horse to ride, handle and play with! To engage the horse with wisdom, presence and empathy, to utilize effective and thoughtful training principles and a system with the ability to flow with what shows up each moment creates such a horse. Finally, within the business name, I named it Willow Equine Arts in recognition of the art form that such horsemanship and riding truly is. An ancient art form. To practice our horsemanship and riding with such a thought in mind is to regard the horse as our dance partner and our riding and interactions with the horse with the nuanced awareness, curiosity and creativity of a musician or painter.

04/08/2022

Beautifully put ✨

A horse’s behavior is a mirror of their past associations, and present circumstances….

…and, If we put a human interpretation on a horse’s behavior, it says more about us than it does about them.

Just like you and I, horses life experiences are recorded by the brain and given physical and emotional associations.

They have some of the same basic parts of the brain as us, the reptilian brain: in charge of automatic functions like breathing, digestion, fight and flight etc... and the limbic system responsible for memory and emotion. But they don’t have the same cerebral cortex as us that is responsible for complex thought, ego, building a jet, or…. plotting against someone.

So UNLIKE you and I, the horse doesn’t create a story around a situation, hold grudges, manipulate, or intentionally be difficult. They also don’t dwell in the past or future the way we do.

They don’t have the part of the brain responsible for that type of thinking.

If something appears in the PRESENT moment that they have a past experience or association to, they will respond in the manner that that experience was impressioned.

If they have no familiar experience, they will usually respond with apprehension or worry, as the self-preservation of a prey animal...unless they feel SAFE enough to be curious and confident.

Learn to read your horse's behavior as a guide to what they NEED from you, not as a personal attack. They are not capable of being a “jerk”, “difficult”, “stubborn” or any other expletives that people use. Mares are not “nasty”, breeds are not “crazy”….

AND, unlike humans, they don’t have an ego. The ego is the "I" or self identity of any person; not just a term for inflated personalities.

Everyone has an ego, but if we place an egoic interpretation onto THEM, it is really just a projection of something in US!

Projection of the self is what the human brain does without conscious awareness…unless you learn to become aware of it, and even then it’s tricky.

So be careful the next time you call your horse a name or interpret an “egoic behavior” of your horse, you’re likely just revealing your own dirty laundry, and none of it has to do with your horse…. Mirror, Mirror.

So, in conclusion…..

A horse’s behavior is a mirror of past association or present circumstances…

….An EGO based interpretation of horse behavior is a mirror of something in you.

03/30/2022

In an effort to be more present on Facebook I thought I would start by giving some background story to my journey with horsemanship, training and in a later post, how I created my logo.
Growing up with horses at home and taking lessons I learned to relate to the horse with love but also with expectation. As children we have more of a natural symbiosis with the horse and natural world, we have yet to struggle through life and face its challenges and triumphs. We embody an awe inspired presence that as adults we must consciously cultivate.
I was blessed to grow up on a farm with my own pony. A Dartmoor/Arab cross that truly is a fantastic individual. Athletic, smart, willing and a heart that size of the sun. We did everything together; ba****ck in the snow, swimming in the neighbor's pond, eventing competitively, trail riding and camping in the National Forest. He happily did it all. This was my imprint as a youngster. He taught me confidence and a sense that anything is possible. Sadly he is 13.2hh so I outgrew him in my mid teens. He went on to teach more young girls the same tools and will forever be in my heart.
Fast forwarding through years of testing the waters of life and struggling within myself, I came again to a horse that would transform me, this time in a far more challenging manner. Willow was 7 when I met her, started late and still green. She had suffered an injury and tick borne infection when she arrived at the farm. Things that were seemingly the beginning of a hard road for her physically. She was to be my project and became my heart. Her behavior and physical struggles intertwined became the catalyst for my journey into a different way to relate to the horse and to myself. I studied how to read and listen to the horse and to observe without judgement whatever I was bringing to them each day. Horses are somatic creatures, they communicate with one another through presence and body language. For them to engage with us out of curiosity and a whole hearted desire to connect, we must learn to communicate in their language. To be present in our own bodies, aware of our emotions without being ruled by them, aware of and compassionate to the horse and their experience. Certainly the horse can be trained to be compliant and very tolerant, but this does not always include the connection and their desire to engage. Willow was life altering for me because she was not compliant and though she could be tolerant, she would disappear within herself in order to be so. It was heart wrenching to see her shut down, the light left her. It took me years of work with her learning new methods and work on myself to peel away the layers. To correct mistakes I'd made early on and forgive myself for them. To see her light up, the elastic movement in her body, and her ease when she did was more than enough to completely redirect my horsemanship towards methods that seek the horse's deep relaxation first and foremost, followed by connection, then training. The training becomes so much easier and more fluid with these two pieces in place first.
Think about how you perform in sports, feel in social situations or presenting in public if you're tense vs relaxed and excited. Sure we can be revved up with energy, but do we think as clearly, enjoy our experience as much or bring our very best to the experience if we're nervous, distracted or feeling uncomfortable in our body? Likely not. Not only is this true for the us, it's true for horse. If we find a relaxed and engaged place within ourselves and commit to bring the horse to the same state, learning and play are so much more fruitful. The final and beautiful piece I want to add is that this is not only a mental state, it deeply affects the physical body. Mental relaxation is always accompanied by greater relaxation in the body. Have you ever felt disunited in your body? As if one or more parts just aren't connected to the rest but you're still functioning. The body can perform with tension surprisingly well, but only for so long before discomfort, injury or unpleasant behavior arises. With physical relaxation comes greater balance, range of motion, ability to carry the body and engage it as a whole fluid unit. These pieces are essential to good riding and a healthy athletic horse with longevity.
More to follow :)
Have a wonderful day, appreciate your horses and yourselves!

01/20/2022

Sleeping beauty ❤️

01/17/2022

Pretty little Morgan mare, Lark. These were sale photos so I wasn't supposed to be in them but ended up doing a little bodywork on her in the process. She has the best home I could have possibly hoped for now and a new pasture buddy as of a couple weeks ago. So excited for them!

01/14/2022

Hickory in the snow

11/19/2021

Kalea is here for the next phase of her training. I've worked with her and her momma at home over the past couple of years. It's been a delight to see her mature ❤️

11/11/2021

Lazlo had a roll mid massage ✨

11/07/2021

It has been a real joy for me and Calia to guide Sean. He began here with us with some mounted experience and virtually no groundwork or lunging experience. He has delightedly progressed, gaining more confidence and finding ease of communication with clarity and flow.
Enjoy a customized lesson experience here at Early Light Farm; whether you want to start your journey with horses or deepen your existing practice, I am delighted to assist you.
If you're coming to the session with no horse experience we will begin with you simply sharing space with the horse and noticing the subtle interplay of energy and body language that inevitably occurs. Since this is the horse's natural language, they are fantastic teachers for the most subtle of shifts in our inner emotional world, posture, and changes in our own self carriage in movement. This can be delved into in a deep way, with as much desired time spent sharing embodied space and noticing one another. It can also be taken into more animated movement in both the person and horse. The addition of movement and other tools illuminates the relatable challenges we as humans find in taking a quiet peaceful state into our moving and ever changing lives. It teaches us to be present with what we're experiencing as well as what we're noticing around us, in the environment, with our equine partner and how we can become elastic and fluid throughout our lives.

11/07/2021

While we were waiting for our group to arrive 😂

10/16/2021

10/13/2021

10/11/2021

10/04/2021

09/27/2021

First morning of Prana & Ponies! Calia is getting used to the shade 🙂 &ponies

09/25/2021

Hickory's morning glow 😊✨

09/23/2021

I just missed the play fighting 😂 they have a ball together