Free Spirit Stables

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Watsonville, CA
Free Spirit Stables

Free Spirit Stables Hannah Francis is a certified RYT 200 Yoga & Equine Yoga Teacher and Liberty Horsemanship Instructor

01/29/2025

Pony Bill is the best study buddy ever!
Anatomy is one of the most daunting aspects of studying yoga for me. It’s so much more complex than “dem bones, dem bones, dem dancing bones” lead me to believe as a kid! Fortunately, everything feels easier with Bill’s sweet support.

Are you learning anything new this year? What helps you focus?

01/25/2025

When I step on my yoga mat, I consistently practice presence, proper alignment, and mindful movements. Yet when I step off my mat I sometimes find myself slouching back into "monkey mind."
My liberty horsemanship mentors The Resnick Method Liberty Horsemanship help improve connection and relationship with horses in part through mutual respect for personal space. Some students nail this practice during class, but at feeding time they forget and practice getting mugged for food by their horse instead.
The more I experience, the more I realize opportunities to practice aren't reserved for a class or study session. They live in every moment. Days are so different when I choose to practice awareness, kindness, connection, and everything else I seek.

What are you choosing to practice today?

01/21/2025

Many of us see a new year as an opportunity to start fresh. Some people view each day as a new beginning. What if you allowed yourself a fresh start each moment? Instead of bad days could you have bad moments, allowing the next moment to be new?
Mick & I wish you moments of light even on your darkest days 💖

01/08/2025

On New Year’s Day, asked his students to journal about fear. What came up for me was uncertainty & the unknown. I used to fight this fear by seeking control. I’d think of everything that could possibly go wrong and prepare a plan for each outcome. But worrying only stressed me out and even the best-laid plans often go awry.
Control isn’t a path to joy, it’s a gate barring my way. The key to unlock it is curiosity.
This year, I’m practicing sitting in uncertainty, getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, and giving myself more questions than answers. I don’t know what 2025 will bring, and I’m excited to experience the mystery in each moment.

#2025

11/06/2024

“Every little thing’s gonna be alright.”
Today Pony Bill is reminding me to place my attention on love. To release what I cannot control and trust the process. Growth is not linear, but it is persistent.

11/04/2024

Andrea Gibson says in any moment on any day she can measure her wellness by this question. I’m grateful for this elegant reminder to focus on love over insecurity & fear.
It reminds me of John Lennon’s saying,
“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.”
Here’s to love & life, may we choose them. ❤️

10/15/2024

Experience the unique joy of Yoga with Horses and support a great cause this Saturday @ 10am at ! 😍
Just $20 per participant and all proceeds go to support Pregnant Mare Rescue. 💞
No prior yoga or horse experience required.

Questions? Message .stables for more information!

10/13/2024

Proud of my beautiful friend Eva Jones and Magical horsemanship ! A wonderful piece in The Network magazine - grab a copy and see for yourself!

10/07/2024

This weekend I began a 300 hr. Yoga Teacher Training with Mark Stephens Yoga here in Santa Cruz. Our first piece of homework was composing a haiku about our intentions for practicing, teaching, and studying yoga. This is what came to me. My relationship with yoga continues to grow and evolve, but one constant is the freedom I feel on my mat (or in my chair). Yoga helps me feel into the present moment, release what does not serve me, and embrace the ever shifting flow. 🙏

10/04/2024

If you seek connection, love horses, enjoy yoga, or want to support a good cause, join us for Yoga With Horses at Pregnant Mare Rescue!
This 1 hr. all-level chair yoga class includes meditation, breathwork, and accessible yoga poses designed to help you find your center and embrace your authentic self. No prior horse or yoga experience is required.
Questions? Message Free Spirit Stables for more information.

09/09/2024

Do you love dancing? Do you love horses? Join us for a day of Dancing with Horses Sept 29th at Free Spirit Stables! Details on my website: https://www.freespiritstables.com/dance-events

09/02/2024

Companion walking is a gift you receive when you have a magnetic connection with your horse. 💞

09/01/2024

One week from today Pony Bill & I will be strutting our stuff at the Santa Cruz County Horsemens Association open house! We’d love to see you there 🙌

08/28/2024

Just me and my best pals enjoying the sunshine at .stables !!

06/29/2024

“Your energy is your tack.” - Carolyn Resnick

06/21/2024

No matter the species or mode of communication, when we are present to those around us it’s easier to notice who has something they want to share, and who is willing to lend an ear. From this seemingly simple foundation, connections blossom seamlessly.

06/19/2024

When wandering down the path of Liberty Horsemanship, I had no idea how lucky I was to stumble across Carolyn Resnick’s method. What Carolyn teaches goes far beyond horsemanship. It’s a journey of self-discovery and personal growth guided by the gift of connection. After 3 years of studying full-time, I’m beyond proud to say I am fully certified to share this powerful method with the world. I can hardly wait to see what discoveries await as I continue learning and growing.

05/29/2024

4 years ago I sat at my cubicle and dreamed of working with horses. 3 years ago I started studying with Nan Zintsmaster and Carolyn Resnick and it felt like a dream come true. 2 years ago I moved to my property and welcomed my first horses and it felt like a dream come true. Last year my dear friend Eva Jones moved her horses here, turning this property into a community and it felt like a dream come true. Next week I’m traveling to Carolyn Resnick’s ranch in Escondido CA to teach a clinic alongside Carolyn, Nan, and Eva and it feels like a dream come true!!! Looking back, I can hardly believe where I am today and can hardly imagine what dreams lie ahead. ✨🌈🦄

Address

1148 Green Valley Road
Watsonville, CA
95076

Website

http://www.freespiritstables.com/

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Videos

Looking for new experiences this year? Join us for yoga with horses every Friday at 11am 🙌 These sessions require no previous experience with yoga or horses, all are welcome! DM me or follow the link in the bio for Upcoming Classes & Events to learn more. Neighmaste! 🙏🐴 #yoga #horse #pony #namaste #SantaCruz #FreeSpirit

Will Pony Bill accept a rider? As a rescue pony, we don’t know much about Bill’s past. We think he may have been ridden before, but since he’s been with me, any kid requesting to ride has been met with a firm “No thank you.” That is, until Ayla came along. Ayla has spent the last 2 months building a fast friendship with Bill. Step by step they’ve developed trust, respect, and a clear understanding with each other. Last week we wondered if this relationship would translate in the saddle… and it did! Their first “ride” was short & sweet and Bill was a perfectly willing partner. I’m delighted for both of them ✨ It’s such a joy to watch their connection blossom 🌸 #pony #love #ride #rescue #connection #friendship #relationship #LibertyHorsemanship #trust #respect #bond #FreeSpirit

Horses and dancing have set me free for as long as I can remember🪽 When I saw @resnickmethod dancing *with* horses I knew I had to learn more. As I studied how to dance with horses I was amazed by the similarities with learning to partner dance. Both require us to connect with another being, communicate with body language, and know when to lead and when to follow. The more I learned the more I dreamed of a class combining partner dancing and horsemanship techniques. This Dancing Day is the happy result! I’m so grateful to the beautiful open-minded people who showed up fully ready to play and dance. 💃 I’m looking forward to building on this class and offering more like it in the new year. Let me know if you want to dance with us at the next one! #horse #pony #dance #play #fun #connect #communicate #BodyLanguage #lead #follow #LibertyHorsemanship #ResnickMethod #FreeSpirit

Would you like to dance? 💃🕺Join us for a day of Dancing with Horses on September 29th! During this one-day workshop, you’ll learn the foundations of partner dancing, how to communicate clearly with body language, work with instinctual movement, establish connection, and be a leader others want to follow. Enjoy special pricing for this first-ever Dancing Day at Free Spirit Stables! Tickets are limited, reserve your spot today at: www.freespiritstables.com/dance-events (Link in the Bio) #horse #pony #liberty #communication #connection #partner #dance #lead #follow #SantaCruz #FreeSpirit

Do you crave connection? Join a Heart to Heart yoga session the second Saturday of each month at 11am. Register in advance at www.FreeSpiritStables.com/yoga - link in the bio. #horse #pony #yoga #namaste #HeartToHeart #peace #presence #connection #relationship #partner #grattitude #FreeSpirit

Final Gem 💎 Update 💔 At 34 years old, Gem has developed a neurological issue with his hind legs and is no longer able to move with ease. It breaks my heart but Gem is ready to say goodbye. Having Gem with us at Free Spirit Stables over the last year has been an unbelievable gift. I will miss him dearly, as will the herd and everyone who had the opportunity to experience the kindhearted joy he brought to the world. 🌈 ❤️ #horse #pony #friend #love #bond #connection #grattitude #gift #loss #life #death #peace #RIP #FreeSpirit

Pony Bill came into my life through the incredible efforts of @fairytaleminis ❤️ Eternally thankful for their work and for those like them who find horses loving homes. #horse #pony #friend #love #rescue #bond #connection #relationship #partner #grattitude #FreeSpirit

Mick, short for McCartney has been one of my best horsey friends for 20 years! He is truly one of a kind and I couldn’t be more grateful for his companionship. ❤️ #horse #pony #friend #love #bond #connection #relationship #partner #grattitude #gift #FreeSpirit

Graduation! Fully Certified to teach Carolyn Resnick’s method of Liberty Horsemanship

It’s difficult to find words to describe how impactful this experience was. Teaching my first big clinic alongside my friend Eva Jones, and our mentors Carolyn Resnick and Nancy Zintsmaster was so much more than I could have dreamed. We were blessed with fabulous participants from all over the country willing to show up authentically and dive right in. The combination of mindset sessions guided by Carolyn & Eva with the liberty horsemanship sessions led by Nan and me facilitated beautiful connections with ourselves, each other, and the horses. I can only hope I feel the same deep sense of community with all future clinics. In short, the best words to describe how I feel are: Thank you with all my heart. 🙏❤️ #horse #teaching #learning #dream #mentor #friends #LibertyHorsemanship #mindset #grow #community #grattitude #FreeSpirit

Happy Star Wars Day! Mick & I are here to practice a Darth Vader breathing technique also known as ujjayi breath. This is a fabulous practice to anchor you in the present moment, help you focus, and calm your nervous system. Enjoy and May the Fourth & the horse be with you, always! ❤️🐴✨