Hatha Equus

04/12/2023

Sometimes people see you on the ground on a trail with your horse, and they ask what’s wrong with your horse – like, why are you not riding.

It’s just so common for so many cultures to assume that horses are “made to be ridden”. It’s an assumption made by equestrians and non-equestrians alike.

Which is problematic to say the least. Because you’d expect that at least equestrians would know…

… that horses never even evolved to carry weights, especially on their backs. Their spine is delicate, and weight-bearing is the opposite of what it evolved to do. It actually evolved to get weights off of itself as fast as possible (think of a mountain lions attack)!

This is not to say that riding can’t be presented to some horses as an activity that they can get to really, authentically enjoy. It absolutely can, in many cases!

But that’s very different.

What a wonderful world it would be for horses if we stopped giving riding for granted and realized that it’s a highly athletic weight-lifting activity that, when made possible by their health, we need to guide them towards understanding and enjoying, physically, mentally and emotionally, slowly, with no expectations and with their agency and consent.

That is the world we’re working towards.



Photo by Paige Paradis.

20/11/2023

Helping humans help horses to find physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual balance through soulfu

13/11/2023

You’ve been madly in love with a horsemanship framework for a while…and you’re starting to have that uncomfortable feeling that this might actually not be the end of line for you and your horse.

You.
Are.
Not.
Alone.

And also…hang in there. It’s not as bad as it seems.

I could not be more grateful to have learned and practiced all the horsemanship frameworks that I have, each at a super deep level.

I still use elements of each and every one every single day, and each adds to my ability to support the horses I train in their journey towards fulfillment.

Also, though, horse have requested of me that I go beyond.

Horses, like humans, are dynamic systems.

“This is how you do it” approaches are helpful at the start, but they are not the full picture to explain complex and ever-changing beings.

Technique is super important, and science even more…but in the here and now, with each unique horse presenting unique challenges, there comes a time to ALSO learn active listening and listen to the horse. And to our intuition.

Horsemanship is an art and no art has ever followed the rules of a one manual. It’s more like, manuals have been written in the attempt to explain the most meaningful art.



Photo:

10/11/2023

Over the years one of my worries about the perception of Hatha Equus is that when we advertise that we work with consent and R+ that we were branding ourselves as trainers who ONLY use one modality of training to work with horses. Yes we utilize R+ as powerful tool for certain aspects of training, however, we have recognized its limitations, especially in the hands of imperfect implementation…and even WITH perfect skills/timing/reinforcers etc…

My truth, as trainer (who considers her program heartfelt and humane), is that it is difficult, and limiting to commit to only one system of working with horses. Every horse is uniquely different and has different needs at different times of their journey to being whole.

08/11/2023

Over the years one of my worries about the perception of Hatha Equus is that when we advertise that we work with consent and R+ that we were branding ourselves as trainers who ONLY use one modality of training to work with horses. Yes we utilize R+ as powerful tool for certain aspects of training, however, we have recognized its limitations, especially in the hands of imperfect implementation…and even WITH perfect skills/timing/reinforcers etc…

The truth, as trainer (who considers her program heartfelt and humane), is that it is difficult, and limiting to commit to only one system of working with horses. Every horse is uniquely different and has different needs at different times of their journey to being whole.

It is equally challenging as a public figure to share information about one modality of training without being pigeon holed into one category. There are fundamentalists in R+ camps and R- camps that criticize your work or approach, and this can be scary and challenging to navigate.

I am so incredibly grateful that Lockie has shared this post because he has tirelessly researched and articulated some of the experiences we have had with R+ that I haven’t been able to put into words…because I couldn’t explain yet through science why a system with such idealistic goals wasn’t working in certain circumstances.

When we can break outside of one training system, look more deeply at, and listen to what a horse truly needs, without judgement on ourselves and others, then we are free. Only from this place can we shift the paradigm of the horse industry AND allow ourselves to have greater joy and safety with our horses.

Thank you Lockie for shedding light on what I haven’t figured out how to articulate 😍🙌🏻🙏🏻🦄

06/11/2023

It’s not a utopia, it’s absolutely possible.

And no, you don’t have to be “special” to get there.

And no, you don’t have to give up your favorite equestrian activities.

Which other limiting beliefs show up in your head, trying their best to convince you that this is not for you?

Write it in the comments or send us a DM ⬇️📨



P.S. just a reminder that we don’t need to actively do anything to deserve love. We just do. But sometimes that’s how we need to feel. To work hard to be kind to someone and give them room to be the best possible version of themselves, and to watch the light in their eyes when they step into their power as a result 🥹

06/11/2023

Curious: do (or did!) you ever feel like your horse can't stand you? Like, they mind their own business and get away from you at every opportunity?

(or do you know anyone who does?)

25/07/2023

We are beyond excited to welcome international horse trainer and equine performer, Will Rogers, to Wildsong Ranch in August!

From young horses to Grand Prix, come and learn his techniques to make your dreams with your horse come true.

Info and tickets: Link in BIO ⬇️⬇️⬇️

18/07/2023

We are only 10 days away from hosting the AMAZING Kaleigh Marie from Braveheart Beasts! There are 4 participant spots remaining! Will you be one of the lucky 4??? 😍🦄🙌🏻🍀

Participant Tickets:
https://hathaequus.as.me/?appointmentType=46515930

Auditor Tickets:
https://hathaequus.as.me/?appointmentType=46517440

14/07/2023

It's a paradox, but if you learn this, you will take a bi, fast step forward towards the your dream relationship with your horse. ➡️➡️➡️

🍑Your horse has the most beautiful beautiful butt…BUT YOU'RE SO TIRED OF STARING AT IT!!!

🐿️You're doing everything right, and everyone tells you that your horse should love playing at liberty with you...but despite all the money spent on lessons and clinics, as soon as halter and lead rope are off, she runs off to mind her own business.

It's a frustrating situation, especially for someone like you who moves heaven and earth to make their horse happy. You want the pleasure of interaction to be mutual.

🔆If you relate, we want you to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Your horse CAN come to authentically appreciate the relationship with you, not just out of conditioning by reverse psychology.

🪜Here’s a very important step you might want to consider towards your dream: stop mortifying yourself and your horse by measuring your partnership against a definition of perfection that is not yours.

❓Who said that you have to enjoy the discipline practiced at your stable? Who said that happiness depends on the number of medals you win? Who said that horses are for riding?

I know, bold questions. But why not? What if you…
1️⃣ tried to question everything you think you know about "How to be happy with your horse"?

2️⃣ Officially gave yourself permission to silence all those voices in your head that tell you: "This is the path to follow!" "I everyone does it this way, it must be right!”

3️⃣ Gave yourself permission to reflect on authentic questions like: "What makes me feel good?" "And my horse?" "Is he only good at doing this thing, or does he actually enjoy it?”

✅ Slowly, you will see that continuous frustration of not being perfect - where "perfect" means "Perfectly matching someone else’s (unattainable) definition of “correct”, “exceptional”- fading away.

✅ Slowly, your very own definition of happiness with each other will emerge. You will experience it every day, and it will evolve over time. You will be two individuals AND one entity at the same time. Coherent. Aware. Proudly...
..perfect 🦄

27/06/2023

Join Will Rogers when he visits us at Wildsong Ranch on August 3-5th! 😍🙌🏻🦄

Here are the links to purchase tickets!

Auditor
https://hathaequus.as.me/?appointmentType=48488936

Full participant:
SOLD OUT

08/03/2023

Yesterday was a difficult day to say the least. We had to say goodbye to Meela Dog - trails and adventures partner for Elizabeth (and soulmate), Wildsong Sheriff (oh those naughty horses and coyotes!!), Official Greeters Coordinator and loving presence who touched many many many others in her life.

Words are really lacking in times like these and we can’t but send out the biggest heart hug to her - whatever form her spirit might be in right now - and let her know that we couldn’t be more grateful to have been blessed by her awesomeness in our everyday life.

We were also thinking that if Meela had written her will, she would probably not pick a one dog to pass her duties on to. It would be impossible, they’re too many! It would be like saying “Oh let’s find one only person to replace Elizabeth in everything she does at Wildsong and for Hatha Equus!”. So we’re sure she’ll spiritually appoint a new sheriff, a new greeters coordinator, a new sun-soaking-lizard and a new lounge tone-setter. So we look forward to seeing some of her after-life work manifest in the other pups at the ranch. It doesn’t matter if she cannot be here physically. Her duty calls, she’ll be here. Period.

We love you Meela.

12/01/2023

“I look at my students and I see independent thinkers,
Informed problem solvers,
Proudly standing in their own truth
And aware of their power to make a difference.

I see them in love with simplicity,
Capable of deep, heart connection
Ever committed to all-round and eternal learning
and ambassadors of child-like giggly fun.

I see humble and kind human beings
supportive of the meaningful friends in their lives (2 or 4 legged 🤷🏼‍♀️)
Aware that however judgment and anger may have a reason to be,
It’s mostly a good idea to thank them for their service, retire them and welcome compassion and an open mind to the team.

I look at my students and my heart bursts with joy
Thinking about all of the horses and humans whose lives are going to be touched and changed forever by such forces of nature.

Have the courage to be yourself, uncompromisingly.
You are a gift to the world.”

Giorgia Ghizzoni, Hatha Equus



Photo: Alessandra Mango
Location: I Cavalli del Farma

25/12/2022

“It never seems to fail! I am talking about the sense of magic that kicks in at some point during the Holiday Season! In spite of a stressful, hectic, and sometimes contentious energy during this time of year, the beautiful exchanges always seem to accelerate for me and the people around me in December!

People start holding doors, exchanging kind words, thinking outside of themselves, and focusing on those they love. Not to mention the excitement of gift giving and gift receiving!

The crazy thing is that to me, the longer Hatha Equus is around, the more I feel this feeling throughout the year!

We experience countless moments of magic with students who discover deeper connection with their horses. This often brings out kindness, and giving towards our horse partners, and a greater openness to receive and be vulnerable with each other. Kirstin, Giorgia, and I are brought to tears fairly regularly.

We are so honored to work with you all, and pinching ourselves that we are in business with people who cause us to experience Christmas in March, July, September and countless other times throughout the year.

So a big thank you, and CHEERS to you and whatever you celebrate, as long as it brings you joy, fulfillment, and community, and ignites that beautiful holiday spirit within you!

We look forward to spending more time with you in 2023!

So Much Love,
Eizabeth Riecks”

12/12/2022

Join our Fireside Chat with adventurer Lena Haug! Mongol Derby 2022 finisher, she is going to show us photos, stories and answer our questions!

When? Wednesday, dec 14th, at 5:30pm
Where? Wildsong Ranch (10069 N65th St, Longmont)
Enroll here: https://hathaequus.as.me/?appointmentType=39005416

"Pay-from-the-heart" available if for whatever reason $20 is not available to you right now. Just book with the code "PAYFROMTHEHEART" and then, if you are so inclined, bring as much or as little cash as feels right in your heart at the event and drop it in the donations box. Lena does not do this for the $$, this is her art. The fee is mostly for heating, organization and space expenses.

Schedule your appointment online Hatha Equus

02/12/2022

Thank you sooo much Kaleigh Marie! The pleasure was all mine! 😍🦄❤️

26/11/2022

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! A huge THANK YOU to Kaleigh from Braveheart Beasts for sharing her wisdom with our community. Of course, we spoke about GRATITUDE in horse training!

Braveheart Beasts

06/11/2022

Happy birthday to this beautiful, talented, fun as heck, very equine human, who keeps it all together, making horses and humans the best versions of themselves for our local and international community.

Happy birthday to the star of bridleless dressage, with the constant inner conflict of having to discourage rears while loving to ride them (not when they’re born out of panic or horse discontent of course - the horse happiness comes first), and happy birthday to the steel-nerved horse woman who has saved countless horse lives with her Trailer Loading skills during the fires, or while assisting them when they colic or get injured.

Elizabeth, it’s mind boggling how many equine and humans lives you deeply touch on a daily basis. Thank you for your caring, for your badassness and for holding space for all things beautiful to unfold for everyone who surrounds you!

We love you, we cherish you and we wouldn’t be who we are without you!

(Thank you Nora for the perfectly fitting shot of Mrs Incredible riding Equus Incredible)

02/11/2022

What a lovely time we had hosting and connecting with Kaleigh from Braveheart Beasts over the past two days! We truly love getting to know other mindful horse folks from everywhere. Everyone adds their little huge piece to the picture and inspires something new!
Safe trip Kaleigh and crew (human and equine!). Come back soon!

21/10/2022

🐎Learning from amazing trainers is amazing. It keeps us inspired and it quenches our thirst of knowledge.

🤔It is also hard though to want to be good students and do our homework accurately…even when some pieces of it don’t resonate with us.

👂🏼So listen to your intuition! Some challenges are hard but inspiring and those are worth our time and energy! Others are just…not you. Or “not your horse”. They don’t resonate.

👋🏼 So LET. THEM. GO.
It’s ok. You be you. And no one else. You’re the best person in the world at being you.

👍🏼”Follow your yes” - Ken Bechtel

20/10/2022

Here’s Jestoro, 20 years young. Playing with all of his passion.

We can’t stress the importance of play enough, in life and in horsemanship.

Play is one of the main reasons we want for our horses to WANT to do anything with us.

“Levity” is one of our core values.

Keep playing.
Keep laughing, authentically.
Keep young ❤️




Thank you to have mentioned this awesome quote recently!

Photo credit Michael Cahoon

Badassness credit: Jestoro

16/10/2022

😱It's normal to sometimes hold your hair really tight with your fingers and scream your lungs out, not knowing what to do.

😭It is normal to sometimes cry, desperate and confused "I just don't understand, especially after so much kindness and work and...".

🧱It is normal to hit a wall sometimes, and to question yourself and the other.

🤣It is also normal to laugh euphorically together sometimes🤷🏼‍♀️

❣️ The point is: don't despair *because* you are desperate, confused, stuck… just embrace where you are, these states of being, reminding yourself that “it should be different” doesn’t quite work! In fact, it should be EXACTLY as is. What we choose to learn from it shapes our story.

“Relationships are chaotic. Period." - Shannon B., HummingHorse Equestrian

12/10/2022

🐎 Why is this so important?

🎭 Like humans, different horses have different aptitudes and talents. There is an inherent biological and "spiritual" resonance to doing something that makes you feel at home, that you seem to remember even if you have never done it, that comes naturally to you.

🛟 A horse engaged in activities they like is generally calm and happy… therefore less inclined to react defensively, attacking, “screaming at you” dangerously.

💞 In a horse-human relationship there is always two parties. Two voices, two hearts, two bodies, two dreaming minds. My dream alone is worth nothing if it does not meet theirs, and finding that balance between the two creates a magic that each alone would not even have imagined!

💭What is your horse's dream with you? How does your dream meet theirs? Tell us in the comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️



Photo by