Read Part I
Swept along by the mystery of horses calling me, I signed up for a 6-week course of group riding lessons at the arena in Los Altos. From what I remember we rode English, and I don’t think I even went to the last class – there was no connection to the horses or any understanding of why I was there, and it wasn’t something I looked forward to.
About a year later, I connected with a conveniently-located Natural Horsemanship instructor who I started taking private lessons with. After several lessons, I still felt no connection to the horses – still had no idea why I wanted them in my life – and on top of that, was now I am completely terrified by them! After all, they are large animals and they kick – which is pretty much all I could remember from the Natural Horsemanship instruction I received in those few weeks. The mystery remained unsolved; the horses still visited me in my dreams.
Another year later, I received a special offer from Chaparral Ranch to come for a lunch-n-ride experience. My heart leapt and I signed up in a second. When I showed up at the ranch, it felt right on a deep, energetic level. I was met by two amazing volunteers – an older couple – who showed our group the stables and horses while they shared their stories. The lunch and ride were enjoyable and I couldn’t wait to get back so I could ask about volunteer opportunities. I wanted to do anything just to be around the horses and resolve that persistent mystery. I was told I needed to speak with the owner, Shawn. When we met I confessed I couldn’t explain why but I needed to be around horses. He asked me if I wanted to take riding lessons and immediately I said, “Oh no, no, no…!” After all, I had learned that horses are large and they kick. Shawn said, “I trained these horses myself and I know them well. Just come for one lesson next Sunday and then decide”. I came the next Sunday for a lesson with Shawn and didn’t skip a lesson for the next two years.
Being a Reiki practitioner helped my horsemanship, as I learned to trust the energetic connection with the horses, and allow that to guide our partnership. It felt so right that it was a logical next step to find a career for myself that could combine energy healing and Horses. I was eventually led to the Touched By A Horse certification program – simply reading about it blew my mind and, after speaking on the phone with Melisa Pearce, who founded the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method®, I knew it was the right program for me and I signed up right away. My deeper journey with Horses started a few short weeks later.
Continue to Part III
