This morning I listened to a fascinating podcast, hosted by Hillary Schneider of Women Who run with Horses and features Kim McElroy and Sandra Wallin.
Kim Mc Elroy is the inspiring artist who created the artwork for the deck of cards in Linda Kohanov’s book, The Way of the Horse – Equine Archetypes for self discovery. The images are stunning and last year I treated myself to two of Kim’s paintings which are now adorning the walls of our home. Sandra Wallin is a fellow Eponaquest Instructor of Equine Facilitated Learning, who I had the pleasure of connecting with during a Power of the Herd training workshop with Linda Kohanov in Arizona about six years ago.
Listening to the podcast reminded me of the number of people who are ‘drawn’ to horses and my workshops through no apparent logical search! What I mean is that they haven’t consciously been searching for an Equine Facilitated experience, but just happen to find me! Some pick up a flyer, others dream about horses or have visions of them in their meditations and then see one of my adverts, whilst others say that they just ‘came across’ my website and felt drawn to it!
Call it ‘luck’, ‘timing’ or ‘synchronicity’ I believe that these people are being drawn by some subconscious connection to horses, that they didn’t know existed.
For years I’ve found it frustrating to admit to the marketing professionals that I’ve worked with that there are a percentage of my clients who just seem to ‘find my website’. They aren’t seeking me out (and therefore they have no idea what ‘search words’ they use!).
Call it ‘luck’, ‘timing’ or ‘synchronicity’ I believe that these people are being drawn by some subconscious connection to horses, that they didn’t know existed.
Many of my clients have horses, most had some connection with horses in their childhood, which they want to rekindle, and a growing number have a ‘calling’ to engage with horses, that they don’t understand on a logical level.
The purpose of this blog is to let you know that if you are one of those people who are being drawn to explore the connection with horses, and yet you have no idea why, or what it is that you want to learn – IT’S PERFECTLY NORMAL!
The purpose of this blog is to let you know that if you are one of those people who are being drawn to explore the connection with horses, and yet you have no idea why, or what it is that you want to learn – IT’S PERFECTLY NORMAL!
In the podcast Kim and Sandra talk about the potential that ‘what we are seeking is also seeking us’, that we have an underlying purpose. I believe that to be true and I’m convinced that the horses I have been lucky enough to own and partner with over the years sought me out to teach me a thing or two, at the same time as I was seeking them. I often had a very practical reason for acquiring a new horse, but I know that a deeper part of me was also ‘drawing’ in another lesson to be learned.
I could write a book about all the lessons I’ve learned from the different horses that have graced my life. Mmmmmmmmmmm – another idea!
Often my clients are looking for a deeper connection to themselves, their loved ones, their purpose and their lives and yet they can’t describe it tangibly. On their booking form they may write “I just loved the sound of it and I believe the experience will be good for me.”
Horses help us to connect to our intuition, our creative, visionary and authentic selves and so the feedback I receive is often something like this:
“Truly enlightening experience with many deeper discoveries than I had anticipated. More truths brought to light gently and supportively to raise awareness, not judge. I will go back to my therapy business with deeper awareness to support both myself and others.”
You may be feeling drawn to explore connection with horses or you may be curious to find out what you can discover about yourself through being with and interacting with these wonderful creatures.
Can you trust that feeling – without needing to find a logical reason to follow through?
What I’ve learned from horses more than anything else is to trust my ‘hunches’, gut instincts or moments of intuition, however irrational or mad they may have seemed at the time.
I’ve no idea if the choices I’ve made as a result were the ‘right’ ones, but they brought me to where I am today. It was one of those hunches, on an early morning ride, which led me to retrain as a riding instructor and build my riding centre. It was a gut instinct which made me get on a plane to Arizona and travel there six times over a two-year period to train in this amazing field of work which I now love – and it’s through following my intuition that I feel very blessed to have travelled to Egypt, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland with my work.
Can you trust that feeling – without needing to find a logical reason to follow through?
So, if you are reading this blog and you feel drawn to exploring the connection and relationship with horses and it just feels right to get in contact, even though you don’t logically know why, I look forward to hearing from you.
Fabulous, Rosie! Right on! I met Kim in person almost a year ago, and now regularly hang-out at her farm playing with her horses! They’re teaching me how to dance with them!!! I met Sandra Wallin last fall when I attended Kim and Sandra’s Vision Horse workshop. I feel so blessed to be connected with you and the horses… ❤️????????????
I guess god or my inner spirt lead me to your blog. For many months now I have felt this very strong pull towards horses! I don’t completely understand it, but I think they’re wonderful majestic animals. Well today I was in a car accident on my way to work. I drive this way and have been doing so for over 15 years. I know there’s horses back in this area. Today the accident happened right in the driveway of a horse farm. I have wanted to find a way to either volunteer or spend some time with a couple horses. This very kind man who was there working came out and talked to me about the accident and asked if I was ok. I talked to him about my wishes. He told me I could come by anytime after work to pet the horses. in what was a dark morning this brightened my spirt. I have been looking at things that happen and asking god what am I to learn or gain from this experience? I know there’s a reason I’m being drawn to hotses!
Wow, Bobbi – that’s a challenging way to have your dreams met! I hope that you are ok and that you find the purpose of being drawn to horses:)
I have always had this love for horses ever since I can remember, when I was a young girl I spent some time on my uncle’s farm with his horses and some ponies especially during the summer and one of the ponies became mine that I would take care of, his name was princy and he was a shetlend I loved my time that I had with him especially since I was a very shy person and a loner. I also had another pony that my step-father had gotten for me and he was a quaterhorse pony and never been rode he was wild, his name was burn-out and he was fiesty but he was beautiful and after a summer with him unfortuantley my step-dad thought he was to much for me to handle and found him a new home, I was devasted. I always thought that maybe they actually understood me when I would talk to them about my problems, I was only 10 to 12 years old when I had them and I am 60 now and I have not had the money or locations to ever own another horse but my love and stong feelings of some kind of connection has never waivered, and I just have never known why.
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my blog. It sounds as though you had some very special times with the ponies in your childhood and in particular your Shetland pony Princy. I think that horses and ponies offer us a connection that we are all seeking – it’s one of total unconditional love and acceptance for who we are. They don’t expect anything of us and we can be our true selves with them without fear of judgement, which is not always so easy to find in our everyday lives. Horses have also been my greatest teachers and from them I’ve learned to stand up for myself and allow my true self to shine, to come out of my shell and be seen. I’m pleased to hear that the love and strong feelings of connection have never waivered for you – that’s very precious.
Warm regards
Rosie
Hello,
I had the same experience. At age 50 I just decided to 1 day take riding lessons and it changed my life forever. I fell in love with these beautiful souls!
Keep doing your great work!
Sincerely,
Andrea
P.s. Czechoslovakia has separated. It is now Czech Republic and Slovak Republic.
Thank you Andrea. I hope you continue to enjoy reading my blogs. Warm regards Rosie