What will I do when I grow up? How will I find fulfillment in my life and in the process make an income that will support my lifestyle? I am in my 50s and I get the opportunity to start over in my life. This being both scary and exciting, I was on a quest to figure out my next step in life, what to do next.
I volunteered at a therapeutic riding program and enjoyed watching the riders experience the joy of sitting on top of a horse. How empowered they all felt, way up on the saddle. There was something about being in the presence of a horse that brought smiles to all the kids in the program and all the workers and volunteers.
I spent a weekend experiencing another kind of program that used the concept of having a therapist and a horse handler work with horses, assisting clients by watching the actions of the horses as they became reflectors for the client. It excited me to see how horses can become healers, but I didn’t feel that this program was exactly what I was looking for.
I sat on the couch in my the living room looking out the window, watching the wind blow, googling therapy and horses and came across the Touch by a Horse website. As I visited the site, scrolling through the pages on my computer, I felt an excitement that this could be the answer I was looking for. I made a quick decision to request a handbook and to fill out the application.
About 2 months later, I got on an airplane, flew to Colorado, and began as a student in the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method. As I sat amongst 15 strangers, whom I now call my herd mates, my heart was pounding, my palms where sweating, I was scared to death of this new adventure, but knowing that I was finally where I was meant to be.
Almost two years later, back again in Colorado, in a horse arena, full of empowering healing herd mates, I completed the program and I am now a graduate. I am a Certified Equine Gestalt Coach. I feel such great pride in accomplishing this goal and am now an entrepreneur with my own company, One Neigh at a Time, LLC.
Giving myself permission to be excited for myself, putting me first for the first time, makes this accomplishment all that more rewarding. For this alcoholic, using my fried unused brain for the first time in many years, facing my fear of failure, and finishing something, following through to the end has given me such a feeling of pride.
My mission for my business is to walk with others as they, too, find true joy in life. That they will live lives, too, full of fun and adventures.
Trust in the process of having the horses and me help guide you through trusting yourself. Knowing that we all have the answers within ourselves. My horses and I will help you find courage to discover your awesome journey.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.”
– Marianne Williamson
Congratulations. I’m very proud of you and know you have it within you to help others see the I’m power mentioned within themselves as well. You are inspiring and I see where you have made your empowerment work for you. Please keep believing in yourself. Love you.
Thank you for all your encouraging words…Love you too.
Congratulations Kathy! What an amazing accomplishment !
Thank you Chelsea, Ready to begin.
Great post, Kathy, filled with justifiable pride in your accomplishment and positive energy for what you and your equine partners will bring to your clients. Onward, one neigh at a time. 🙂
Thank you Bob, having pride in myself is still new…proclaiming it is really new.
Congratulations Herdie! I so enjoyed spending time with you at the Colorado Core and getting to know you more. You and your horses will do amazing work.
Hugs, Vonie
Thank you Vonie, Congrats to you on your completion too… I’ll be watching you at Summit. We are in such in exciting venture together, amazing is a great word for our work.