What is Horse(wo)manship?

Horse(wo)manship is a program which aims to help women connect to their true selves and learn how to navigate life’s challenges and transitions through the help of a horse.  In their herd, horses’ lives are governed by the “skills" listed below.  They have evolved to survive in the wild by learning and carefully honing their skills in each area.  The horse that does not successfully navigate a set of these skills is at risk, as its successful collaboration with the herd assures its survival.  Even though our horses are domesticated, they still retain all of their instinctual nature and behaviors.  Horses can be our greatest teachers!

Through our exercises with the horses, we will explore certain themes that come up in our lives which oftentimes can:
    •    Create difficulties in our relationships with others
    •    Inhibit our ability to achieve our goals and dreams
    •    Hamper our ability to be our true authentic selves

What might this horse be telling YOU?

These themes include:
Mindfulness, being present, and observation
Communicating clearly
Kinship and being part of a group
Leading and following
Body language
Setting boundaries and respect of space
Confidence and safety
Trust
Transitions and letting go
Advocacy and speaking up
Listening and being quiet
Goals and setbacks
Energy and flow
Worktime vs. playtime
Predator and prey dynamic
Feel and timing
Working with distractions
Lightness, levity, and laughter
Pilot, passenger, or partner?Being 100% ready but 100% relaxed

By using horse observation, round pen exercises, journaling, and meditation, Horse(wo)manship participants learn that horses can be some of the greatest teachers of the lessons of our lives. Throughout our lives, challenges arise that have cohesive themes, patterns, or archetypes, if you will.  In my experience watching horses, I’ve seen them move and work through these very same themes with their own herds.  To become a horsewoman is to become a part of their herd.  In the Horse(wo)manship work, we will learn about and work with the challenging themes in our lives that keep us from living a life of lightness, freedom, joy and presence.

Horse(wo)manship sessions are one hour long and no previous horse experience is necessary.  We will spend the first 20 minutes talking about which of the above themes resonates with you and then we'll spend the rest of the time either observing or working with the horses with our focus being and/or exercises being related to that theme.  Please bring a journal and wear close-toed shoes. 

Happy Horse(wo)manship Participants!