I started riding Arabian horses when I was 6 years old. It was a childhood built on sweet afternoons grazing in the grass, summers of traveling to horse shows, shiny show clothes, brilliant friendships, and most of all, transformational horses. I would call myself "one of the lucky ones." That is, I never had to leave my dream of horses in my childhood; I was lucky enough to carry it through my adolescence and now, early adulthood. It’s been nothing short of dreamy, really. Being so close to one of the original man-beast relationships—one of the oldest and boldest ofbonds—has been enlivening.
There is truly something impactful in being on the back of a horse.
They're big and powerful and intelligent and sensitive and quick and, at times, wonderfully unpredictable. Riding a horse is a lesson in timing, confidence, remaining calm, thinking logically, and most of all, trust. Why would a 1,000-pound animal with superior strength and speed listen to a human? Trust. They trust that you don't aim to harm them, that you will make sure no predators are around, that you are honest and good and on their team.
Beyond these practical reasons for trusting a human, I believe that the trust shared between human and horse goes much deeper. We are, by nature, over thinkers. We fret about the future, get lost in our worries, and forget to appreciate beauty that surrounds us. To counteract this heightened sense of self-awareness, I think horses are able to share their gifts of being present, having open hearts, and being sensitive to energies. We need their sensibilities and lucky for us, they're very cool with sharing them.
And there it is—this mutual trust creates a bond between horse and human. It's a relationship that requires great patience and understanding and compassion. At the end of the day, it's an incredibly rewarding one. But now that I've spilled into a new area of appreciation for the horse, I can’t help but feel like I need to share the natural gifts of my equine friends with as many humans as possible. And in this feeling, I find my relationship with the horse rapidly evolving. It feels as if there is a whole world of discovery waiting. And I want to begin a journey to find it.
It all begins with trust. On all sides. You will have trust in me to be honest and open to new experiences and good to the horses I touch. I will undoubtedly find a deeper trust within the horse and with the humans in which I connect. I vow to trust the journey and world it opens.
Just so we’re on the same page about this “journey,” I will share a few of the details. I plan on speaking to a wide array of experts in the fields of Equine Guided Education, natural horsemanship, Equine Massage, and many more, attending workshops and seminars to expand my knowledge of alternative approaches to a life with horses, and finding books and papers to further my understanding of this world.
This is the beginning of something awakening.
It has been lovely to grow up in the Arabian horse world. The horses have given me so much. Now, I want to figure out a way to approach them in a new way. It’s time.
Within the show world, I want for the horses to have full lives that allow them the time and space to experience comfort and relief from their own anxieties. I also want to bring these horses and their owners closer, allowing them to have an opportunity to connect deeply for their mutual benefit. I want for people to understand the anxieties and quirks and triggers and comforts of their own horses. And because horses have a way of acting as emotional mirrors, revealing the inconsistencies and fears of the human working with them, realizations and growth are inevitable and lovely byproducts.
As for the universe outside this tiny show world, I still need some time to ponder my hopes. But hey, that’s what the journey is for, right?