Woman in the Arena
ReFLECTIONS & INSIGHTS
Horses Understand Community
Equine Experiential Education You wouldn’t think that spending my days with horses would give me greater insight into recent world events, but I’m convinced that everything I’ve learned about human nature and the troubles that exist in everyday life has been through...
When Doing More is Not Enough
EXPLORE Today is one of those “walk the talk” days in which I am working on being responsible for the circumstances of my life while becoming keenly aware of how my own beliefs, thoughts and behaviors are directing my experiences. It began when I couldn’t shake the...
Passive or Aggressive? A Third Option
This life lesson blog is a fictional re-creation of real life experiences with my students designed to maintain anonymity and confidentiality. On a gray winter afternoon in the middle of a round pen surrounded by green pastures and majestic Douglas firs, the young...
Taking Risks-Life or Death?
RECOGNIZING RISK I was having a conversation recently with my hubby about the subject of taking risk. Earlier in the week, he had been driving home on our road and noticed a car slowing down in front of him and then eventually coming to a complete stop. He decided to...
A True Leader
This life lesson blog is a fictional re-creation of real life experiences with my students designed to maintain anonymity and confidentiality. EYE CONTACT The afternoon I took my student Trina out to meet Marvel, a beautiful paint gelding, she shared with me her...
It All Starts with Breathing
This life lesson blog is a fictional re-creation of real life experiences with my students designed to maintain anonymity and confidentiality. ARE YOU BREATHING? Each time the student walked toward the horse, the little bay mare turned and left him to join the rest of...
Parameters in Relationships
This life lesson blog is a fictional re-creation of real life experiences with my students designed to maintain anonymity and confidentiality. Parameters: (in general use) a limit or boundary that defines the scope of a particular process or activity FIRST TRY She...
Explore, Discover, Master the True You!
Before I became a coach, facilitator and teacher of "Life Lessons with Horses", I was a health care professional for 29 years-an authority on the workings of the human body. At least that was what my professional license said. When I first decided to become a PA, I...
Life in Balance
I’ve discovered that when I communicate with horses (nonverbally, of course), they give me one of two answers to a request to engage with them. They will say, “Cathy, I see you, I hear you, I understand what you’re doing and I’m willing to join you” (emotionally,...
Horses Understand Change in the Body
Like most people, I've used my body in many ways without giving it much thought. Lifting, pulling, dragging, overreaching, twisting and contorting myself to avoid having to make more movements or so I could reach something without changing position. I've stood...
Confidence -She Always Has Your Back
By Joy Riccardo The famous Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, once said, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is truly ready, the teacher disappears”. In this story, my version goes like this, “the student was still not ready as the teacher...