Resources

The amount of information on "how to get something done" in the horse world is astonishing. How any of us figure out how to muddle through it is mystifying. 

However, I have learned (oftentimes the hard way...) that if you are able to listen to what the horse tells you, things end up working themselves out in good time. I've been very fortunate to have had a lot of help along the way and while I don't dare make the claim I've got it figured out, I'm grateful for what I do have working for me.

Navigating my horsemanship has helped me tremendously in figuring out how to navigate through life. It's made a huge difference in my ability to work through the internal (and external) conflict that trauma often comes with and as I've moved through the various stages of my life I've developed a much better, healthier understanding of who I am and what my purpose is. Life is not static and learning how to, as my dad loves to say, "bend like the willow and not break like the oak" has literally saved my life on more than one occasion.  

Below is a list of resources - many equine-approved - I've found useful in my journey through horsemanship, survivorship and lifemanship. Happy scrolling!

Horsemanship 

Harry Whitney - Harry is about as modest a fellow as you'll ever meet, but his understanding of how to work with a horse left me near speechless for the first few days I spent with him. I won't try and find the words, here, either. If you ever have the opportunity to go work with him, seize it. I go and visit him annually, an experience I greatly look forward to.

Dr. Deb Bennett - I first met Dr. Deb back in college at a "Forum to Function" seminar put on by the University of Vermont Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge, VT. It was my first glimpse that there was something much, much deeper than what I knew (or thought I knew) about horses. A student of Ray Hunt, Dr. Deb's written resources can keep you busy for hours, and her "Birdie Book" gave me the best analogy I have found to describe how horses think about and thus respond to their environment.

Tom Curtin - Tom teaching style is often one of few words, but those few words carry and lot of weight in their layers of complexity. I find myself going back to things he said to me in our first meeting and applying them in a whole new way to what I'm working on now.

Bryan Neubert - Another wonderful horseman with a sense of humor and a way of making you feel like you could do anything under his tutelage. Bryan is a storyteller in the deepest sense and often punctuates his points with stories and cowboy poetry. Learning from him is always an enjoyable and memorable experience.

Barb Gerbitz - I owe Barb quite a bit. When I was first accepted to apprentice with her in 2018 I got on the plane to Illinois ready to prove what I knew. Barb - a longtime student herself of Buck Brannaman - spent two weeks proving to me how much more I needed to listen. I think I cried every night for the first three or four days. Barb is an excellent horsewoman and awesome human and has no problem bringing the tough love when it's needed, but always with the benefit of her student and horses in mind. I changed immeasurably in those two weeks and still keep in touch with her for her wisdom and friendship. 

Lee Mclean - I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Lee, but I greatly value other horsepersons who take their writing gifts and put them to use. There are a million horse texts out there, but few of them (if I'm speaking honestly) hold much real value because they don't touch on the things important to us ordinary folk. Lee's book "Horse Woman: Notes on Living Well and Riding Better" is a brutally honest memoir of sorts that will have you running through your full range of emotions. Her Facebook page, which functions as her blog, is also a wonderful read.

Survivorship

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk - My therapist gave me this book years ago. It was a game changer for me in terms of understand not only my own trauma but that of people I care about. No talk therapist had ever addressed the idea that traumatic stress literally causes the brain to rewire, and having this piece of information has informed the way I approach everything in my life.

Scarleteen - yes, it's a sex education website. No, it ain't yo' momma's high school anatomy class-style education. I was a forum moderator for Scarleteen for several years and credit founder Heather Corinna with helping point me in the direction of self-healing when it came to confronting my sexual trauma. While Scarleteen is an utterly amazing, forward-thinking resource for everything sex education (and, guess what, it's not just for teenagers), there is a significant portion of their resources dedicated to sexual trauma, healing and everything that comes with.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) - Another game changer. I'd done talk therapy for years - it was helpful to a degree, but my conscious understanding of my trauma and how it played out in my life wasn't furthering my ability to process it on a deeper level. EMDR shifted all of that. For me, it's just more proof that we have all the tools we need to heal, most of us just need help accessing them.

Lifemanship 

Youtube - Seems like a weird thing to mention, I know. Everyone knows about Youtube - regardless of whether your "thing" is adorable cat videos, outtake reels from your favorite movies or people humiliating themselves doing all kinds of insane stuff. But beyond all the "fluff", Youtube has some really, really valuable gems. I've found tuning in to some a few channels in particular to be not only a bit of a morale booster when I'm feeling life's stresses, but it's become a great way to connect with those with shared interests. A few of my favorites? Just a Few Acres Farm (I highly recommend his book, too!), S&S Horseshoeing, De mi Rancho a Tu Cocina, You Suck at Cooking and Good Mythical Morning.

Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach - My grandmother shared this treasure with me when I was a little girl. It has remained something I go to when I need a bit of inspiration, some uplifing, or just a few words to help me mentally reposition. While I am a huge fan of all things homemaking, which this book talks a lot about, Simple Abundance is really about learning how to appreciate all that you have while asking the universe for what you want. 

Ariat - Alright, yes, it's a shameless plug for clothes. But in all seriousness, what we live our lives in matters. I use my body, and I put it through a lot. I value a job well done and surround myself with things that are built to last. I want clothing that does the same - it's pretty amazing how much better you can feel about yourself when you wear something that fits, is flattering and stands up to what life throws at you. I've liked Ariat's style for years and am now finding that it comprises a significant portion of my wardrobe. But the pieces last a long time, they are high quality and fit my athletic, active lifestyle.