Meet Michelle
I have known from a very young age that horses, along with nature, are therapy for the mind, body and spirit. This knowledge was my inspiration to return to school at midlife to become a therapist, in hopes of partnering with horses to help people connect with their most authentic version of self. It is my belief that, when we are able to live fully into true self, we are best equipped to share our unique gifts with the world in the most meaningful way.
My love for horses began with a buckskin Quarter Horse named Sam, who I considered my best friend. Together we had some great adventures on the vast farmland that surrounded us. It was in this setting where I realized that nature is a cathedral that, when combined with horses, is naturally therapeutic.
For over twenty years, I worked with Veterinarians in the Animal Health Sales Industry. I loved being able to help people help animals. Now I hope to help animals help people. Becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor has taken me well over a decade, with many twists and turns, ultimately ending up with a greater awareness of self, and a desire to share the journey.
I consider it a true gift to finally be coming full circle and coming home to self. My hope is to help others to do the same.
Meet Karine
My Personal Journey with EAGALA
Horses have been a constant in my life. I have witnessed their wisdom, I have experienced the healing they bring, I have felt the acceptance they bring into your space. As a little girl, I found my place and my sense of belonging with my arms around George, a Shetland pony who belonged to the neighbors. He kept the secrets of my loneliness and offered me friendship.
I entered the horse world as a professional and have been coaching now for 35 years. I have watched people take a breath as they enter the barn, I have seen them lean on a shoulder with their hands stroking a neck with tears running down their face, turning away when they feel someone watching, I have seen the joy of winning and the disappointment of losing. I have always known horses were God’s gift to my journey.
My experience with my first EAGALA training though was not something I was ready for. I had searched for an organization that aligned with what I thought I knew and had witnessed, but the training brought me to my knees and once again, just as with George, I knew I had found my place. I signed up for a training but had no idea that we would experience the power of the EAGALA Model. Myself and a Mental Health Provider (MH) were in the arena, we were the ‘client’. The directives were simple. Move the horses from one end of the arena to the other. The MH went towards the mini, picked up a hoop, placed it over the neck and moved forward. I stood still. The mini went through the hoop and took off. The MH walked towards the mini, put the hoop over the mini’s neck once again. The mini went through the hoop again and once again took off. I stood still. This same thing happened two more times. I stood still.
Before I knew it, the facilitators checked in. The MH ‘client’ started talking about life patterns, jumping through hoops, repeating behaviors, expecting different results, she was running with the metaphors, I stood still. Then they turned to me, “Where are the horses?” “What?” I replied, I had been mesmerized by the mini jumping through the hoop, I could not see anything else. “Where are the horses now?” asked the Equine Specialist (ES) again. I honestly had to look for them, I had forgotten there were four horses in the ring, not just the mini. Three horses were standing shoulder to shoulder next to my shoulder. Heads were down, one back foot resting on toes, eyes closed. I had not even noticed they were there. I stood still. I had felt the emotion coming, it had started in my heart, the brokenness making itself present, the three horses were my children, my children who had been quietly waiting for me to emerge from the grief. Waiting for me to accept the loss of people I cared about deciding to walk away. I was focused on the one that kept leaving while my children patiently waited for me to notice them.
At the second training, I was a little further along my journey towards finding my truth again. I had continued to coach but had to sell my training facility. I had taken a job at a University as the Director of Equestrian Programs. I continued to see the beauty of the relationships between horse and rider. I brought a lot of what I had been taught into the arena, team building began to take on a new focus but I was not practicing the EAGALA Model, just using some new tools for coaching.
The second training was in Virginia. The sessions were outside as the arena was dark and dusty. We had a halter on the horses and were split into groups. My group decided to just follow the horse. I had my hands on the rope and the horse started moving slowly forward. He walked past a lake, turned and moved towards the barn, went through the dark aisle, turned left and walked out into a big green pasture and put his head down and stopped moving forward. We were asked at check in what we had experienced. I once again had tears pouring down my face and started reciting Psalm 23, He leads me beside still waters; Even though we walk through the valley of death; He leadeth me to green pastures.
The afternoon session was done in the ring. The horses had been named “trauma,” “process” and “healing.” Process was wearing a fly mask so I could not see her eyes, but I was transfixed with her demeanor. I felt her sadness, she stood alone and for some reason I felt the need to give her permission to feel joy, the next moment Healing came and bit her in the rear and they started moving around the ring in what I perceived as playfulness. I then realized I needed to give myself permission to feel joy and to be hopeful again. I realized that I was no longer standing still.
My hope is that horses will walk alongside you, where ever you are in your journey, and lead the way to finding your own answers and empowering you to look inward and find peace.
Karine Stevenson, EAGALA Certified Equine Specialist
