Before I began riding Talon again, I ordered him a set of hoof boots. I had previously asked Dr. Hayek if she believed in any type of shoe as I had started doing some research on glue-on and non-metal shoe options. Her response was that the hoof will stay healthier without shoes, so she recommended hoof boots if the horse required something.
I attended another clinic with Kim Walnes. With most clinicians I would be extremely hesitant to bring out my Event horse in hoof boots (hoof boots are very non-traditional for Event horses), but Kim is one of the most open-minded people I know. I knew she would be both supportive and interested in learning about anything that legitimately helped a horse, so I strapped on Talon’s hoof boots and brought him out to lesson with her. Talon was an absolute star all three days of the clinic. Kim said he looked like a completely different horse, and she could not believe how much he had improved. I cannot explain in words how happy I was at this clinic to have my beloved horse back. Talon transformed from being a horse that had basically shut down both physically and mentally to a RELAXED and HAPPY horse.
And, things continued to improve…
We could jump ditches.
We completed schooling Events.
We went to Eventing Clinics again.
He was a STAR—Talon was back!
My journey with Talon was a bit of a paradox–I lost my way, but at the same time was finding it. I became aware of my values through experiencing what it feels like to compromise them. Only through developing this awareness of my values, my moral compass, could I start to consciously CHOOSE to be in alignment with them…
Shortly after rehabilitating Talon’s hooves, it was time for me to relocate with my human partner again–this would be the third time to start my business from scratch.
I had originally planned to do what I had always done, which was to build up a new group of clients again and see where it goes. I landed at a great farm with an awesome owner who was willing to let me teach there. I taught a few lessons to some wonderful people, but my spark was GONE–I was burned out.
I desperately wanted to continue working with horses, but at this point I felt like I had tried just about every “traditional” horse-business model and there was nothing left that wouldn’t leave me feeling burned out or compromise my values–I was feeling lost, stuck, and ready to quit horses.
I ended up going back to engineering to give myself a break from doing horses professionally–something I thought I would never do–I actually said, “I would rather die than go back to engineering,” at one point in my life (remember from the beginning of this story, leaving engineering and working with horses full-time had been a dream come true). In a way, part of me did “die” during this time, but not in the negative way you might be thinking…
The part of me that “died” was all the ways I wasn’t being authentic and in my integrity–the ways I was trying to be what I thought others expected me to be and the ways I was compromising my values.
I think the owner of the farm could sense my internal struggle, so she mentioned Karen Rohlf had a business seminar for horse professionals. I signed up and went to Karen’s “Transform Your Business” seminar in Florida.
As Karen shared her story during the seminar I could relate to so many of the experiences she shared–as could the other horse professionals in the room. One of my main takeaways from her seminar was when she talked about how we often try to “fit in the box” of what we think a horse professional is supposed to be. She also talked about the importance of knowing “WHY you do what you do…”
This got me thinking…What “box” was I trying to fit into? And, WHY did I ever want to be a horse professional in the first place?
At the end of the seminar, I signed up for Karen’s mentorship program and it ended up being exactly what I needed.
Her program got me to reflect on all I had been through and learned during my journey with Talon. I realized somewhere along the way I had become disenchanted with Eventing, and yet I was still trying to fit myself into “the box” of an Eventing trainer.
I also remembered WHY I wanted to be a horse professional in the first place wasn’t about any sort of competitive success…it was because I LOVE HORSES!...And, everything Talon had taught me is SO needed in the Horse World…
Going back to engineering had been a blessing in disguise–not having to feel pressured to please clients and be financially dependent on my horse business gave me the freedom I needed to be able to reflect.
As I reflected and gained clarity on my core values, my goal shifted from being an “Eventing Trainer” to helping horses and people by sharing all Talon had taught me.
It wasn’t horses I wanted to give up…it was the WAY I was doing horses…
To be aligned with my values I needed to step away from “traditional” horse-business models.
I could no longer put income or the gratification of egos–my own or my clients’–ahead of any horse’s wellbeing…
I could no longer keep horses in stalls as a way to keep more horses (income) on a property–I wanted the care I offered horses to be what is best for HORSES–freedom to move, forage-based diets, and friends.
I could no longer overlook missing pieces in a horse’s Core-Care when an owner came to me for “training” advice.
I could no longer pressure horses to progress…horses need to be physically and mentally prepared for any type of performance/development activity–it takes the time it takes.
I had to “listen” whenever a horse says, “No.”
I didn’t want submissive horses…I wanted horses to be willing partners.
The wellbeing of the horses must ALWAYS come first.
And, I needed to structure my business in a way that was sustainable for me, so I could show up as my best self for horses and students.
So, I integrated all of Talon’s teachings into a system I could share with others…
And that is how Heart Horsemanship was created–how Talon transformed my Horsemanship.
THANK YOU, Talon–My Teacher Horse.
“You will always find the horse who will teach you what you most need to learn in life.” — Kim Walnes
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