My Path to Connection
From the time I was a little girl pretending to BE a horse, galloping around the backyard (a number of years after the picture above), I carried a longing to be around horses—even though I didn’t have the means to make that dream a reality. As a tween, I visited the nearby riding stable and I would light up when one or more horse answered my “whinney” with their own call.. For most of my adult life, horses were loved and admired from afar. Around 2008, I tried riding lessons and managed half of them. In the second lesson, the coach yelled from her perch “kick her, kick her”. Something inside me resisted. The school horse, of course, knew exactly what was expected of her and began to trot. But I realized I wasn’t looking for a relationship built on telling a horse what to do. I never went back.
A year later, thanks to my friend, mentor, and horsewoman, Marsha Gormley, I met Can Do, a 26-year-old, unrideable mare whose owner was not able to spend time with her. There I was, lead rope in hand and a horse on the other end with no clue what to do. NOW WHAT?! Marsha gave a lesson in grooming and I was on my own. As I knew nothing about horses and didn’t want to ride
I began to value just being with Can Do, whether I groomed her, took her for a walk to “graze and gaze,” or simply sat in her presence. She would greet me at the gate, willingly join me on our walks, and was always a gentle, quiet, reassuring presence to be around. Through her, I realized that there had to be other horses who would benefit from have a devoted human companion and other people who would want to be around them without needing to ride.
In 2014, Marsha, Jocelyn Grey (another heart-centred horse woman) and I co-created a three-hour workshop that, over the following year, developed into what has become Companion Connection with the intent mission to mentor adults—many of whom have carried a lifelong dream of being around horses—into their own experience of horse companionship. Twenty-one people have begun the journey of horse companionship through Companion Connection. Several went on to become dedicated companions, three eventually purchased horses of their own, and one welcomed their companion horse into their family.
My growth as a person and a companion could not have developed without the support and wisdom of Marsha Gormley and Jocelyn Grey – my “wo-mentors”.
Over the years, I have come to own my authentic path: sharing horses with those who value them for who they are, supporting owners who appreciate having someone share the care of their horses, and welcoming companions whose lifelong dream is simply to be around horses.
I love this quote:
If you want your dream to come true, wake up.
I did.
