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personal patterns of learned
behavior that may be holding them
back from the life they want to live.
“If it’s not working, then you need
to make changes,” he says. “First you
have to acknowledge that it’s not
working. And then you have to
decide to do something about it.
Determination of intent is
important, but it means nothing
unless you follow through.”
off, then stride toward my horse
with confidence and determination
to follow through on the action.
On the third try, I was successful.
Self-doubt, combined with my fears
of horses and of failure, had gotten
in the way. Webb reminded the
group that the exercise is less
about cleaning the horse’s hoof
than “about cleaning or clearing
out your head.”
I had chosen to take part in the
Equine Experience because of the
discomfort I feel around horses.
Once again, I wanted to push those
boundaries and deal with my fears.
The first challenge was to scrape
mud and manure from a horse’s hoof
with a tool resembling a large
crochet hook. My horse and I reached
an immediate standoff on the first
try. Though I pinched his lower right
back leg repeatedly, as instructed,
he ignored me. Webb told me to back
A session in the ring followed. Using
body, breath and movement, each
participant had to get a horse to
walk, trot, change directions and
then come to a complete stop. You
weren’t allowed to talk or touch
the horse in the process. To be
successful in this endeavor, you can’t
be a tightly wound vessel or allow
your energy to overpower you -because you will convey this to the
horse and it will most likely react
adversely. “Horses only pick up two
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