My Horses, My Heart

I’m living the dream. And the dream is real. The dream of living with horses was with me from the beginning of my life, when I knew the way to be with horses. And now again, thanks to Carolyn Resnick, my inspiration, my teacher, and my dear friend, I know again the way to be with horses, nourishing their wild hearts and merging with their ways until at times I feel more horse than human. It’s been a long journey back, with the last years filling me with such gratitude for the incredible joy of living on the prairie with my own herd, knowing their thoughts, breathing their breath.  How did I get to this magical place? The Horse Nation came for me in my busy, sometimes frenetic life and brought me home.

As it happened in my life, being an adult got in the way. The little girl who always said she would have a horse ranch didn’t get one. But she lived an extraordinary life, infused from birth with the gentle ways of horses, their unbridled spirits and their beauty. Raising a family with a mostly-inspiring teaching career had its times of brilliance and … Read more

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*This week’s guest blogger is Alessandra Deerinck, Certified Carolyn Resnick Trainer, sharing the story of her student Astrid Clavé, Kenya, Africa.

News from Kenya, Africa by Alessandra Deerinck

We did it again! Like Rosalie, another racehorse, Aliocha, has developed a fabulous relationship with her owner Astrid Clavé, and this is just the beginning of the dance! Once they have established such a strong connection the possibilities are wide opened.

The harmony in the picture is so evident is almost tangible and was achieved by Astrid’s commitment coached by lessons I conducted from the United States, through skype in Italian, the support of videos on the method and from reading Nuda Libertà (the Italian edition of Carolyn Resnick’s book Naked Liberty) along with articles that I published on the Italian magazine Il Mio Cavallo between 2009 and now. These circumstances definitely highlight the power of communication nowadays!

Astrid and I worked through lessons that she diligently practiced with Aliocha until she felt she got what we had spoken about. At first she was skeptical about the possibility of working together, but nonetheless was interested and got over the hurdle once she started to see the change our work was producing in … Read more

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A Smile that Spoke Volumes

Chuck taught me how to smile. He had one of those smiles that spoke volumes. Chuck was a soft, gentle, polite and formal man that I highly respected. He was my coach in horsemanship and horse training. I was twelve when I started training with him.
I met Chuck showing my horse Sweetie Pie, an American Saddle bred. He was the judge. I placed last at the show he was judging, or at least very close to it. After the show he came to talk to me. He told me he liked my horse and he thought I was a good rider and he offered to coach me. My Dad told me he was a renowned trainer of fine harness horses and I was lucky to have him take an interest in me.

I credit Chuck along with my father, as well as several other trainers, for developing my skills, feel and understanding of horses. Chuck coached me regularly for about three years. He taught me how to train my mare, Sweetie Pie. I got to watch him train six horses from every step of their training up to finished saddle and driving horses. All … Read more

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Reflections on the Beyond The Waterhole Rituals Clinic – March 2012

Another Beyond the Waterhole Ritual Clinic has come to a close. Each group has its own heart beat. Every class is as exciting to me as the next because of the people that attend. This group was effusive and we were all about having fun in and out of the clinic. This group told me that the bond they had formed was a forever bond and they plan on getting together as a group for vacations.

Liberty Dancing with Aline and Rosalie

I set up my class so people can create connections with the horses and with each other. This bunch became a cohesive herd quickly. They were instantly having fun and learning skills through games and signing harmony lessons that were brought to the class through Robin and Molly. Robin is preparing to teach harmony in a choir in her home land in New Zealand and she led us in harmony and round songs that were bluesy and heart felt by all of us. Molly taught us how to do the cup game and sing a song that goes with it, I am still practicing. The cup … Read more

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