Story Book Meadows Healing & Wellness Center

Yesterday I facilitated an Equine Assisted Learning session with a 30 year old client who we’ll call Sharon. Sharon is a Christian searching for a deeper spiritual relationship with God.
 
Each time we bring a horse and a person together for healing or learning, the Holy Spirit always shows up in a unique and encouraging way. Not only does the client learn something about themselves but I am constantly renewed in my own faith in God’s ways as His Word comes to life!
 
Sharon has found her life seems to be stuck and she has come for some sessions to help her become more aware of why she is stuck in her same patterns. So we chose Chelsea as her teacher that evening.
 
We turned Chelsea loose in the arena and I set two jump poles on the ground 5’ apart to represent Sharon’s “inner and outer blocks”. I also set an orange cone further beyond the blocks to represent her goals. These goals are the desires God has placed in her heart to fulfill her purpose in her life and bring her joy on her journey!

 
My instructions to Sharon were to have Chelsea move through (over) her “blocks” to attain the goal she is longing for. She was not to use any rope, halter or any device to help her move the horse but to use her own energy and intention. Sharon has already identified her blocks but wanted a session on moving beyond them.
 

As Sharon started to engage with Chelsea, the horse moved with her for a few steps then circled around and returned to the window that looked out of the arena towards her stall and her friends. Sharon asked her several times to go with her towards the “blocks” and the goal. Each time Chelsea would go several steps, once even going to the pole on the ground (the block) then would circle around and go back to the window. After about 15 minutes of this, Sharon exclaimed “That’s what my life looks like, circling around and around with nothing changing. I keep going back to my comfort zone. That’s where I want to stay!”
 
“What would break her out of that comfort zone to head towards her goals?” I asked Sharon.
 
Sharon’s answer was that she noticed Chelsea wasn’t even focused on the goal or heading towards it. She wasn’t any more interested in the goal than Sharon herself was. Even though Sharon verbalized that she wanted to achieve her goals, she realized she was internally acting just like Chelsea!
 
“What if we got something that she wanted badly enough to go after with some passion?” Sharon asked. So we filled a bucket with hay to encourage Chelsea to follow her “dreams”.
 
With the bucket of hay in hand, Sharon encouraged Chelsea to follow her to the goal. Chelsea sniffed the hay as she took several steps with Sharon towards the poles on the ground then once again circled back to the window. Sharon tried again. With head in the bucket, Chelsea followed her with an eager step but stopped as they moved toward the poles and away from the window.
 
“What’s going on?” I asked Sharon.
 
“She’s interested and excited enough about the hay and wants to follow me but keeps stopping. It’s like there is now a passion to move towards the goal but something keeps stopping her.” Sharon responded.
 
“There appears to be something still missing for her to want to reach the goal” I said to Sharon.
 
“I don’t know what that is?” Sharon replied
 
“How about trust and faith…could it be Chelsea doesn’t feel that in your relationship yet?” I asked her.
 
“Yes, that’s it!” So Sharon spent some time relating to Chelsea. After stroking her, talking to her and encouraging her with her body language and words in a gentle yet firm tone, Sharon once again asked Chelsea to follow her.
 
This time with eyes on the goal, Chelsea walked with Sharon over the poles as though they weren’t even there and straight to the cone that represented the goal. If I could describe the difference of what changed in both of them, I would say it was an internal lightness of heart, a bounce in their steps with renewed energy, and a determination that they could both do this! There wasn’t even a hint of hesitation this time. With a screech of joy and excitement of what they’d accomplished together, Sharon gave Chelsea a big hug!
 
“So what changed?” I asked Sharon.
 
“Our eyes were on the goal and she didn’t even see the blocks. It was like they weren’t there at all!” Sharon’s voice was filled with excitement at the success of their partnership and the willingness of Chelsea’s changed demeanor.
 
“Chelsea is just like me! When I have faith and trust in God being with me and all the talents He’s given me, I want to go after my dreams and I get excited about everything but every time my eyes get on the blocks and I start thinking about all the reasons I can’t do it and won’t succeed, I stop going forward towards my dreams and circle back to my old life and what’s comfortable…Wow!!” Sharon exclaimed.
 
As we put everything away and put Chelsea’s halter on to lead her back to her stall, Sharon said, “I’m going to call this the Chelsea Principle so I never forget that with faith and passion, I can achieve whatever I keep my eyes on! The joy and excitement is in the process of achieving the goal!”
 
What profound truth a shy and quiet horse was able to show my client. There was a message from the Ranch that evening…
 
Each day we are creating our stories with the thoughts and decisions we make… Let’s keep our eyes on the prize and be sure we are creating the story we want to write with our life…
 
Trish Andros Carlo, CPC, MP-ELI
Story Book Meadows
Life Coaching & Equine Assisted Learning
www.storybookmeadows.com

One of the things I hear over and over in sessions is how lonely people feel. This feeling that is shared by clients of all ages and shows up in those who have lots of friends, are fully engaged in activities, are married, those who have a large social calendar or those who are alone. Why is loneliness so prevalent? Is it more common today than it was years ago? Is it stemming from rejection, abandonment, selfishness or just a lack of real honesty? Why do people who are surrounded by other people still feel lonely? And on the other end of the spectrum, why do some people who are frequently alone never feel lonely?

The Wikipedia definition of loneliness is as follows:

Loneliness is a complex and usually unpleasant emotional response to isolation or lack of companionship. Loneliness typically includes anxious feelings about a lack of connectedness or communality with other beings, both in the present and extending into the future. As such, loneliness can be felt even when surrounded by other people. The causes of loneliness are varied and include social, mental or emotional factors. Research has shown that loneliness is widely prevalent throughout society among people in marriages, relationships, families and successful careers. It has been a long explored theme in the literature of human beings since classical antiquity. Loneliness has also been described as social pain — a psychological mechanism meant to alert an individual of isolation and motivate him/her to seek social connections.

In a recent session a teenage girl (I’ll call her Liz) shared how she felt lonely all the time. Liz is very popular at school, even to the point that she is known by everyone in the school. She has lots of friends and does well in her grades. She is attractive, kind, generous and seemed to really have it all together. So why would she feel lonely?

I knew that Liz was speaking the truth because the horses had already shown me what was going on inside of her. It was her first session and I had instructed her to greet each of the horses (there were four in the arena) and get to know them. In sessions, the horses are completely free and able to choose to act of their own will. Once a session begins their behavior reflects the emotions they sense from the client. In this first session the horses had separated into the four corners of the arena and stood quietly watching, totally disengaged from each other, me and Liz. As she went to each horse to greet them and spend time with them, they stayed separate and alone. They spent a few moments checking her out then continued to stand like statues in their self-imposed isolation.

It was fascinating for me to watch as they had never done this before. She finished greeting them and came back to share with me what was happening for her. She felt they didn’t like her and this was when she felt lonely. She shared how that was how she felt at school too. While she was talking to me in the center of the arena the horses all came into the middle to gather around us. She told me how she couldn’t be herself with her friends because she didn’t think they would like her if she honest and that it was hard for her to be “fake” when she was with them. As she shared her truth with me Justice nudged her strongly enough that she was forced to notice him and began to stroke his neck and face. Then Patch tried to come closer to Liz but Justice stepped between them to prevent Patch from getting any closer. So now Liz was beside Justice patting him while Patch, Ares and Athena surrounded her in a loose circle. I asked if she noticed what the horses were doing and how she felt now. She said she did not feel lonely anymore.

There were so many life lessons in that one session.

1. The horses were reflecting back what she was presenting to them. Many times when we feel lonely we are unconsciously sending out negative energy that will cause others to stay away. It’s like we put up a wall that stops the closeness that we are craving so badly. Usually it’s because we’ve been rejected before and are afraid it will happen again so we self-sabotage our very real need to be accepted. This was why the horses were mirroring her sense of being separate. That was in fact how she saw herself. When you are a child of Christ, you are never alone!

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

2. As she spoke her truth the horses were able to break free of the negative energy she was feeling and fill her need for community. When the light shines on the truth, darkness falls away. As we speak how we are really feeling, God fills the need inside of us for true friendship and love and the negative energy disappears allowing others to get close to us. When we put on an act or a “brave front” while hiding the truth we’ve opened the door to the enemy of our soul who will take us down that path of destructive thoughts. We must always find someone to share your deepest feelings and fears with who will not judge us!

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

3. Justice showed her how to overcome her loneliness by seeking her out. He purposely walked up to her, nudged her and demanded attention. When we are feeling lonely it is up to us to let someone know. Other people are not mind readers and cannot be expected to know how we are feeling. Because our worlds are so busy, we frequently miss subtle signals. We figure if someone is popular and appears to be well liked then they couldn’t possibly be lonely. This is one of the major errors of our society today and it is up to each of us to seek out some attention from someone who cares. Most times the person we seek out knows exactly how we are feeling and would be happy to help us because there was probably a time in their life when they felt the same way!

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

4. When she was honest about her feelings, the entire herd surrounded her with the acceptance she desired. As she embraced them, they reflected that honesty back to her. When we are seeking out friends, marriage partners or any type of relationship it is important to be truthful in representing ourselves. It is only when we show others who we really are that we find people that respect and honor us for those very special God given qualities. If we misrepresent ourselves thinking we need to be someone different in order to be accepted and liked, we are setting ourselves up for those deep feelings of loneliness in the future.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…”

It is our job to share our hurts with one another so we can be healed.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16

As we finished the session I told Liz to walk around the arena. As she did Justice walked freely beside her, fully embracing their new friendship. When she turned, he turned; when she stopped he stopped. Then the other three joined in and followed a little farther back. As she watched this happen she looked at me with a big smile and said, “They’re choosing to be with me!”

Having spent many years with various age groups of horses there is one thing I’ve always noticed. Horses, similar to us; do not like to be alone. There is safety in numbers and they have a social need to belong to a herd. When watching herds of young horses it was always interesting to observe them finding friends and interacting with each other. There was lots of kicking, biting and running going on as they determined among themselves who would be friends with whom and who they would chase off. Even in the adult horse herds there would be certain horses that became fast friends and others that would be chased away. But in each herd, every horse would find someone to be friends with. Someone to scratch their back, watch their back and eat with. I noticed that any time one horse needed companionship they would always actively seek out another horse. I have never seen a lonely horse except when a human has physically separated it from other horses. The distress the horse felt under those circumstances was real and debilitating to the animal.

Like the horses, it is important that we realize some people will like us and some won’t; but that God’s love never fails. We don’t need to be liked by everyone but we do need to be liked for ourselves. Love is a choice. Choosing who we are going to spend time with is extremely important and I pray we choose wisely. There is never a time in our life when we are not loved. As children of God we were chosen by God and can never be separated from His love. If we have deep feelings of loneliness, we must recognize that those feelings are a warning that we need to seek someone to share with. Act on it!

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

As I write this, we’re in the middle of Tropical Storm Debby. We’ve already had 9 inches of rain in two days and the end is not in sight. The skies are grey, the wind is whistling through the trees as boughs bend and branches are falling from the weight of wet moss. The ground is soggy and we can no longer use the golf cart to feed without getting stuck. There is a small lake at the back of the property that wasn’t there yesterday and the swamp is overflowing. The frogs are singing loudly while the birds are hiding in their nests. I’m sure an alligator or two will wander through our property looking for a bigger pond. The bands of rain keep sweeping through with a steady downpour. The weather channel tells me there is a tornado warning and that this will last another few days. Flooding is everywhere and the thunder is deafening. We’re thankful our home and barns are high and dry. We’re thankful the pastures drain nicely so the horse’s feet stay healthy. We’re thankful the storm doesn’t have hurricane winds.

When the first rain starts falling, depending on the personality of each horse, they have several reactions. Sasha starts rearing, bucking and energetically showing her dislike of the elements. Then once she settles down and realizes she isn’t going to stop the rain with her antics, she runs to the shelter. In the next pasture, Rose throws a few kicks and bucks while Chief calmly walks to the shelter and stays inside until it stops. Rose follows shortly and they huddle together in friendship. Hollywood gets down and rolls, trying to dry himself as quickly as the rain falls. Justice, Patch, Ares and Athena continue grazing as though the storm around them cannot touch them.

When the storms hit our ranch here in Central Florida, we “hunker down and ride them out.” We’ve found it is a waste of time to rant, rave, scream, get angry or otherwise complain and waste our precious energy, trying to show our dislike of the unchangeable situations. After all, what can we really do about the weather. And if we’re honest with ourselves, what can we really do about the storms of life. The disappointments, tragedies, lost chances, broken dreams, ended relationships, financial ruin and many more all envelope us at various stages of our lives. These are the trials and tribulations that Jesus talks about in the Bible. Things that happen that could very well destroy us, if we don’t learn how to deal with them.

Since horses have a very high level of emotional intelligence (a high EQ), meaning they’ve learned how to keep their emotions level and calm, let’s look at what they do, and see what we can learn from the herd…

1. Sasha threw a fit at first then ran to the shelter while the storm raged. These are the drama queens. Every time there is trouble, we scream, cry, blame everyone else for our troubles, get angry and generally carry on at emotional levels that far exceed the trouble. Eventually we get to the point of realizing that the past is over and we must pick ourselves up and carry on. By the time we get to this point however, we’re exhausted, stressed and have generally made everyone else exhausted and stressed. We’ve destroyed our own joy and the joy of everyone around us. As we go to our “shelter” to ride out the storm, we’re depressed and looking to medicate our pain. We try drugs, alcohol, shopping, eating or hiding to overcome our pain at whatever ‘storm’ has invaded our lives. Our health suffers. Disease attacks our bodies and our strength is weakened. But Sasha rebelled for only a few minutes before running for shelter. How long do we stay in the storm, tossing every which way before we finally realize that we need to seek the shelter of the MOST HIGH GOD…see Psalm 91. Unfortunately, some of us never grab hold of the joy that can be found in Jesus and the freedom He offers.

2. Chief calmly walks to the shelter but Rose, like Sasha, throws a few kicks at first then follows Chief to shelter. It’s interesting to watch this pair as Chief ignores Rose’s antics and leads the way to shelter. On her own Rose would continue to stress for awhile but with the steady influence of Chief, she settles and follows his calm leadership. In families and relationships, many times we need the guiding influence of a steadier person to help us ride out our storms. Accepting help can be a difficult thing for many people for many reasons. They may feel unworthy of help. They may have too much pride to accept help. But sometimes they’ve simply never had someone offer them help and don’t really understand how to accept it. Many people don’t understand that a helping hand is a blessing from God. It is the answer to their prayer. Rose trusted Chief enough to know he would not lead her astray. When you have confidence in the person offering you help…let them bless you and in offering a helping hand, they will in return be blessed. It won’t change the trouble, but it will give you comfort during those darker days.

3. Hollywood rolls trying to dry himself and minimize the effects of the storm. While Hollywood tries to dry himself, he is looking to evade the storm. He tries and tries to dispel the discomfort and cover up the situation. He races around the pasture trying to outrun the storm, until finally, it is too much and he knows that isn’t the solution. Many times we also try to minimize the damage of the trials in our lives. We hide the problems we are facing and put on a happy face all the while hurting inside while we carry the burden ourselves. But while the storm is raging around us, there is damage to everyone involved. While we hide our true situation, families are hurt by the lack of truth, our own health suffers in living a lie and frequently any others who are involved are hurt worse than if we were right up front in the beginning. In the end, the darkness comes to light while the storm still rages outwardly. How many of us rage against God, blaming him for our troubles instead of seeking him in repentance, knowing that He is right there beside us waiting for us to come back to Him.

4. Justice, Patch, Ares & Athena calmly graze while the rain pounds down and the water rises up. These four horses (my EAL herd) show the deep sense of peace that comes from knowing their creator is in charge. Although the other horses take a little longer to remember the truth that these four have already conquered, this wise herd faces their trials by calmly engaging in their everyday routines. They turn their hindquarters to the storm, as the relentless rain continues to drench them, secure in their knowledge that after the storm the sun will shine again. The wisest of us have learned to go through the storm while hanging onto our peace. We have learned to turn our butt’s to the trouble and pray in faith and wait in peace for the storm to pass. In knowing Christ as our savior, we are able to meditate on His many promises as our boat starts to sink…knowing that He is with us. He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us. We must learn to recognize which storms have come upon us because of our bad choices and which ones surround us because God is allowing our trouble in order to build our character to become more like Christ. And sometimes He allows the problems in our lives so we will return to Him in repentance…it is a loving form of discipline to believers. No matter what the reason for our trouble, we can rise above our emotions and, with wisdom, trust God.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1:2-4

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

In knowing that God is always with us and loves us we can rest in His presence as the wind blows and the rain falls around us. When we have built our house on the foundation of Christ, we know that each problem is a chance for us to grow our character into the image of Christ. We know that He is ultimately in control and we are able to put on “a garment of praise, instead of a spirit of despair” Isaiah 61:-3. “And we know that all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28. Let us remember that this is a NARROW promise. It is only for those ‘who love him, who have been called.’ This promise is for children of Christ, for those who have been born again. For without Him, there is no hope. If you don’t know Christ but would like some spiritual coaching, please call for a session. If you are ready to give your life to Christ, please contact us to pray with you. Then find a Christ centered church to attend and begin your new life.

So sisters and brothers in Christ, the next time we face a situation that causes us to feel despair, sorrow or anger, let us not forget who is ultimately in charge. The next time we feel we won’t survive the storm, let’s remember these words of comfort from our Creator. Let’s get control of those thoughts that rule our emotions. Let’s remember He holds each of our lives in His hands and if He is allowing us to go through a trial, it is only to lovingly help us grow into better human beings; to seek Him, to honor Him and to worship Him….for that is the reason He created us! The sun will shine tomorrow!

PRAISE GOD FROM WHO ALL BLESSINGS FLOW,
PRAISE GOD ALL CREATURES HERE BELOW,
PRAISE HIM ABOVE, YE HEAVENLY HOSTS,
PRAISE FATHER, SON AND HOLY GHOST.

What my horses taught me …

 

By Trish Andros Carlo….”dedicated to the little girl in every woman who always wanted a horse or her own…”

 

 

As a child I was timid and shy and scared of being with people. At school I had few friends and was the brunt of many jokes. At a time when most kids were thin, I was the fattest child in the school. I couldn’t do sports because my co-ordination was terrible, I really couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn. Everyone would laugh when I tried to run a relay race because I was miles behind the rest of the class. So I studied and read and became an honor student in of all my courses but that made them bully me more, because I was the ‘browner’, the teacher’s pet. My teenage crushes went unnoticed by boys who only looked at the prettiest girls. So I ate more cakes and cookies to make up for my unhappiness and I hid from people.

At the age of fourteen, my life changed. I found a friend who accepted me just the way I was. He didn’t care what I looked like, how fast I could run or how smart I was. He was kind and gentle and gave me his undivided attention. He was tall and golden with a white mane and tail. His name was Moonshadow and he was my first horse. I would spend hours with him each day after school, brushing his silky coat and talking to him about everything that was important to a teenager. When I climbed into the saddle, we became one with each other. As we galloped over the green hills of Canada with the roar of the wind in my hair and the thunder of his pounding hooves, I could feel his strength and his power with each stride. Nothing could stop us, we were flying. We were free.

Over the next few years, we spent every possible moment together. Our communication was completely without words. When I rode him, he would respond to my thoughts before I asked him with my legs. I understood him, and he understood me. It was like we were connected in mind, body and spirit. We spent many hours in the sunshine amongst the birds and the trees either riding for hours over the trails or with me just sitting on the ground reading a book while Moonshadow grazed beside me. His calm, rhythmic munching was a comfort to my soul. There was nothing I couldn’t tell him. He was eager to hear my every secret and story. He would nudge me when I cried and play with me when I laughed. He was truly my best friend.

The lessons Moonshadow taught me would stay with me for a lifetime. He taught me how to conquer my fears as we sailed over four foot jumps. He taught me how to be confident each time we entered the show ring. He taught me how to celebrate when we won our first blue ribbon. He taught me who my real friends were, when the kids at the barn accepted me as part of their team. He taught me about partnership and how to give and take. He taught me to be a good leader because he only followed me when I got it right. He taught me to be responsible as I fed him and cleaned his stall each day. He taught me how to solve problems when I needed to figure something out. He taught me about patience and persistence when I had trouble training him. He taught me about laughter when he would act silly and we played games. He taught me about commitment because I knew I’d keep him forever. He taught me about compassion, when he was sick one cold winter’s night and I stayed with him until the morning. He taught me about weight loss, and that physical exercise helped me get thin. He showed me that I ate less when we stayed busy and had lots of fun. He showed me how to build muscles as I stacked bales of hay into the loft each summer. He taught me that girls could do any job that guys could do as I dug post holes, built fences and drove a backhoe. He taught me how to say NO when I needed to set boundaries. He let me know when I was angry that he didn’t want to be around me. He taught me that jealousy was a wasted emotion and something he never felt.

He taught me to ask for affection as he nudged me when he wanted some loving. He taught me how to make decisions about the rest of my life. He taught me how to pray when he was injured and the vet said the infection may kill him. He taught me how to be thankful when God saved his life. He bolted out of fear one day and as I was falling off his back, he introduced me to my Guardian Angel who put me safely back in the saddle and saved me from a bad fall. Moonshadow taught me about a mother’s unselfish love as she drove me to the stables and waited hours while I rode on a cold snowy day. He taught me about a father’s unending generosity as Dad paid for all of his expenses. Moonshadow taught me to follow my heart because he always followed his. He never judged me or called me names and he taught me I could do anything I put my mind to. He taught me how to work hard and he taught me how to be still. He taught me how to be caring as he became older and in pain with arthritis in his joints. He taught me about honesty because horses NEVER lie. He taught me about integrity and I learned to do what’s right. He taught me not to worry about what others thought of me but to love myself because I was special. He taught me to show what I was feeling because horses are authentic. He taught me how to love unconditionally because he was an expert at forgiveness. He showed me what courage looked like, as he battled disease in his body. And after 39 years of life, with his final lesson, he taught me how to grieve. When I buried Moonshadow on my farm, I was sad for a moment, but in my mind I could see him galloping over the hills once more, and in my heart I knew his spirit would be forever in heaven with Jesus. We’d been partners for 28 years and he taught me how to celebrate life.

When I had left my teenage years behind and those carefree days at the farm became fewer, the lessons Moonshadow had taught me were embedded in my soul and would carry me through my life journey. Those lessons helped me start my own business at the age of 22. As a fashion consultant, I helped others find confidence in themselves. I was able to stand in front of a roomful of people and speak publicly, no longer terrified. When I found myself in an emotionally abusive relationship, I knew enough to leave because I’d learned I deserved better. After college, I became the general manager of my father’s manufacturing company, taking control of the company with ease and determination. Although I still owned Moonshadow and a few other horses during my years in business, my heart was missing the connection of our spirits. So after ten years in the daily grind of corporate business, I moved to Ocala, Florida and bought a 125 acre farm. It was a strange country and a town where I knew no one but I thought of it as an adventure. I was soon to find there was another mixture of lessons that I would learn from my four legged friends. From breaking and training young horses to racing thoroughbreds, I operated a 40 horse thoroughbred farm. As I started breeding and foaling mares, the lessons continued. I learned from each age group of horses more and more about communication and the wisdom they could impart to me.

I learned about relationships because horses are the experts on relational harmony. I learned someone would always be in control, but it didn’t always have to be me. I watched foals with their mothers and learned how to discipline. I watched weanlings playing in the pasture and learned how to schedule fun into my day. I watched yearlings grow into adults and start their own careers and how determination and repetition had them winning at their game. I learned about second chances when my racehorse won a race after recovering from an injury that was supposed to be career ending. I learned that as long as I did my best I could accept whatever happened. I learned from my herd of horses how to get along with others and what acceptable behavior looked like. I learned it doesn’t matter what others think of me, but what I think of myself will guide my destiny. I learned I could choose who I wanted to spend time with and who I should walk away from. I learned to be direct and to ask for what I wanted. I learned to find balance in my life because that was the only way to thrive. I learned to be kind to others because we need each other to survive. I learned to hear without words and to look at the heart because it is wiser. I learned to love God’s creation and to spend time in nature every day. I learned that faith isn’t just a word, but the substance of what dreams are made of. I learned that love is a choice as the herd accepted a new member. I learned that peace comes from within as I watched the herd graze at sunset. I thought about the 40 years I’ve spent with my horses and realized they had been my teachers and my coaches.

Finally I knew it was time to follow my passion of helping others learn the lessons of life from horses too. Today I’ve become a Certified Life Coach and Equine Specialist and teamed up with my horses on our beautiful ranch to offer everyone the opportunity to learn from the wisdom of the herd. They taught me that I’m creating my life story by the actions I choose each day. Our coaching programs are for teens, women, couples, families, business teams and leaders.

It was her second visit to the ranch. When she arrived she bounced into the barn to say hi and asked if she could bring Noah in. Her enthusiasm was contagious.  Since I was cleaning some stalls, I told her it would be better if she grabbed a brush and lead rope and took Noah out of his paddock and cleaned him up outside. Her smile was huge as she agreed with my plan. Her grandmother was just walking into the barn so I explained what we had decided. The little girl who had just turned four ran out of the barn calling Noah’s name.

She was such a sweet child and the last time she’d been here she had overcome all of her fears around the large horses and had fed them carrots. Her greatest joy had been grooming Noah, our little miniature horse. With much fear and hesitation she had learned to lead Noah around the yard. At the end of her first visit she had given me a hug and told me she loved little Noah. My heart had melted with her words. Here on the ranch she had found a new friend and all she had talked about was her new four legged friend.

I helped her take Noah out of his paddock and away from his donkey friends. She immediately started grooming him and giving him kisses. She told him how beautiful he was and that she had missed him. There was no sign of the fear she had overcome at her last visit. Noah of course kept eating grass. When she finished brushing Noah, she took the lead rope out of my hand and announced it was time for his walk. I chuckled with his grandmother and asked her where she wanted to go. She quite confidently started leading him down the driveway and said “Home”. I walked beside her and explained that Noah lived here with his two friends, Matthew and Nicholas, and he wouldn’t be happy if she took him home with her. She stopped and looked at me, then at Noah and said if she couldn’t take him home, could she visit him again? I told her that he would be honored to have her visit him regularly. So once their walk was completed and Noah was led into his stall, the little girl gave Noah a huge hug and said “I’ll be back soon.”

When she walked back to the car she had the biggest smile on her face. She wasn’t sad to be leaving but overjoyed that she would be able to come back. She was about to get into the car with her grandmother when she stopped and came running back to me. Her face was very solemn as she looked up at me and asked, “Can I hug you?” I was choked up as I bent down to her level and said “That would be the best thing ever”. She squeezed me so tight I was amazed at her strength, then she let go and ran back to the car and got into it. We were waving as the car drove down the driveway.

I looked up at the darkening sky and said, “Thank you Lord, for giving me this opportunity to bless that child and receive such wondrous love”. As I walked away, I hoped our pint sized horse would continue to bring that little girl joy.

May the love of Christ be with you always,

Trish & Gary

I was walking through the center aisle of the cement barn at about 10am on May 1st when I noticed a flutter of movement in one of the stalls. There were no horses in the barn and I had already finished the morning chores. A slight breeze was blowing through the aisle and the temperature was about 75 degrees. It was an absolutely beautiful spring morning.

As I looked inside the stall, I was surprised to see four baby birds attempting to fly off the floor of one of the stalls. They must have come from the bird house that was hanging under the eaves at the end of the barn. I could imagine them standing on the edge of the perch and trying their wings for the first time; flapping as hard as they could but not able to accomplish full flight. Somehow all four baby birds had found their way into the stall and with tiny wings they were trying their

hardest to  fly. They did not seem to be able to rise more than a few inches off the ground before they would nose dive and resume running through the shavings. Each would take a try then run back to their siblings and huddle in a corner. They were so small I was thankful they had not been on the floor when the dogs had been running freely while I was feeding the horses. The Jack Russel’s are such good hunters I knew they would have pounced on these little babies and killed them. It appeared our Father in Heaven had been watching over them when they left their nest that morning. But isn’t that just what the Bible says; that He cares for every creature?

I watched in fascination as Mom flew into the stall through the grills in the window and brought a long dangling worm to feed her babies. The four lifted their mouths to receive her tasty morsel and in an instant the worm was gone. Mom flew back out the window and the little birds continued their attempts to fly. Minutes later, Mother bird once again flew through the window with another worm. I watched them continue this routine for quite a few minutes hoping to see the babies gain confidence and the ability to fly on their own. I was so happy that Mom had been able to find them in this new place and that she had not abandoned them since they were no longer safe in the little birdhouse. She was encouraging them and watching over them while they learned to be independent. But after awhile it was obvious that they weren’t strong enough yet. So looking down at them all piled together in the far corner of the stall, I closed and latched the door to keep them safe from any predators that would be coming through the barn, including my dogs.

Throughout the day I checked on their progress but each time I visited the stall they were still huddled in one corner or another. I didn’t see Mom again but they all looked healthy and content. As I watched them for a few minutes I thought of all the dangers that could have come upon them while they were unable to fly. I wondered what would have happened to them had they not found this safe haven, this place where someone was watching out for them until they were fully able to fly for themselves. I wondered if they knew about the dangers that were out there, dangers they were unable to flee from at this moment.

I felt the Lord speak to my heart as I was watching those tiny birds. He spoke to me of our role, as caring Christians, to help shield all the little ones who come into our lives, whether for a moment or a lifetime. We are all called to shield them from dangers they aren’t even aware of, during the times when their own parents aren’t able to. We are to do what we can to protect them from danger, and teach them skills that will help them take care of themselves. Often we see children or youth going through troubled times, or we see them acting out and we walk away shaking our head.  But we have a chance to reach those troubled children and teens. A chance to teach them and help them find their way. The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow. Our own futures depend on our youth growing up strong and dependable and courageous. And as the Lord showed me my role through these little baby birds, my heart swelled with thankfulness that He had created this ministry at Story Book Meadows, and that I had the privilege of being a substitute, if only for a short time, for Moms and Dads that couldn’t teach their children the things that God was teaching them through the horses. He was teaching them things about love, relationships, trust, self confidence, honor and integrity. I was honored that He had chosen me for such an important role and humbled that He felt I was worthy. I was thankful that I had such an opportunity to share the love of Christ with each little person that arrived here at the Ranch.

By the afternoon of the next day the birds were all gone. They had learned to soar high above the ground and no longer needed the protection our barn offered. I was disappointed that their visit had been so short but I knew there would be another lost one needing our help and protection one day and I was looking forward to that day. Not being a bird watcher, it occurred to me that I didn’t even know what kind of birds they had been, then I realized, it didn’t matter because all little ones are precious in His sight.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”    Mark 10:14

There was a message to me from the ranch that day, it was a message about caring!

Blessings to all,

Trish Carlo