Unbridled Faith

09/02/2024

❤️🐴

"I am fine!"

"No, you're not."

"No... I am fine."

"I can feel that differently."

"Don't feel me."

"Why. You are literally on my body and next to me. I am always feeling you."

"Because I am holding back the flood of feelings that I have no idea what to do with. If I felt them, I might fall apart"

"Ok. I won't feel you then."

"Excuse me... can you pay attention to me? I am asking you a question nicely. Can you respond to me nicely please?"

"But we just made an agreement. That I disconnect to how you feel, just like you disconnect to how you feel."

"Yes but, don't connect to my feelings. Connect to my actions and commands."

"They are one and the same. That is impossible unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless I detach myself from you. Emotional death."

"Great. I'll have one emotional death please. None of those nasty inconvenient feelings. Let us just do actions please."

"Ok. But I am here, waiting for you."

"What are you waiting for?"

"For you to feel. So that we can communicate with feel."

06/11/2024

If anyone has a horse needing a tune up or has a horse they are interested in consigning.

I will have limited openings this summer for training.

Feel free to comment or message for additional details.

06/06/2024

Just a couple more weeks until we're ready to roll again 🥹 excited is an understatement!

I know we have some of our 'tried and true' lesson students returning (can't wait to boot camp you all again 😅) - but we will also have some flexible space for a variety of additional lessons and teaching opportunities.

The blessing of less, is the ability to be more intentional. Look forward to seeing a lot more videos ranging from liberty work, to trick work, to c**t starting (and even lessons to dabble in those too!) My happy place is out there under the sun, with dirt under my nails beside a horse.

And more than anything - I'm blessed to share the growth with all of you too ❤️

Ps. Diamond says a hiatus has been cool - but she's bored 🤣 and turned 27 🥹

06/06/2024

Things your riding instructor wants you to know:
1. This sport is hard. You don't get to bypass the hard…..every good rider has gone through it. You make progress, then you don't, and then you make progress again. Your riding instructor can coach you through it, but they cannot make it easy.

2. You're going to ride horses you don't want to ride. If you're teachable, you will learn from every horse you ride. Each horse in the barn can teach you if you let them. IF YOU LET THEM. Which leads me to…

3. You MUST be teachable to succeed in this sport. You must be teachable to succeed at anything, but that is another conversation. Being teachable often means going back to basics time and time and time again. If you find basics boring, then your not looking at them as an opportunity to learn. Which brings me to…..

4. This sport is a COMMITMENT. Read that, then read it again. Every sport is a commitment, but in this sport your teammate weighs 1200 lbs and speaks a different language. Good riders don't get good by riding every once in awhile….they improve because they make riding a priority and give themsevles opportunity to practice.

5. EVERY RIDE IS AN OPPORTUNITY. Even the walk ones. Even the hard ones. Every. Single. Ride. Remember when you just wished someone would lead you around on a horse? Find the happiness in just being able to RIDE. If you make every ride about what your AREN'T doing, you take the fun out of the experience for yourself, your horse, and your instructor. Just enjoy the process. Which brings me to...

6. Riding should be fun. It is work. and work isn't always fun.....but if you (or your rider) are consistently choosing other activities or find yourself not looking forward to lessons, it's time to take a break. The horses already know you don't want to be here, and you set yourself up for failure if you are already dreading the lesson before you get here.

7. You'll learn more about horses from the ground than you ever will while riding. That's why ground lessons are important, too. If you're skipping ground lessons (or the part of your lesson that takes place on the ground), you're missing out on the most important parts of the lesson. You spend far more time on the ground with horses than you do in the saddle.

8. Ask questions and communicate. If you're wondering why your coach is having you ride a particular horse or do an exercise, ask them. Then listen to their answer and refer to #3 above.

9. We are human beings. We make decisions (some of them life and death ones) every day. We balance learning for students with workloads for horses and carry the bulk of this business on our shoulders. A little courtesy goes a long way.

Of all the sports your child will try through their school years, riding is one of 3 that they may continue regularly as adults (golf and skiing are the others). People who coach riding spend the better part of their free time and much of their disposable income trying to improve their own riding and caring for the horses who help teach your child. They love this sport and teaching others…..but they all have their limits. Not all good riders are good coaches, but all good coaches will tell you that the process to get good is not an easy one.

*thank you to whoever wrote this! Not my words, but certainly a shared sentiment!

04/30/2024

There's something to be said for slowing down, and embracing the things you love.

2023 was SUCH a year of transition for us - at a rapid pace. Our family grew, we downsized properties, and continued to 'survive' the season we were in.

God has a way of landing us all exactly where we need to be - and the last year has been no exception.

Happy to say that in the next few weeks, we will have our space up and running for lessons for those who have inquired. I'll also be traveling to teach folks at their own properties, as well as traveling to help troubleshoot folks with their own horses.

We can't wait to see our people, enjoy the purposeful horse time together and continue to embrace this 'slower' lane journey.

I've taken a bit of a social media 'hiatus', but look forward to attempting more consistent updates of all the things we're up to. Sometimes the small things are really the big things in this life ❤️

09/01/2023

Hey guys! This is NOT going on today (sharing to assure folks see it).

We had a few snaffoos and want to assure we get as many attendees as possible - so Sam has committed to coming back in 2024 instead.

Apologies for any misunderstandings - this is why we require our auditors to prepay, which we now know the hosting barn does not. Miscommunication on our end that was unintentional when it came to notifying. Growing pains all around 👏

This clinic has been rescheduled for 2024! For any additional questions, please reach out. Apologies for any inconvenience.

We still have slots for the Intro to Liberty Clinic, one or two for the Advancing Clinic as well as a couple privates. Privates may concentrate on ANYTHING you'd like - it doesn't need to be liberty based.

This will be the LAST time Sam will be in Maine for awhile. Don't miss the opportunity!

If you intend to audit - please sign up ASAP and prepay to assure your slot to audit the mini clinics.

If anyone would like to partake but lacks a horse - let me know!

08/25/2023

Please read:
I’ve been noticing a trend the last several years. We’ve let the next generation get soft. Kids want to ride, but they don’t want to LEARN HOW TO ride. They don’t like the heat, but they won’t get up early. They want a horse, but turn up their nose at the idea of cleaning stalls, as if it is beneath them. They want to make some money, but aren’t willing to work. They think horseback riding is something you do when the weather is perfect, and for the other 9 months of the year someone else can care for that animal’s needs. We have a problem folks, and I for one find it terrifying.
Let’s teach these kids to have a passion, and to commit to it, that in order to do something we love, it might at times require hard work, sweat and sacrifice.