Dusty Boots Barn Equine Services

08/07/2026

Given that we are seeing more and more equine programs popping up and trying to explain why working with horses is so effective, it’s important to understand that horses are NOT mirrors. It has become a common statement, but it’s simply not true!

This is a an excerpt from Greg Kersten, the founder of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. I’m posting it from the training manual I have from one of his trainings.

There is so much beauty and power when including horses in your journey back home to yourself ❤️❤️ As this work continues to grow, I would encourage individual to choose programs with qualified and licensed professionals who have experience in this work!

06/14/2026

We have officially moved locations and are settling into a new, and beautiful space that we are making ours! This has been a lot of work to transition and move a whole herd from one place to another and all the prep work to get the new barn ready. We are still settling in and our horses are still acclimating, esp. to lush, green, abundant pasture space.

We feel so blessed to have a an amazing community that has been part of the process! We are so thankful for all the help and resources they have provided for our team and horses. You can check out some of the photos of our community and the transition below! 🙌🏼❤️💫

We continue to ask for your patience as we settle in and adjust. We are beginning to open our services back up slowly. However, we are so excited on what’s to come! Individual, family and couples counseling will continue to be available through our counselors, and we will begin incorporating more groups, trainings and retreats in the future, so stay tuned!

05/17/2026

One of our counselors recently participated in Danica Yates’s research study on the power of how horses help those with anxiety. Danica, who is with Freedom Horse Counseling, is doing some amazing work and incorporating it into research and moving the field forward. You can read her dissertation, “Exploring the Process of Using Equine- Assisted Psychotherapy to Treat Anxiety” here (or if you want the quick version, you can read the abstract). We will share the published article by Danica when that becomes available to the public!

Thank you, Danica, for all of the beautiful work you are doing, this field is lucky to have you! ☺️

Anxiety is the most rapidly growing mental health problem globally, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Mental health clinicians need effective integrative health treatment strategies to address the anxiety epidemic. The purpose of this qualitative generic study was to explore the persp...

05/03/2026

Our team is enjoying the beautiful sunshine and nature this weekend ☀️🌷🌿We hope you also have the opportunity to get outdoors and take in the feeling of spring!

04/28/2026

We did some grooming out at the barn today since the horses are beginning to shed their winter coats! As you can see, we got lots of the extra fur off Holli today 😅😂👍🏼

04/17/2026

Today, during our team bonding day, some of our crew members decided to use our barn stalls a little differently- for some dead hangs!

In addition to all the physical health benefits, you might be surprised to find that dead hangs engage the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes stress relief and relaxation. It can also sharpen focus, improve mental clarity and increase resiliency. Our team also talked about how we felt more open and connected to our own heart, breath and core. Not to mention, it tapped us back into our childhood selves that used to make the monkey bars look easy 😅 it was the perfect somatic exercise to end morning chores with and reconnect with our bodies before beginning our work with the horses!

So what do you think? Think we found a better use of barn stalls?! 😂

04/09/2026

Get to know more about our services, how our program works and the credentials behind some of our providers!

03/06/2026

There’s something rhythmic and soothing about listening to horses eat hay. As you can also see, our horses have no inhibitions about playing and rolling in the mud on a rainy day 😅😂

I know not everyone gets to listen to the rhythmic noise of horses chewing on a consistent basis, but anything rhythmic is a great nervous system regulation tool that offers communication to the body that it is safe. This could also be creating rhythm or consistency in a schedule, morning or bed time routine. It could be other rhythmic sounds, like creating a beat with a drum or your hands. Rhythmic music, a rocking chair, walking or breathing in a rhythmic patterns are other good options, but there’s plenty of creative ways to include more rhythm in your daily life!

One of my favorites is listening to a metronome! I incorporate this into sessions now. I love how it sounds like a heart beat and helps us connect to our bodies, breathing and heart. And you can pick the speed of the rhythm. Some of my kiddos now request the metronome to be ticking in the background.

Spend some time exploring some rhythmic options for your personality to try out and see how it feels! 💜

02/19/2026

This is so neat to see the research beginning to reflect what we believe to be true- that the relationships around the horses affect the well-being of the horses!

This is why at Dusty Boots Barn we are intentional about our team of people! We truly do take the time to build and create positive connections amongst ourselves as people and with our horses 😊 every week, we consistently come together as a team to bond, spend time with each other and build our relationships both personally and professionally. We are so grateful that our entire team really does feel like family ❤️❤️ and of course we include our horses as part of that! We truly do feel like one big herd of horses and humans due to our commitment to each other and intentionality about who comes on to our team.

Thank you to our whole team, people and horses, who have cultivated a true healthy community for others to come experience! We are so blessed to be in this work together 🥰💫

Horses are watching. 👀🐎
Not just us—
but how we treat each other.

New research reveals they learn from the relationships around them.

Because learning is relational.
And healing begins in connection.

👉 Read the full blog: Social Learning in Horses
https://naturallifemanship.com/social-learning-in-horses/