EquiSomatic

10/20/2026

Our senses and nervous system are sacred instruments that we’ve been gifted to enable us to deeply connect with the universe around us. We need nothing more than what we already possess. All we need to do is pay closer attention and be open to receive the wonders that are all around, each and every day; no matter how we feel or what’s going on in our life or the world.

We are all we ever need to live deeply, with joy and meaning.

Angela Dunning
The Horse’s Truth

Image ©Aechka, licensed via Shutterstock; not available for re-use, saving or downloading.

10/20/2026

Connection is something we all need. It can be elusive with humans because we develop so many defensive patterns as we grow up in a culture that is based on intellect and performance. But that beautiful spirit we have hidden inside, is waiting to be released. With each moment of fear, grief or anger we let go, intuition, creativity and strength emerge. We can create new patterns of vitality and curiosity, love and joy. Connection is the key. And horses graciously offer to guide us there, if we will only allow it. Breathe, sustain presence, be still and know.

10/19/2026

Are you looking for a quiet and secluded property to host a therapeutic private retreat? Windflower Ranch & Retreat offers the perfect setting for healing. The ranch itself is in a private subdivision at the end of a road. It is 43 acres, tree-covered with spectacular views. At night the stars are endless.

Perfect for individuals, couples or families. Facilitator stays at the well-appointed main home, and the clients stay in the guest cabin suite. I offer the option of equine therapy with my kind herd, and have a massage table available as well. This location is also perfect for integrating art, yoga and psychedelic therapy. Located in Western Colorado. Montrose is the closest aiport.

Contact me for information and to reserve your spot in 2027. I have a few slots open this Fall as well.

10/18/2026

These two mares are pair-bonded. This is Leda, on the left, and Summer on the right. The reason that horses are so good for humans, is that they are capable of deep and long lasting relationships.

If left alone, without human interference, they will stay together their entire lives. Wild horses have been studied, and the results were clear, generations of mares would stay together, grandmothers, aunts, mothers, daughters...for decades. They would move back and forth between stallions, but stay together as a band.

Skydog Sanctuary has demonstrated through their efforts to reunite mustang herds, that they not only remember one another, but grieve when they are separated. Some stallions simply die of loneliness, if separated from their lead mare.

Why is this important? Because if we are trustworthy and provide our horses with respect and the care they need as domesticated animals, then we can be their pair-bonded partner. This does not mean they won't choose a horse as well, as my two mares have demonstrated, but that they will take care of us, remember us, grieve for us and seek out our company.

When humans decide horses no longer have value, or are no longer meeting the humans needs, many will thoughtlessly separate pair bonded horses/mules/donkeys, sending them to new homes through sale or auction. These animals are quite sensitive to these changes and can develop behavioral patterns such as "buddy sour" and become "marish". And sadly, these horses are then moved around even more.

What would happen if we humans, supposedly of higher emotional intelligence than horses, took some time to allow these new additions to the herd, the opportunity to learn safety in our care? To provide a consistent routine, spend time with them out in the pasture, watch their movements with the new herd, and actually invest in them on the ground, without putting a bunch of pressure on them under saddle immediately? We might be surprised at the "new" horse we purchased, no longer exhibiting spooky behavior, buddy sour, or marish behavior. The behaviors are often a result of grief, confusion and no time to reset their nervous system to calm and safety.

I don't believe it is soft for a human to actually be intelligent about the animals that we have in our care. Dignity and respect, an allowing for separation and grief, can and will create for you a better partnership with your horse. It does take effort and time, but it is worth it.

Honor these animals and their depth of relationship. They will run faster for you, take care of you on the trails, jump higher, and meet you at the gate without treats if you simply notice and invest in a relationship with them.

10/16/2026

When I stand with my horses, and allow for silence, often the busyness of doing disappears, as I settle into being. It is a precious gift that these horses offer humans, the chance to learn how to sustain connection to self. Often the many distractions of this modern life take us away from where we are right here and right now.

When the body senses safety, it is then free to use the energy it has to find beauty, be curious, feel gratitude and release spinning thoughts. The mind always wants to be in control, but that is not how we are designed. Intuition and connection are what we long for. The world has many facets, and getting stuck in routine, feeling unpleasant emotions and replaying fears and resentments removes us from reality.

All that is real is what is right here and right now. Period. Stop losing your life worrying, getting worked up by others not fulfilling your expectations, feeling the need to control everything, expecting that there is some thing or some one on this planet that will rescue you. Everything you need you already have. Finding a sense of peace and calm awareness will impact the systems around you, and you might be surprised by the shift you will see in others.

So breathe, wiggle those toes, go outside and walk slowly in nature, and notice what is around and inside of you. If you are curious and want to find out more, please reach out. I offer one on one immersions here at my ranch in Western Colorado with nutritious tasty food, expressive art, walks in nature, and time with the herd, to discover your vitality again.

Photo credit: Kori Stanton

10/15/2026

Somatic Touch work with horses is a powerful modality for moving stuck traumatic responses through the body. Chronic pain and illness are symptoms of stuck trauma responses, and Somatic Experiencing and Somatic Touch are an effective way to help the body feel safe and understand that it can discharge these responses and allow for healing.

10/11/2026

Horses offer to es**rt us into that elusive space between rigidity and softness. Showing us the sensation of moving between mind and body, touching into spirit and freedom. Horses truly see us if we put down ego and learn.

When the invitation for presence is extended to us humans, stuck in our swirling thoughts, fears, sadness, tension and overwhelm, it is on us to respond and say yes!

Simply dipping into the moment, feeling the feels, experiencing the sensations, hearing the birds, wiggling our toes and gazing around can completely shift the way we experience the here and now.

Then learning to sustain connection to that space of love, hope, trust, and even joy is that key we have been searching for. The key that opens the door to intuition, creativity, connection and light.

This is the flow of vitality and life force. The stirring of the spirit. It is there, not completely extinguished. No matter the age or stage of life, it is waiting to be found again.

10/11/2026

WHEN I AM AMONG THE TREES
by Mary Oliver

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.
I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.
Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.
And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”

10/06/2026

I am honored to once again write for this inspiring publication. 🫶🐴❤️

​ " There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man {human}”, often attributed to Sir Winston Churchill. I posit that one could reframe as: There is...