A Warm Winter Welcome

Welcome to the first issue of Have You Herd?... a quarterly mailing whose purpose is to share insights, innovations and inspirations pertaining to the powerful and evolving field of equine guided development.

It seems most appropriate to begin this first e-letter with an extension of gratitude for a wonderful year and a warm thank you to all who have kindly and persistently encouraged me to begin such an adventure.

There are so many things to share, so let's begin...

Messages from the Herd...

Home Is Where the Heart Is: For People and For Horses

Here, on the normally wet coast of British Columbia, snowflakes have begun to fall. Chiron and Grace are soon blanketed in white, standing contently together, watching my daughters play in the snow. Cricket however, who is from snowy Alberta, where arctic winds can blow fiercely down from the north, is snuggled warm and content inside the shelter. It is so interesting to watch the three of them day to day.

For a while this fall, for five weeks in fact, the watching that had become part of my everyday was sadly absent. You see, after the horribly wet winter, spring and summer we endured this past year, the trail I had built for my horses to access the bottom part of our acreage was partially washed away. I had such high hopes for them, being able to enjoy the trees, trails and space therein, so when the opportunity arose for them to spend time on 6 acres, just 10 minutes from here, I jumped at the chance.

I thought this would be heaven for them. What I eventually realized, outside of my immense longing to have them home, was that this move was more about me than about them. Although Cricket enjoyed the all-you- can- eat buffet, Chiron never settled, and in stark contrast to our normal relationship, Grace gave me the cold shoulder the entire time they were away. The freeze lasted until week 4 when I told her I had called the hauler to bring them home. At this point she walked up to me and stared intensely into my eyes - it was like a Vulcan mind meld without the hand grip. I heard very clearly... "It's about time!"

Grace continued to stand there, her eye next to mine, for the next 15 minutes. I had succumbed to the human nonsense only to be taught, yet again, through the wisdom of horses.

A week later, as we unloaded our herd, I said to my husband Greg, "Home really is where the heart is, and I think that holds true for people and for horses." As an affirmation, Cricket left her pile of hay to come and stand with me, whiffling me up and down, finishing with her soft nose at my heart. Chiron whinnied as his buddy Guinness, our English mastiff bounded out to welcome him, and Grace... my Grace, opened her heart for me once more. We were home.

Upcoming Events:

In Chiron's Way news, my dear friend Ainsley Beauchamp of BC Horse Vacations and I, after a wonderful influx of interest for the 2008 Sacred Ride, recently set the dates for June 11-15. There are only 2 spots remaining so please contact us right away if you'd like to join us for this unforgettable experience.

I also want to let you know that the 2008 calendar will be ready for viewing after the first of the year. I'm excited for you to see the scope of next year's offerings which will include The Chiron's Way Training and Study Program in Equine Guided Development, more corporate and school offerings, and a series of workshops designed to integrate equine guided learning with the expressive arts, including the much requested DaVinci's Horses.

Please contact me with any questions or suggestions as your input is always welcome.

Wishing you all the best for a wonderful winter season and a joyful new year. Sandra