Sage Creek Equestrian

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I often say “no” when I mean “yes”, afraid of the unknown, and even more afraid of making a mistake. I build walls of protection with my answers often being, no. Young and inexperienced in being myself, I agreed to be a no person for as long as I could, so as not to hurt or disappoint or displease. Not surprisingly, things often felt badly.

I began to understand the same is true for the horse.  When I am constantly saying no to the horse, I am usually reacting to its expression of life, out of my own fear. For the horse this can feel like they are trapped. The results of my constant “no” can result minimally in brace and resistance and consequently the very circumstances I am avoiding, I am actually creating.

Out of my commitment to the horse feeling relaxation and freedom, I became a “YES”.  For me there was an inner revolution. I began to feel inspired by the horses needs. I let down and let go of control by allowing the horses energy to flow freely through me. I let out slack in the rein, relaxed my body and became a YES.

I denied the calling no longer and began the journey into becoming a student of the horse, fully enjoying the mysteries and gifts of an ever expanding learning.

Turn your “NO” into a “YES”.

A yes to humility, love, life and yes to the horse having their natural abundant full expression!

By Donnette Hicks 

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Through the course of my life, I am often touched by the beauty of nature. Life provides a path of understanding by showing its illuminating brilliance through nature as its loving guide. The unsuspecting blossoms of the cherry tree always blooms on time, as its creation has the energy of natures intension. It starts as a sapling reaching for the sun, it then grows into a tree and the day comes when it explodes into an symphony of blossoms.

I am grateful for knowing I too am from the same source of life. When I practice self care by feeding my daily growth with the beauty and abundance offered, I too bloom into a symphony of creativity always giving my heart to all who are of like kind. Human blossoms on the tree of life.

When I observe the horse. I am inspired to learn the Equines language and by doing so I begin to find a universe of new understanding. The Equine is guided by a wordless universe that is inspired by the same intension the cherry blossom are influenced by.

Acknowledge the creative inspiration that flows through you. Know that all life is empowerd from a bountiful universal sourse.  

By Donnette Hicks 

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I will always have another opportunity: the horse always tell me so. Mistakes can come at a high ex spence for the horse and some mistakes will land me pilled up in the dirt. Rightly so if the horse put me there.

I am just not your average human when it comes to learning from my mistakes. I have to fall so hard that I almost have to shatter the desire to reassign the lesson which I’m trying to learn. I try incredibly hard to not learn such a lesson when it comes to making mistakes with the horse.

The best gift one can give ones self is self respect. A significant moment to give this gift (for me) is at the moment I identify the horse is reflecting I am making a mistake. I then feel a sense of love and patience for the horse and myself. I am constantly checking in with the horse from moment to moment to adjust my feel and timing before they mirror their unhappiness.

For me at giving myself a hand up, with self compassion and self understanding. Shows up for the horse as well. They feel it when I am hard on myself.

When we recognize that our entire worldview is based on how much respect we have for ourselves, we will begin to see we have in us infinite possibilities for improvement with our relationship with the horse. 

By Donnette Hicks 

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Do you give back as much as you take from the horse?

It is often overlooked how much humanity takes from the horse. Many of us get snagged in the illusion of a fantasy that’s driven by our ego’s identity. This keeps many blind to the horses reality.  Humans lose track that they are not their truck, Levi’s, house or horse nor their BMW, breeches or live-in trailers.

One example is in the understanding. the equine as a nation, has lost their natural habitat. They no longer have the ability to move free of human population. It often does not occure to the human that the horse is not designed to be born in confinement. Fenced in pastures, padocks and box stalls are human creations. The horse does not have a choice, as their population has grown and their freedoms have been taken away. Their truest nature is to not be in human hands. They did not volunteer to be born into our limitations. They do not understand when they are first approached by what nature constitutes for them as a predator.

I remember Ray Hunt in his clinics contributing something along the line, and I am paraphrasing,  that if he was born into this world as a horse, he would be the wildest bronc anyone had ever seen. For me I felt his point was,  that the human needs to wake up to the reality of what horses are being put through. For me, I heard Rays empathy as a painful understanding for the horses plight in human hands. I also heard his admiration for the horses need for self preservation.

I have gone through years of pondering what is my role in the horses journey with humans. I have suffered looking directly at I too am a human, asking for the horse to live in my world, void of having choice.

In my feelings of empathy, I find myself asking,  “what do I give in return for asking the equine to live in my world” My top answer has taken years to develope. It is that I am to get really honest about THIER needs. Not MY needs. This is where one really faces themselves and asks the “why do I do this” ?  This very question has led me to seeking an in depth education of all aspects of the horse.  Environment, physical health and emotional needs being top contenders.

Taking responsibility for educating ourselves in all aspects of the horses reality, by facing how we impact thier lives, is how we become awake and responsible.

For me, I will never be able to do enough. In facing this raw truth, I have dedicated my life to giving back everything I can for what humanity has asked of these noble innocent beings.

Facing reality heals lives 

Acknowledging the innocence in all living beings, brings awareness, to what is sacred and beautiful in our own soul 

By Donnette Hicks