Dear Friends & Horse Enthusiasts!
Thank you for subscribing to my blog, I hope you find some new inspiration. In this writing moment we are just a few hours from starting the Full Moon Walk – a walk which we often do together here at the Academy. The Moonlight walk starts in the village of Rose Hall and then we walk three hours in the night through the rainforest to Chateaubelair and from there we follow the main road back to Richmond. It’s a special walk and we love it!
When I rescued my herd of horses in 2007, I spent a lot of time just being with the herd waiting for them to take contact with me. This is when I discovered how nice it was to spend Full Moon nights out in the pasture. It was magical, exciting and beautiful. I would lay down next to the grazing horses, listen to the sounds of the night and enjoy the cool breeze.
The Independent Liberty Trainers Network (ILTN)
This year I have connected with another herd… A herd of Liberty Trainers and together with them have formed The Independent Liberty Trainers Network.
In this Network you will find a beautiful bouquet of Liberty Trainers –like Robin Gates, Alessandra Derrinck, Martin Contreras, Farah DeJohnette, Ruella Yates and Susan Smith. This is a new step on my journey as Liberty Horse Trainer. This herd of trainers is a group of people where some of us have known each other for quite some time. Some of us have worked together during joint clinics and others have been working together online to help and inspire each other. All for the reason to improve how we can help people connect to the hearts of their horses and acknowledge that we can reach wider working together.
I have been fortunate to host a clinic here in St. Vincent together with Farah DeJohnette a couple of years back. The clinic was magical, with students from Canada, Australia, Norway and USA. It was great to teach with Farah, a long time horsewoman and meet such passionate horse people. We focused on Liberty Training, jungle walks, herd lessons, seat and balance.
Last year, I did a clinic in Colombia with Martin Contreras and one in Oklahoma with Ruella Yates and Susan Smith. Martin has been working with horses a lifetime and together we introduced a big group of Colombians to Liberty Training in Sopo outside Bogota. I learnt alot from teaching on a new continent.
In Oklahoma, I had the most fun clinic ever, besides teaching liberty lessons with Ruella’s amazing herd, falling in love with Ruella’s mini “Strider.” We had great company, food and laughs throughout the weekend. Susan, Ruella and I connected instantly and have been working together ever since.
I met Alessandra Derrinck and her beautiful horse Rosalie in California and for a few months now I have taken online lessons with Robin Gates. I have always been inspired by Robin’s beautiful videos and her online lessons are thorough. Teaching clinics in USA, Colombia, Holland, Denmark, Norway and the Caribbean about Liberty Training, meeting so many different people and horses, has been very insightful and taught me many new lessons. I’m very fortunate be part of The Independent Liberty Trainers Network. Through this network we all want to stay Independent which means to share and teach our own “styles” of Liberty Training while at the same time stick together, support and inspire each other. In this way we believe we can reach more people and horses and help spread the new way of horse training.
At the SVG Horse School here in St. Vincent I will welcome two or three experienced riders this year who will work together with me on training a couple of horses for dressage in co-operation with Robin Gates.
In between the ground work lessons, I think it is important to step back, enjoy, play and feel the energetic heart connection with your horse.
So last week, we took a small break from the ground work to play The Mango game. This game is so simple and fun. I have two buckets with mangos (could be carrots of course..) at each end of the pasture. I stand at one end and call the horses, The first one that arrives gets a mango. Then I move location and the first horse who find me when I call get another Mango and from here you can add any other variety to the game. For example if all find me and they wait patiently and pretty, there will be a mango… In this video I play with Moonlight, Darling and Elena and they really get into it.
Have fun playing with your horses and have a good weekend!
Sunshine from St. Vincent,
Stina
Clinic in Colombia with Martin Contreras
Yurumein Horse School (St. Vincent) 