My Journey with Horses
“Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their whole body as well. Look at the ships too: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are nevertheless directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things,”
James 3:3-5, NASB
Growing Up
Pivotal Early Experiences
- Longview Riding camp – Traumatic accident being thrown from an 18-hand black horse at age six. Did not rehabilitate from the fear of that fall.
- Keeneland Racetrack– Grew up at in the clubhouse every spring and fall meet captivated by all the horses.
- Honey Hill Farm – I was given a horse named Honey because of my love for horses, but due to my fear it was given away.
2012
Eagala/Montreal
- Eagala – Having received my master’s in clinical counseling, and license, my private practice began and I was invited to an Eagala training where I experienced the power of horses, and it changed my personal and professional life. I believe God directed me to get equipped to provide this mental health approach.
- Professionally: Working with abused children and adults, one of the treatment goals was to increase self-efficacy and horses promote that.
- Personally: Interacting with horses’ profound insight was gained, that assisted in understanding the motivations for my behavior.
- Montreal– Seeing God lead us to do ministry in Quebec, we set up a charitable non-profit in Montreal, Rene de la Liberte and I began doing demonstrations.
2013
The Horse that Changed Our Course
- Batman – Grandson of Secretariat and my favorite teacher. Our daughters were taking lessons with him and the owner encouraged us to buy him. Still fearful of horses we prayed and believed God was leading us to purchase him. Fearful on a cold winter day in the stall with Batman I experienced his head pushing me to get peppermints out of my pockets. Scared I gave him one and spoke sweetly. It was in that moment I realized I tried to be sweet to people so I would not get hurt. He was laid to rest at Asbury’s Equine Center December 2019. He not only helped me, and many of the patients I worked with, he trained up my daughters how beautiful a relationship can be, to work hard and be strong.
2013
Natural Lifemanship
- Natural Lifemanship (2013) – Bettina Schultz Jobe and Tim Jobe furthered my personal and professional development in profound ways as they were just beginning their program. Working with Angel in the round pen (that I am convinced was a wild mustang), who acted like anything, but an angel taught me about my nervous system and gave me the ability to find my internal confidence through Christ. Fearful to ride, they put me on Peanut in a round pen, and I began to learn how not to fear but connecting to the horse instead of feeling all alone to navigate my anxiety. I rode for an hour that day. Later a friend sent me a picture of me on Peanut. I thought he was a huge horse, only to see the picture and realize it was only a little taller than a pony.
Truth is about perception.
2016
Reins of Freedom
- Reins of Freedom – I had been providing psychotherapy incorporating horses (Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy) through my private practice. Having a desire to help more
people we believed God leading us to set up a charitable 501c3 with a mission to help survivors of trauma by interacting with horses and the aim of doing research on the horse-human connection.
2018
Ph.D. Journey
- Moving to my home state for a short period of time in KY, a colleague introduced me to Michelle Harrison, Ph.D., and wonderful Christian woman that works with trafficking
survivors. She asked if I had my Ph.D. I told her that I did no. She said you study books and read research papers get your Ph.D. I knew this was a movement of Jesus since the Lord had encouraged me years before to attain it, but I did not think I was smart enough or deserved it. Through her encouragement and the Lord, I received my Doctorate of Counselor Education and Supervision.
2019
Asbury Equine Center
- Asbury University’s Equine Center, KY – God encouraged me to go up to the barn and talk to whoever was there. It was one of God’s great blessings introducing me to a pioneer in the horse world, Harold Rainwater. Soon I began teaching a small course on Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy. Reins of Freedom partnered with Asbury’s Equine Center, and I began seeing patients there.
2020
Southern California
- Teaching at Point Loma University everyone wanted to know about Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy. Reins of Freedom partnered with Haloranch and we began helping people there with horses including students coming out to learn about its benefits and observing my sessions.
2024
Liberty Mountain Equestrian Center
- As an Associate Professor in Liberty University's graduate Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, I established a collaborative partnership between the master's and doctoral counseling programs and the Liberty Mountain Equine Center to develop the university's Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) course. This interdisciplinary initiative advances evidence-informed EAP education and prepares future clinicians to integrate equine-assisted psychotherapy into ethical, trauma-informed clinical practice.