Dear Compassionate Equestrians,
Anyone who is walking an alternative path alongside horses…

For those who are walking a path adjacent to the norm…

Who have questioned traditions and “the way it’s always been done.”

Who have wondered why the word “respect” actually means “submission” in horse training

Who understand that a horse who is “naughty” is usually frightened or in pain

Who have been in tears after a lesson or training session, something feeling ‘off,’ thinking it must be you

Who’s been told you’re “too soft, too sensitive“

Who know deeply that horses have a greater purpose than sport or entertainment

Who believe that horses are sentient, feeling, and spiritual beings that can help us be better humans and that if we listen deeper, get quieter, we may just learn something from them.

This path can feel lonely, like you are the only one navigating these feelings…

It can feel like you’re the only one who can hear the horses pleas to simply be heard. 
You know that feeling of gut wrenching sickness when you witness a horse treated poorly, or the guilt and shame that has eaten at your heart since you’ve started to deeply listen. 

But it doesn’t have to be that way. 

There are SO MANY others walking a similar path, we’re unfortunately just scattered about and maybe even afraid to speak our truths or ruffle any feathers. It’s a scary thing to be outcasted or “othered.” So it’s easy to shrink away in the comforts of your own process. 

I totally get it.  And it makes sense. 

And what happens next, is often a pause, unsure of where to to go next…

The freeze state is one that many moving towards compassionate horsemanship experience– untangling the feelings, ethics, and questioning what is “right?”

I’m coming out of a deep freeze with horses… 

I stopped regularly working with and riding horses 7 years ago now. It was my identity– I was a trail guide, a wrangler, someone who lived and breathed horse-life. I rode for hours everyday, my adventures always included horses in some way.  And then overnight, it didn’t anymore. My life looked completely different, and so did I. 

Throughout the past years of unlearning, learning, and trying to understand my own complex feelings around how I relate to horses, I often found myself in a state of freeze– not wanting to cause harm, but not knowing what was “right.” My body hadn’t yet caught up to what I was learning, so I would keep trying to shut down my instinctual movements, causing my hands to drop to my sides and my energy to curl up in a ball of shame. 

But now… I’m finally thawing out. 

I am giving myself permission to go through the messy-phase again, just like my creative work, the process, the mistakes, the messiness is the gold. It’s where the experience lives! 

So I’m doing things my inner child would love. 

I started going to trick-riding lessons (on the barrell, no horse involved) and turns out, my body loves it! My younger self would be absolutely delighted! I’m also going to be ground crew at a liberty show–– I have never been in the show world, I have literally never been in an arena like that in my life, only as a spectator. I’ve booked a horseback archery experience, and I’m also simply just spending time with horses in a field. 

I’m ready for more TRY with awareness, with the knowing that if something doesn’t feel right to me, that I know how to navigate it. I am constantly learning, growing and evolving.

For those navigating a journey of Compassionate Horsemanship:

This is why the Dear Equestrians books / Collective Coloring book concept exist.

I wrote the contents of The Dear Equestrians book back in 2020 when I was really in the thick of it, trying to process my own feelings around horses, feeling completely isolated and alone. I wasn’t able to embody the concept and actually create the book until 2024. You can read more about the process here.

In 2025, I had the idea of gathering people from around the world to share messages from their own journey within a COLORING BOOK, and create a timeless well of ever-growing, evolving, knowledge and inspiration. 

The Dear Equestrians Collective Coloring book is a project that gathers compassionate horse people as a collective to share their wisdom and messages that they’ve learned on an alternative, evolving path with their horses.

The format is a coloring book because bringing people into a creative process allows them to be open to the frequency layered in the image and text. There is no force here. 

No preaching, no convincing, shaming or blaming. 

So if you are looking to find other like-hearted, creative horse-lovers, we are creating a beautiful community inside of The Creative Field.

Join us there for inspiration, connection, and creation!