Leading Without Being Taught
There’s a kind of quiet that settles over the sanctuary some days…not silence exactly, but something deeper. A calm that holds space for whoever steps into it. The trees lean into it. The wind softens. The horses feel it and reflect it right back.
That’s what the place felt like the day Emilia arrived.
There’s a kind of quiet that settles over the sanctuary some days…not silence exactly, but something deeper. A calm that holds space for whoever steps into it.
The trees lean into it.
The wind softens.
The horses feel it and reflect it right back.
That’s what the place felt like the day Emilia arrived.
She was open, soft-spoken, and unusually present for a five year old. She didn’t say much at first. Just took everything in. Her parents brought her because they felt she might find something here that would speak to her in a way nothing else had...And they were right.
We moved slowly through the pasture. Annie, our little mini horse with the curious heart, noticed Emilia right away. She walked to the fence without hesitation. Emilia stepped forward just as calmly. The two of them locked eyes. No words...no hesitation…just presence.
That was the moment everything shifted.
The other horses were quiet...watchful...holding the space like they knew what was happening. Emilia reached her hand out and Annie met it without flinching.
A second later Emilia said, completely matter-of-fact, like it was already known: “Annie and I are connected”.
She meant it...And she was right...
It was her parents’ reaction that stuck with me most. Her mom, without trying to make it a big moment, just watched and said quietly — “Look at her…she loves this. She should have more of this. This would be a great way to start her journey with horses.”
She wasn’t just noticing Emilia’s joy, she was seeing the beginning of something foundational...A door opening.
That’s exactly why we built Horsemanship for Kids. To give children like Emilia a solid, grounded start in leading horses — and themselves. To offer something real. Something that meets them where they are and gives them the tools to grow into confident, intuitive leaders…not just in the barn, but everywhere.
This wasn’t a training session, it was the start of a relationship rooted in quiet...in presence...in connection...The space where magic begins...