BraveHooves

08/12/2026

I give you permission to be kind to your horse, furthermore I give you permission to be open to view them in a new perspective. To BE a different perspective for them.

Go ahead, honor their individuality and show gratitude for their willingness to communicate how they feel with you - even when their communication looks like socially unacceptable behavior.

There is an option to be with your horse in kindness, especially through the uncomfortable situations.

You have the opportunity to take their actions as feedback of how it feels to be them. You don't need to interpret their behavior as a threat against you. You don't have to take it personally. You could view it with neutrality and without judgement.

I have spent many hours with horses needing them to respond to me in certain ways. They had to. They must. Because they were horses and I was human. And so they did. They showed up for me in the way that I required.

Now, as my journey unfolds, I have horses that have a different role in my life. They no longer show up for me in those ways of blind obedience. They show up in ways that call up growth.

They show me how it feels to be them. They call me out when my actions become incongruent with my truth. They show me that they don't operate out of judgements and I don't have to either.

I can choose kindness; towards them and towards myself.... and towards those who do things differently than I do.

~ BraveHooves 💜 (B)

08/10/2026

Horses are always honest.
Sometimes, we are not present or observant enough to be open to their honesty.

✨ Stay curious and ask questions. Your horse may be telling you more than you think.

~ BraveHooves 💜 (B)

08/08/2026

What does connection mean to you?

How is it woven into your horse training?

A lot of humans like sequences, steps, specific outlines of first this, then that. It makes us feel in control and the predictability can be soothing.

The trouble is, horse training involves another living being. A series of steps, however well intended, is unlikely to produce the result you're seeking. Especially, if you're trying to crank out horses on a scale of mass production...or even a few horses on a specific timeline.
Horses are not machines. They are not robots. Following a "production line" protocol in their training doesn't often end well.

****Side note: many trainers that follow this type of protocol may not actually be seeing the ill-effects of this due to not seeing the horses later in their life, once they've sold them. This is just my opinion, derived from some of my own personal horses being on the backside of this style of training as well as my many interactions with client horses that came out of "machine" type training. ****

Great, and even good, horse training requires something more; heart, relationship, connection...an emotional awareness that creates a willing partnership. This is often what is lacking when a horse-human pair are repeatedly facing challenges or despite all their efforts there appears to be little growth.

Sometimes this is because to have this nuance in our horse training we have to face ourselves and do a lot of personal work - because we, in fact, are blocking our own way forward.
Other times this can be because we have little practice (or little guidance) and just need to give ourselves more time and support to learn.

Emotion, connection, heart, relationship. These are seeming to be concepts getting re-introduced to the common horse owner. They've always been a part of great horsemanship, in the past I believe they've largely been assumed and not specifically taught. When expressed in words, they were typically described as "feel" and "dancing with your horse," both of which are wonderful expressions of the nuance that gives horsemanship its heartbeat.

Some people get uncomfortable when emotion and connection are brought up in horse training, especially when it's noted that those may be the culprit of the shortcomings of the training. Some people like to brush it off or start finding poor examples of people who claim to train with those things in mind - to show that it doesn't work and their machinist type training is more effective.

I think that many people don't like the way I train. I believe in the value of connection, relationship, emotions... and I highly value slow work. I also think that you can have all that AND have boundaries. Furthermore, I think it is futile and damaging to train in a way that ignores the function of the horse's anatomy.

I think training with connection and leaving out boundaries is a fatal approach.
I think training with boundaries and leaving out connection is also a fatal approach.

I think you need both; connection & boundaries.

✨ If you feel interested in hands-on support that brings connection, boundaries and the anatomy of the horse all together..... There are still 3 participant spaces left for the Stacia Strong clinic next month.

~ BraveHooves 💜 (B)

07/26/2026

My coworkers.... always sleeping on the job.

07/21/2026

Jacey has a few last minute openings in the Escanaba/Gladstone areas for equine bodywork this Friday, July 24th!

Message or text me to book now.
(906) 202-3808

Each session is dynamic and unique to what your horse needs that day.

07/21/2026

Feeling too busy?
Let us help you pause with your horse. Bodywork sessions for them can help bring some breathing room and perspective to you too.
*Jacey has openings the end of this week! OR book now for August.*
Summer seems to go by so fast.
Events are being scheduled left and right.

Be here - go there - do this - don't forget about that.

This little moth showed up a few days ago and reminded me to slow down. I stopped in my tracks when I saw it. It was feeding time and I was rushing to complete the task. I saw the yellow wings contrasting the blue neck rope and it was a wonderful cue for my body to slow down.

I paused. I admired. Then I gently proceeded to finish my chores, but this time with slower breathing and a steady heartbeat. Finding solace and joy in the mundane helps to counteract the erratic thoughts that can come from being busy. It can also remind us that we don't NEED to be busy. The universe is not in a hurry.

Many things can come up during a bodywork session, but for the humans that choose to stay present and observe their horse's session, I believe it quietly brings them a little peace. A moment to pause and rest in our busy, busy world.

~ BraveHooves 💜 (B)

07/13/2026

Living in the UP, there's water all around us. Ponds, lakes, rivers and of course the Great Lakes; both Superior and Michigan!

It somehow feels like many people are drawn to the enchantment of experiencing water with their horse. I believe this is because both water and horses have such incredible healing properties, putting them together just makes sense. It can be grounding, freeing, calming, exciting, blissful, and highly restorative for both the horse and the human.

Yet, it's still something that should be properly prepared for. A horse that's never been in water can have a difficult time. Also, some horses just have a lower affinity for water than others. Beach riding and swimming can have such a powerful draw for the human that sometimes we can lose sight of our horses' comfort levels in an effort to have a good time creating magical memories for ourselves.

I think one of the best ways to prepare your horse for water outings is to work on your relationship with your horse, specifically two way trust and fluent communication. This will allow you to stay better attuned to your horse's experience and make adjustments as needed.
Mental preparation on your part is a huge factor in your horse having a successful water outing. *Note that successful doesn't have to mean that they actually get IN the water. Successful to me, is that they were able to have an enjoyable time, their stress was heard and managed appropriately. Communication was present and confidence gained.

A poor water experience can erode trust between you and your horse if you're not paying attention.

Water can have a fairy tale effect, but it's only enchanting if you're both having a good time. Water can also have incredible healing benefits for your horse; hello hydrotherapy 🌊

Share your favorite water adventures, in the comments below!

📷 Throwback of a fun Lake Michigan adventure with Jessie. Our friend Martha and her horse Raven invited us on a big trail ride to the Lake.

~ BraveHooves 💜 (B)

07/07/2026

We like to think it could never happen to us, but the reality is that there's always a possibility your horse could find themselves in an emergency situation due to natural disaster.

Check out this free webinar to expand your knowledge in preparing for extreme events like wildfires and floods.
https://horsehealthhq.com/prepare-your-horses-for-floods-and-wildfires/?fbclid=IwY2xjawS44jxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeShfUL-Zerrt_uz7NcjG_RsJrsvdvkQ5nUCqjfF9CegxhkKC4v4jz74yJBYs_aem_8uerGCvICHTaW5BqsxXvEQ

Join internationally recognised large animal emergency rescue expert Dr. Rebecca Husted for a practical live training session that will help you prepare before disaster strikes, understand what to do when evacuation orders are issued, and avoid the mistakes that cost valuable time.

07/03/2026

Just a little place that brings a lot of peace ✨

A place where you are free to fully be yourself.

A place where you can let your heart shine and allow your soul to breathe.

A place with no expectations on you or your horse.

A place where you can find support and acceptance of your own journey with horses.

A place where the truth can be said out loud without fear of judgement.

A place to be. to learn. to grow.... alongside your horse.

BE BRAVE

💜 Haul in for private bodywork, a lesson, or a combo.
August 29th • 3 spots available
October 24th • 3 spots available

💜 Come join us the third weekend in September for a balance through movement method clinic with Stacia Strong.
Saturday 19th • FULL
Sunday 20th • 3 participant spaces open
Monday 21st • 1 participant space open

**Auditor spots are still available.**

~ BraveHooves 💜 (B)

06/27/2026

Livin' the dream

Today marks 5 years that BraveHooves has been in business.

Things look different than I thought they would. In some ways I've advanced and in other ways it feels like I keep returning to the drawing board.

📍I have been blessed to work with over 150 horses and their humans. A few of those horses from year 1 are still regulars today. Many of them have moved on from my story and found body support elsewhere. A few of them have passed on from their bodies entirely.

My hands have learned lessons from every single one of those horses. I've always entered appointments with the intent to heal, but I've certainly had my fair share of "on the job training" that has humbled me to my core. There are things I've done that I would choose to do differently now and I'm sure in another 5 years, I'll do things differently from how I do them today.

📍I have had the opportunity to walk the role of teacher for over 40 lesson students. Watching students interact with my personal herd always teaches me something new and gives me perspective on how both horses and humans learn.
Teaching a student with their own horse is always one of my favorite opportunities and though I have fewer students that have their own horse, I always look forward to those lessons. Being let into the inner circle and given the chance to observe the relationship between a horse and their human is not something I take lightly.

📍The few horses that I've housed at my barn for training and bodywork/rehab have been some of my most persistent teachers. Seeing a horse daily really allows for the crossover between bodywork and training to be observed and gently influenced.

📍I have had beautiful chances to work with other professionals, including my current associate Jacey. Also to be educated by so many different talented and knowledgeable people in the industry has me feeling grateful.

🌊 Like a wave, business goes up and down. Many days I still feel lost. I still feel like it's day 1 and I'm clueless, despite the hundreds of hours of education. I struggle with imposter syndrome and self-confidence. I also live with discomfort and pain most days; that's like the undertow.. some days it's stronger than others.
Then there are the brilliant days. The moments with a horse that just flow. We're on the same wavelength and the healing is bountiful. The moments with a client where they truly see their horse for the first time. The session where an unraveling peters out and the path forward is made more clear.

🌀 Work with horses is unique. A journey with seemingly infinite levels and countless side quests that you might not even know you're on. It's much bigger than financial transactions, though when choosing to operate a business involving horses, that's certainly a part of it that requires attention.

5 years feels like such a wonderful milestone, yet I know BraveHooves is still in its infancy. I'm choosing to move forward with trust.

✨ I trust that my path is winding across all the pieces that are meant for me.

✨ I trust that my horses are guiding me along at the right pace.

✨ I trust that the clients I can best support will find their way to me.

✨ I trust that my own healing will grow the perspective and capacity that I bring to my clients.

✨ I trust that my journey is S L O W and may not make sense to those around me.

~ BraveHooves 💜 (B)