Our cowboy, Jodie, assigned you a horse for the day. You spent time getting to know your horse; brushing, petting and caring for this 1600 lb animal gave you the gift of trust and connection. Entering the arena with your horse, your attention became focused on what the horse did. Whether a mare or gelding, it mirrored what you were projecting on it.

n preparation for our recent retreat, I pulled from a large stack of journals. The entry I found happened to be from 2012, a reflection from my 50th year. I opened to a page about one of the most memorable times I could recall during my fifty years of living. Eleven through sixteen years of age. I wrote that during this time I felt a deep connection to nature and a horse. The combination of the two allowed me to feel genuine happiness and freedom.