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| My devotion to horses evolved from a statement I read at a tender age, "The true horseman is one who can elicit the finest from any horse." This concept provided the foundation for my equine education. I was driven to emulate the finest trainers I could, in a variety of arenas, by working for them. |  |
To assist was easy for me. I enjoyed the depth of relationship that came from time shared in the space of these professionals, the unspoken connections and intuiting the next right step. I struggled with a growing sensitivity to what and how the horses experienced their trainers and the training process, and viewed my compassion for them a simple gift. Little did I know that my capacity to emulate those mentors would collide with my sensitivities as I became a trainer in my own right.
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My sister, Holly Butterman, and myself |
Emulation brought a professionalism and depth of experience I treasure. Yet the many horses who have come to me insist that I find a way to incorporate my sensitivities and intuitive gifts into the process of training them. No longer can I rely solely on what I was taught. I have been challenged to validate and utilize the subtle, the emotional, even the spiritual aspects that each horse brings to the barn when they arrive. This has been my greatest challenge, and it is with great deference and in honor of these horses that I offer the Criehaven experience: horse training that seeks to improve balance and self-awareness for both horse and owner.
The integrated, holistic approach to horse training I offer reflects my past. As a youth I was a national caliber athlete Ð produced, used and physically maximized in ways that damaged my bones, soft tissues and social development. That career was closely followed by a diagnosis of cancer. Chemotherapy and the traditional western approach to my disease devalued my body as a whole, and dismissed the emotional component that certainly played a part in my body's imbalance. Finally, healing my childhood incest has been a ten-year exploration of the finer details of post-traumatic stress.
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My son, Osage, and husband, Guy
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I sought to educate myself and embraced alternative therapies and techniques for preventive self-care. Acupuncture, diet, homeopathy, chiropractic and craniosacral therapies and creative visualization provided the foundation for my own wellness then, and for the balance I seek to impart now to my clientele.
The self-awareness, wellness and enhanced ability to feel, see and release my own holding patterns brought benefits I could not have imagined previously. To experience first-hand how combinations of these modalities enhance my capacity to take in new information has been truly remarkable. It is this process of releasing holding patterns which provides the cornerstone of my equine training process. By applying these modalities to the horses in my care, I have found a way to bridge my love for training horses with the gifts of intuition and knowing I possess. Teaching horses how to become better learners assures that they and their owners will have more satisfying interactions. Improved health in the long run can be directly attributable to balanced work strategies.
My ability to face challenges has been supported by horses who seemed to know that moving through victimization to a place of advocacy and compassion is my life's path. I am grateful for the opportunity to share what I have learned with them, and their owners. My BA from College of the Atlantic in human ecology is fully integrated in the work I do now: many paths, many correlating waves of impact, many levels of learning, all combine to support an outcome which is fluid and yet seeks balance. For Criehaven, this means horse, owner and trainer share a vocabulary in which each party has a respected voice. Over time, the relationships we share support the growth of all.
Any horse can be taught through repetition, positive and negative reinforcement, or equine body language to perform a wide array of things. It is my belief and experience that if those methods are not accompanied by techniques for releasing stress, whether it is physical, emotional or historical in nature, the build-up will eventually decrease the horse's flexibility, mental acuity, and long-term health.