A new Adventure

 



Horsemanship Through Mindfulness


My New Chapter: Finding Balance and a Farm in Axton, VA

It is with great excitement that I share my new location and a new direction! Some of you may have noticed I have been off the grid for a while. For the past two and a half years, I’ve been in Warrenton, NC, taking a much-needed sabbatical from the intensity of full-time teaching. This break gave me precious time to process and reflect on the direction I want to take at this stage of my life.

The biggest news is that I've finally found a property in Axton, VA! It took quite a bit of time to locate the right farm, and I am currently in the satisfying process of creating a space here that feels right for me, my Mares, and, of course, Walter, my border collie.

The Forever Learner Paradox

As I began this new chapter, I’ve had to release a lot of expectations about who I feel I need to be. I think my biggest attribute is doing my best to be a forever learner, but ironically, I also think my worst attribute is the same thing.

Maya Angelou’s quote, “When you know better, you do better,” is still my favorite, but trying to live by it puts so much pressure on us and can cause us to be too critical of ourselves. I’m finding balance in reconciling past beliefs and merging into new ones without shame.

I still wake up every morning and thank all the equines I have interacted with for being the teachers I needed. How forgiving they are is truly an understatement. Yet, I also think about what my life would be like if I chose to be locked into a philosophy that had no room for growth.

That has been the hardest thing as an equine professional: to remain flexible in my learning and flexible within myself. Being too judgmental of ourselves can also lead us down a pretty dismal place.

New Priorities and Guiding Curiosity

Moving forward, I hope to enjoy my farm and animals as my first priority. Keeping the balance of personal life and professional life has always been a tough juggling act, and I’m dedicated to getting it right here.

Secondly, I would still like to continue to help individuals who are interested in sharing their successes and challenges with me. I hope we can grow together and continue to learn from these incredible sentient beings. I know I am not everyone's cup of tea—no one can be—but I do feel that with the life experiences I have had with horses, I have much I would like to share that could help individuals decrease the challenges along the way.

I tell folks all the time, I have learned so much more about life from horses and nature than I have from most humans, but it has been those exceptional human teachers who have sparked the curiosity in me to look deeper—deeper in my studies and, most importantly, deeper in myself. My guiding light is curiosity.

Joining Me on the Journey

My hopes are to eventually have some intimate gatherings here at the farm (name of farm pending). Something unique and personal that allows me to share this beautiful property.

Meanwhile, I will be continuing to travel and teach on a limited basis. My teaching will include:

  • Developing horses for healthy movement and longevity.

  • Hoof care maintenance for those wanting to learn to maintain their own horses.

  • A lecture series for understanding the horse's makeup a little deeper.

I will be available for group, clinic, or private sessions. In addition to the above, I still offer bodywork to help you access your horse's imbalances so your sessions can come from a place of understanding and empathy.

If anyone is interested in hosting or a private session, please email me at mindfulness.horsemanship@gmail.com. You can also see any events that I post on my website www.mariepruden.com or the Horsemanship through Mindfulness Facebook page.

I look forward to this new adventure and hope I get to see some of you soon.

Gratefully,

Marie

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