It looked different. As I approached, it FELT different.

Her session with the small group and onlookers had already begun when I slogged through the mud and slush to have a look-see at what Barbara and this horse in the round pen were up to.  It looked different.  As I approached, it felt different.  Something was going on in that pen between them, and I needed to know more. 

I’d gone to Littleton in the spring to audit the three phases of the experiential learning program that Barbara, Magali, and Frederic were presenting for the second year.  Good friends had attended the year before and encouraged a troupe of us to go check it out.  I was looking forward, mostly, to learning more about the Real Horse Stuff—obviously from Frederic and Magali (The International stars and originators of Cavalia).  But what Barbara did in that round pen was more than just between a horse and a person. 

I was transfixed and needed to know MORE.  I hung out for a while, and she invited me to have a few minutes with a rather cheeky gelding who put me in my place toot-sweet!  In the rather short time I spent with Barbara, the others, and the horses, I knew I needed to know more about this different way of communicating—not just with the horses, but with any sentient being. 

So about that different way of communicating . . .  I had plenty of pride in knowing that I’m an effective communicator.  That goes for people as well as horses, dogs, cats, etc.  After all, I had studied it in college, and I’ve applied it in my businesses for a quarter of a century!  

Well, that gelding told on me in a split second.  I got too close too quick, and he pushed back in no uncertain terms (safely, mind you!).  With Barbara’s guidance I was able to approach him on his terms, and I was able to convey my boundary to him when he approached me.  A conversation had begun, and a spark of curiosity was borne in my spirit.  

What was this magic she dispensed? The horses and the people in and around that pen were radiating an energy that I’d never experienced before, and Barbara was the guiding light for my seeing it.  I was experiencing a different way of communicating.  I became aware of what kind of energy I was putting out and what kind of energy was coming back to me. 

My assertive nature and behavior might not be particularly well suited to beginning a new relationship!   My energy going toward that horse was Too Much for him.  Gosh, I wonder if some people might feel the same way?  The wheels were turning in those few minutes, and I still needed to know MORE.

Visiting Magali’s and Frederic’s sessions after a baptism in Barbara’s session gave me new eyes and opened my whole being into better understanding what they were doing with the horses, riders, and handlers.  It wasn’t “magic”.   It was simple.  I quickly learned—through the horse—that I can modulate my energy output to accommodate the other being, and that agreement initiates honest communication between us.  Barbara’s insight and guidance helped me quickly see and internalize this energy management. 

After that day in and around that pen, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Barbara, Frederic, and Magali at a special two-day retreat in Ft. Collins, then a 5-day retreat in 2019 in France.  The other participants and I quickly become comfortable with each other and shared intimate experiences together, often revealing things about ourselves that we’ve kept hidden.  Those experiences, for me, were cleansing at the very least.  At the most, I’ve learned so much more about how I present myself to others including my horse.  I’m more patient with him, and our relationship (and our work) has improved immensely.  At work I’ve “rocked back” (a Barbara-ism) and have been rewarded with even richer and healthier (read profitable) relationships. 

I’ve worked with Barbara via Zoom over the summer to help me further define and refine the tools she’s helped me discover within myself.  Her guidance has helped me through some life challenges and has provided me with different perspectives from which to view those challenges.  The opportunities that were created out of those challenges have been rich and rewarding. 

My life is filled with much more joy, and I’m finding it much easier to define a “problem” emotion and more quickly navigate into healthier territory.  All my relationships are healthier, and I’m finding greater ease in moving through conflicts.  This would not have been possible if I were still unaware of how my energy affects others.  Those minutes in the round pen under Barbara’s guidance provided a revelation, and the vibrations from that are still resounding in my being. 

In closing, I will continue working with Barbara to hone my skills to further improve my life and those around me. I look forward to working again with Frederic and Magali. I will say that if it were “just” those two, there would be a huge piece missing. Barbara is the conduit for a greater understanding of the “magic” you see when Frederic and Magali work with the horses.