Talking about the recent clinic at Rokeby – and their keys to success with their horses

I thought I would collect the stories together so that those who are interested can read and they are all together so you are not being bombarded with posts about the clinic!

Here is Narel:

Despite the seeming odds against me making the 13 hour journey with my horse and getting away from my hectic life; the stars aligned and I had the great fortune of attending Jenny’s latest clinic… a clinic which broke through so many layers for me on so many levels. Not just in relation to me being with my horse, but for me in my life in general.

As a mother of 4 with 6 horses and working in two different lines of work, I had been feeling very run down, overwhelmed and stuck in a rut prior to the course.

With Jenny’s support and experience I was able to really tap into myself and my intuition; I found a powerful new riding position I had never experienced before despite being a horse rider for 30 years; I met amazing people with amazing stories; but most importantly I felt I finally started to “wake up” as my outer shell cracked open.

I also watched the most beautiful transformation of my very nervous 11 year old mare as she went from feeling her usual terror to curiosity about things going on around her. I began to see her emerge into a whole new soft way of being and she communicated her needs very clearly to me during the clinic; taking our relationship to a whole new level once she realised I would respond and protect her, and so would other human beings there too.  

Being allowed the time and space to go inside and feel my feelings in a supportive environment of like minded souls was truly amazing.

The amount of “big” shifts in all of us were remarkable and Jenny’s insights, knowledge and flexibility to her teaching program to suit the participants journey made for a very special four days.

Holding space for others also in their personal transformation was also such a sacred privilege and I am honoured to have been a part of everyone’s journeys.  

On returning home I have felt enormous accomplishment, a liberating freedom from many fears and strong validation of the power of my intuition.

There has also been beautiful feed back from my loved ones about the new clarity and lightness in me, (as well as my horse who approached my husband for the first time ever in one year to be patted!) and the most genuine smile they have seen on my face in years.

I am bubbling with joy and doing a little dance!

When I asked Narel on our live seminar last night what her keys to success were, amongst the specific clinic related things, she said that the uninterrupted time away from her normal responsibilities and the relaxation were a big part.

That made me smile – our deep and meaningful conversations sometimes started before breakfast – lessons went all day – and the evenings were spent in the conviviality of preparing meals together, cleaning up and more deep and meaningfuls.  The schedule was non stop – drop into bed and do your best to sleep well in  a strange place.

There were seven of us in the same house and it was all quite hectic.

The thing that I saw as bringing Narel that relaxation and peacefulness and later on the bubbling with joy and doin’ a little dance, was the absolute looking at every single little early warning signal that something was Not Quite Right, every single crappy feeling – and not being prepared to settle for anything less than feeling good – whether it was in class with her horse or after class within the group of beautiful people that we had staying here.

If you don’t know what I am talking about when I talk about Not Quite Right – then go sign up for the free lessons The 9  Keys to Happiness with Your Horse

One of the things that I personally got from the clinic, was how big an effect the way we live our lives has on our horsemanship and vice versa – how closely enterwined they both are – and how I can seriously help you with your horsemanship and your happiness in general both at the same time.

I just read that last sentence – and it’s crazy – I already knew that to the millionth degree and live my life with the principles that I bring to my horsemanship.  But what I really heard LOUD & CLEAR is how powerfully the same applies to other people too.

I saw Narel transform from a tired and stressed out working mother of 4, to a charged up, vibrant, relaxed and happy woman.  And it looks like that’s what her family saw when she got home too…  Wooohooo!

And the change in her horse – oh… my…  goodness…

 

Mandii’s feedback

Jenny, your clinic has changed my life! In only a few days I’ve learned things that will stay for me with me forever. The lessons I learned not only apply to horses but to everyday situations and I am extremely grateful for having an opportunity to work with you, your such an inspiration and an incredible teacher.

I can’t forget to mention what a wonderful group of people I met. On the first day it felt like we were strangers, but by the end of the day it felt more like we were long time friends!

There is something wonderful about sharing stories and experiences and watching them resonate with others. It creates a beautiful understanding environment in which an abundance of healing can and does take place.

I would recommend your clinic for anybody ready to take that step into creating a deep connection with themselves, with others and with their horses.” Mandii   

OK Mandii, I  would love you to come back and talk about your keys to success.  As a watcher who participated in the horse-less sessions, you got an opportunity to watch everyone else and share in their successes too.  So come back and talk about that please!

 

About Jo

Jo wanted to share with you an incident that was HUGE for her.

Jo is a very nervous beginner who is learning her horsemanship skills step by step.

And she was in the arena holding a bag of carrots for someone else, when another rider’s horse wanted those carrots.

Jo’s brain froze into an old pattern of depending on someone else to keep her safe.  i.e. the other rider who was trying to get her horse away from the carrots.  By the way the other rider DID keep Jo safe – but that’s not the point.

Jo said “I handed over my safety to Fiona’s horsemanship in my own mind….big mistake.”

What she got from this incident when she went into a quiet mind was HOW she could have handled it differently and it was about as an absolute beginner always having a PLAN – a clear picture in her mind about what she is going to do if something happens .

Call it an escape hatch, an ace up your sleeve whatever.  Confidence comes from knowing WHAT you can do when something goes wrong or differently.

And when you are a beginner – THAT takes planning!

Well done Jo.  Jo had the most awesome clinic – she had flown in from Sydney some 800 kms to be a watcher .  But watchers in my clinics do a lot of participation.  Jo did the vaulting horse work, with releasing fright imprints, learned how to mount her horse with safety and eliminated the vulnerability that comes from the way most people get on their horses and she learned such a VERY strong riding position that tiny Jo could not be pushed out of the saddle by very large me – the more pressure I put on her the deeper she went into the seat of the saddle – very centaur like and a HUGE impact on confidence next time she hads a lesson at home…

Jo said:  I  really feel that I am able to “go inside” properly after this clinic….I know it to my bones now rather than it being a concept or a “good idea” that you tend to forget about when you need it most, I have also had soft eyes most of the time since I have come home….feels great and the world looks very different because I FEEL different.

About Donna

Donna wrote: Well where to start, I went for a private session with Jenny and in that my horse Tahiti requested for me to do ‘Fast Track to Brilliant Riding’ so I started my online journey.

I had recently acquired a new young horse and after a week or so I wasn’t making much progress with him I just wasn’t getting it or so I thought… Jenny: Occasionally someone needs a private session to understand that they REALLY do “get it” and we have made that possible and affordable in the new version of the course. I then signed up for the four day course at Jenny’s, I planned to take Santos my new boy as Tahiti wouldn’t have made the trip with his arthritis. What an amazing four days it was!!

It was four days packed full of learning and amazing break throughs for everyone there. For me day 1 we got to go out to Jenny’s large herd and to feel their excitement and complete contentment was an amazing energy I couldn’t wait to feel with my herd of 3.

We also learnt a power riding position which once I got it was an amazing energy.

My keys to success were to hold soft eyes, looking inside and SMILING, visualization helped me a lot. Jenny: Smiling a little tends to help with breathing and completes the letting go of tension process – it doesn’t do it by itself!

Day 2 was a huge day for Santos and I. Jenny: That’s the first day with their own horse. He went from being a very scared, very hard to catch young horse to a willing, excited, walk up to me to catch gentleman. And I got that from going inside and making soft eyes and just knowing there is a much better way to have a balanced relationship together not the all my way relationship I was currently having with horses.

We had some huge changes and mine was big – by the next morning I was feeling like a complete beginner and a bit lost. Earlier that morning Santos made a point to tell Narel one of the other amazing girls in the course, to tell me ‘not to worry it will be ok he is my guardian’ which blew me away.

Every day was just full of amazing lessons and to watch the other girls doing the same sort of things made it even more special we all went from complete strangers to friends, to me it felt like I had known them for a long time.

My main key to success was to not think or try and just listen inside and feeling the not quite right and acting on them which gave me more confidence being able to keep my horses in their comfort zone or getting them back there quickly. Since coming home and putting this into the rest of my life not just my horses has changed so much and for the better too.

This four days was the best thing I ever did, it was so full of depth and I didn’t really realize how much depth until the other day when I had to help my four legged soul mate Tahiti out of this world. I am very lucky to have and had these amazing souls that we call horses in my life.

Thank you Jenny you are an amazing person and an even better teacher and mentor. Jenny: You’re welcome!

Me again: I saw Donna’s breakthrough happen when she made a commitment to young Santos to do their life together in a way that listened to his needs too. In that moment he was transformed – and that happened within 1/2 an hour or so of the first day with their horses. He can read her mind – horses are the ultimate mind readers of our intentions – and he KNEW that that commitment was real and he just turned his heart over to it.

OM goodness this is beautiful stuff!
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