The Beaver's Message

“What’s that in the pasture?”

I looked to my right as we drove down the gravel road to the barn, my attention drawn in the direction of Rich’s question.

I didn’t know. It looked like a small deer or a dog, lying in the brown grass, probably dead. While Rich began the afternoon feeding, I walked alone up pasture to solve the mystery. What I found brought me to tears.

It was the body of a large, dead beaver, lying at least 30 feet from the creek. She was on her back, and when I rolled her over, I noticed fresh blood coming from a hole by her ear. She probably hadn’t been dead for more than an hour, though I was sure she’d suffered far longer than that. Some one, somewhere along the creek, shot her in the head and left her for dead. She must have followed the creek to the ford where our horses cross into the upper pasture, and she made an agonizing crawl onto land to a place where we’d notice her.

I reached my hand down to touch her, stroking her fur, tears brimming in my eyes as I apologized over and over for the stupidity of humans, for their cruelty. All animals die, I know, but they don’t need to suffer as this beaver obviously did.

She was enormous, perhaps 60 pounds or more. This was a beautiful, elder beaver – a longtime caretaker and nurturer of the area’s wetlands. I wondered, given the circumstances of her death, how she managed to make it into this horse pasture … and why.

Rich joined me and we held hands, looking over her body. Rich was so angry. True, my husband is a hunter, but he respects life and doesn’t kill needlessly. We eat what he brings home and he prays for the animal spirits who provide us with their meat and skins.

Standing over this beaver, we made a decision to take her home and honor her in the Old Way. We made an offering and said our prayers for her spirit; we took her home and offered tobacco and sage.

Again, I wondered why she’d come to us. I think, in part, her spirit traveled and knew that we’d find her and treat her respectfully – that we’d honor her life and sing her over. We’d keep her skin to remember her. Also I think she offered herself as a messenger for us.

What is the message of the Beaver? As one of nature’s finest architects, much of what Beaver teaches is about foundational work, flow and harmony. She goes about her building industriously, with an eye to the larger scheme of things. Left to her own devices, she changes the flow of water, the flow of energy around her, for the benefit of all. She creates balance in our rivers and wet places. Spiritually, this is also the balance and flow of our emotions.

It came to me the next morning, in a place between sleep and waking, that her message for me is very much about attending to my own foundation. This beaver appeared in the pasture where my horses live, and the foundation of my work with the horses has recently been in personal question.

I’ve realized that the people I accepted as role models, while doing their own valued brand of teaching, don’t share my personal philosophies. We aren’t coming from the same place, and by modeling them, I’ve come to understand that I haven’t been true to my own heart and direction. The result is that, standing on shaky ground, I haven’t grown, nor have I been inspired to move my life work forward in positive ways.

My work with horses isn’t simply a job to me. It resonates in every way in my life, sending ripples through all of my relationships. In partnership with horses, I’m able to explore the Circle in deeper, more meaningful ways, and I’m able to share this gift with others. I can’t simply duplicate some one else’s business model, or copy the practices that I don’t, at heart, agree with. I have to go back to square one and re-build. I began to understand this several weeks ago. The beaver’s appearance in my life was a powerful reminder and a catalyst for much-needed change.
So, as I venture into the New Year, I go deeper into my own foundational work, re-focus, re-write, re-structure, creating a balanced base. I change the flow within me and around me in ways that help me to stand in my own power and that will benefit others.

Megwitch (thank you) to the Beaver for her life and spirit and for the messages she brings, which I’m sure will continue to unfold with greater meaning as I move forward in the coming months …

Celebration and Release

“Kick up your heels and release joy.”

On most mornings I draw a card from an inspirational deck called Touched by a Horse by Melinda Pearce. Every time I read a card’s message, I’m reminded of something that perhaps I’ve forgotten to look at or could put into action in my life.

Today’s reading is “Celebration and Release” ~ an encouragement to celebrate the small successes in life rather than looking at the larger goals to be achieved.

As the card reminds me, “The lesson here is about the power of the collective, smaller victories that must be expressed…” as I move through Life’s Journey.

So, what are the little things I can celebrate today?

The “Maintenance Required” light in my car is NOT an indication of impending disaster, but simply a reminder to get my oil changed. Wow! What a relief!

The call from our veterinarian assured me that my dog’s blood tests were clear. No major health issues. After a few days of worry, this was amazing news.

The weather couldn’t be more beautiful ~ cool and sunny. I celebrate the change of seasons.

Planning for my upcoming workshop is a daily joy. New ideas, collaboration with other people and the incredible reward of sharing this work with a group … all of this fills me with a wonderful sense of excitement. Each step toward the event is an affirmation.

Every small success is a victory and a validation.

What small successes can you celebrate today?

What to Expect from "Living the Circle ..."

Several people have expressed interest in the October workshop, titled Living the Circle: An Exploration of Our Relationships with Creator, the Earth and Each Other. They’ve asked some wonderful questions, one of which is “What is this all about?”

So, to clarify a few things, I thought I’d take a few minutes to share what participants can expect from this workshop.

First, the program involves Equine Guided Education and Coaching. For those who are unfamiliar with this kind of personal growth and learning, the process partners people with horses in activities that are designed to help people connect with their own answers, their own Truth, their own values.

This is an experiential learning process with horses acting as guides or teachers. In other words, as we interact with the horses, insights will surface that relate to other parts of our lives. We’re able to gain different perspectives through these interactions and apply the lessons to daily life.

What can horses teach us? By nature these animals have finely tuned instincts. In a herd or alone, they are acutely aware of their environment at all times; of the subtle shifts in the energy around them. When they’re around people, they respond to our energy and to the shifts within us.

Horses can’t lie or fake their emotions, but they certainly know when we’re faking it! Humans have a tendency to wear “masks.” We may project one emotion when we’re feeling something completely different inside. Horses respond to how we’re truly feeling. So, if we’re all smiles on the outside but feeling anger or grief inside, horses sense the incongruity. They respond to our authentic feelings. Their “feedback” is honest and non-judgmental. This gift allows us to learn more about ourselves, to see our attitudes and behaviors from a different angle, and to re-connect with our authentic selves.

As coaches, Dawn Sanborn and I acknowledge that horses are equal partners in the learning experience. She and I are present to support people learning from horses. We’ll set the activities in motion and allow participants to explore what each experience means on a personal level. We’ll encourage people to expand the lessons beyond the self to reflect on the larger community, to the Earth and to Creator. On occasion, we’ll step in to make inquiries which lend themselves to developing greater awareness during the experience. Otherwise, we get out of the way and let the horses do their work!

Within the context of this workshop, we’ll explore the Circle of Life with horses as our guides. The activities will echo aspects of the Medicine Wheel, beginning in the East and following the path of the sun to the North. Each direction offers us different lessons. Each activity will give participants an opportunity to explore their own Journeys.

There is no riding or training involved. All activities with horses are done on the ground and no horse experience is necessary. We simply ask that you come with an open heart and an open mind.

A traditional Native American Sweat Lodge will follow the workshop. Participants in the workshop will come together to help with lodge preparations and learn what is involved in the process. For people who have never participated in a Sweat Lodge, please go to http://www.manyhorses.org/ (click on the Sweat Lodge page) to learn more about this purification ceremony.

I’d like to take a minute to acknowledge a volunteer, Kate Staley, who’s stepped up to the plate to assist us with this workshop. Volunteers are so important. They invest their time and energy to ensure the day goes smoothly and that everyone gets the greatest benefit from the experience. So, if you come to Living the Circle, please remember to say thanks to Kate for all of her good work!

Also, a great big “Thanks!” in advance to Karen Wolfe and Barbara Morton for allowing us to use their property and to work with their wonderful horses.

To register for the workshop and get directions to this event (held in Bremen, GA) please feel free to get in touch. I can be reached via e-mail at mothercreekhorse@gmail.com

Blessings and Balance …

Nora

October workshop

Living the Circle:
An Exploration of Our Relationships
with Creator, the Earth and Each Other

Offered by
Nora Morbeck, Mother Creek Horse Coaching
and Dawn Sanborn, Outta the Barn


Date: Saturday, October 4, 2008
Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Place: Bremen, GA
Recommended Fee: $100 * ~ includes lunch, snacks & drinks

A Sweat Lodge will follow the workshop.


Notes: This workshop offers an opportunity to gain personal insights, to grow and learn in the company of horses, allowing these beautiful beings to reflect, to guide and to teach us on our journey into better understanding the inter-connectedness of life. Through individual and group activities with horses, participants are free to explore what Living the Circle means to them, how it’s expressed in the self, in family and in our larger community. No riding is involved. All activities are done on the ground. No horse experience is necessary.

About the Facilitators: Nora and Dawn are Equine Guided Educators and Coaches. Both women are graduates of the Wisdom Horse Coaching Apprenticeship program, based in Minneapolis. They bring their unique styles to this workshop, combining their skills and gifts to provide a wonderful, supportive learning experience.

What to bring: notebooks & pens for journaling, lawn chairs, a dish to share after the Sweat Lodge.

For more information, to register and to get directions, contact Nora at mothercreekhorse@gmail.com


* A reduced rate is available, upon request. Please note that there is no fee for the Sweat Lodge.

An Exploration of Procrastination

Cartoon by Dave Walker

Several years ago I facilitated a creativity group based on Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. One week we came upon the concept of “perfectionism” and the author’s insights on how it impacts our lives and sabotages us. Until that point I hadn’t given much thought to the negative aspects of the word or how its meaning works on us.

Ms. Cameron describes perfectionism as a means of self-criticism. In attempting to be perfect we’re actually saying that we aren’t OK just as we are. We aren’t good enough. Nothing is ever good enough to the perfectionist. What happens to us when we subscribe to the “not good enough” mantra? I know what it does to me. It shuts me down. If I’m never going to be good enough, then what’s the point of trying?

That question led to an exploration of another word: procrastination. When I shut down I procrastinate. I associate all kinds of negative behaviors and words with procrastination. The list is comprised of adjectives like lazy, unmotivated, non-productive, and sedentary. I don’t accomplish anything. I distract myself from the activities that I could be doing to move myself forward in life. This is the negative consequence of procrastination.

Recently I’ve started to wonder how procrastination serves me. It must do something for me or I wouldn’t procrastinate. I wouldn’t cave in to the brain chatter that tells me my efforts won’t work or won’t be good enough.

All of us have those little voices – little Gremlins in the mind -- that comment and criticize our thoughts and actions. Why do I choose to listen to mine?

Then I had an epiphany. Procrastination keeps me safe. It doesn’t require me to take risks or rise to challenges. It doesn’t expose me to possible criticism or the chance that some one may disagree with me or not like me. It shields me from the possibility that some one might notice me – that they’ll see I’m not good enough. The procrastination Gremlin tells me, “Stay right where you are. Hide! No one will notice you and you won’t get hurt.”

Procrastination demands camouflage. Its attending Gremlin is the critic that reminds me to remain under cover.

Lately I’ve engaged this particular Gremlin in conversation. I begin by saying, “Thank you. I understand that you’re trying to keep me safe. For that I’m truly grateful. AND I’m going to move forward anyway…” I admit to myself that some actions are risky and balance that with the benefits of forward motion.

The Gremlin never turns off the caution light. It keeps blinking, but with less intensity and urgency. It serves as a reminder that I really could get hurt by taking risks. It’s OK for me to acknowledge that … AND I’m going to move forward anyway.

Be Yourself

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Working with Respect for Humans and Horses

Note: I’m an Equine Guided Educator and Coach. My goal is to provide personal growth and learning opportunities for people by introducing them to experiences with horses, who I respect as equal partners in the process. I create a safe, supportive environment for both people and horses, offering a chance for my clients to gain different perspectives and apply new insights and lessons to their lives.

As an educator and coach, I’m quite clear about my scope of practice. I do not practice psychology. I do not diagnose or treat mental disorders. I do not counsel or advise on mental health issues.

My field is related to Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) in that we facilitate growth and learning in our clients. Our approach and purpose may differ, but there is a common thread that runs through both practices: recognizing horses as helpers and healers.

One concern I have with regard to this work is the unethical treatment of horses in the growth and learning process.

The entry below was inspired by conversations with an intuitive horse trainer/teacher and an article titled “EAP’ed Off” that appears on Chris Irwin’s web site. (The link to Chris’ article is: http://www.chrisirwin.com/articles-chris-eapdoff.php )

It’s not at all my intention to criticize the whole of the EAP community or to say that mistakes aren’t also made by other practitioners in related fields. We all make mistakes. I simply want to add to the larger discussion about healing with horses. This is intended to shine a little light on the subject with the hope that learning continues for all of us in the field of Equine Assisted, Facilitated and/or Guided Learning.


Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is the practice of working with horses to facilitate improved mental health in humans. Practitioners of EAP introduce clients to a variety of activities with horses. By observing and commenting on the interactions between clients and horses, therapists and counselors are able to diagnose and treat mental disorders. Because the mental health professional may not have a thorough working knowledge of horses and horse behavior, a trained facilitator often works in tandem with the counselor, supporting the experiential learning process.

One of the organizations that supports this work is the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA.) This is generally a highly regarded organization. Personally, I’m familiar with the work of several EAGALA certified practitioners, all of whose work I admire.

In reviewing the Code of Ethics for EAGALA, however, I find that there’s something vital missing. While the code specifies that members retain a high level of ethical behavior and professionalism, including providing for the safety of participants, it says nothing specifically about the safety and well being of the horses that are used in the process of human healing.

Though most practitioners might never overtly or intentionally traumatize a horse in order to get results for their clients, it happens. There are several questions that present themselves in relation to this issue. One is this: Is it acceptable to psychologically damage a horse in the process of improving mental health for clients?

A close friend and experienced intuitive trainer and instructor shared the following story with me after reviewing an article she’d found online. It illustrates the ways in which a horse can be damaged in the process of human healing.

The client and therapist come together at the barn to explore the client’s personal issues. The therapist sets the client to the task of moving the horse into a small, enclosed space – something like a stall -- without the aid of a halter or lead line and without touching the horse in any way.

The client struggled with the task. The horse, apparently unsure of the exercise or the goal, was uncooperative and resisted. The therapist urged the client to continue. Be more assertive. Eventually the task was accomplished, representing success to the client and the therapist.

The photo accompanying the article, taken at the end of the session, showed a beaming client and therapist. The horse, on the other hand, showed clear, visible signs of distress that could be identified by anyone with a basic knowledge of equine body language.

At first glance, neither the therapist nor the client seems to have done anything wrong. Mission accomplished, right?

However, at a deeper level, there is something terribly wrong with this scenario. The horse was pressured into a place where it didn’t want to go by some one who didn’t know horses or horse behavior and probably didn’t notice (or care?) that it was scared. The client’s behavior was witnessed and applauded by a mental health professional.

By asserting herself in this way, what did the client learn? The comment I made to my friend was this: “It sounds like she got in touch with her inner bully.”

A client with psychological issues learned how to bully an animal into doing what she wanted. If this client had been abused at some point in her life, how would her behavior in this situation be different than the bullying once visited on her? Suppose she’s experienced personal boundary or assertiveness issues. How does it heal the client to ignore the horse’s boundaries or assert extreme pressure in order to get results?

The horse in the story lived. It wasn’t physically hurt. Nonetheless, there was some level of emotional damage done in the process. Is it acceptable to emotionally damage another being in pursuit of a client's improved mental health?

How could the therapist have facilitated a session without trauma to either the human or the horse? What can we do when the horse seems uncooperative or confused? How do we support our clients in this exploration? To me, the answer is clear: First, understand what constitutes unnecessary stress and anxiety in each situation we put people and horses into. Next, drop our personal agendas and work with what’s happening in the moment.

I can only speak from my own experience. Here’s what I’ve done.

I held a demonstration session in 2007. In the round pen, I asked a volunteer to move one of my horses using a lunge whip, with which the woman was totally unfamiliar. The task was simple. Just get the horse into motion. There were no instructions about how to do this or in what direction. She tried in a half-hearted manner. At one point she stopped and stood near the mare, who eyed the woman with some confusion, but not fear. I put a halt to the exercise and asked, “What’s happening?”

“She doesn’t want to move.”

“How does that relate to what’s happening in your life?”

“You know, I really don’t want to move, either.”

She proceeded to tell me about a career change, how she just needed time to sit in a place of transition and not do anything.

“How does ‘not doing anything’ look” I asked.

She laid down the whip and walked over to the horse where she (and my mare) visibly relaxed. The woman began to pet and talk to my mare. Then she walked over to me. Without halter or lead or direct invitation, my mare followed and stood beside this woman, head relaxed and clearly wanting to be present with her.

Ta da!

This woman didn’t need to move a horse in order to get results. She simply needed to dance in the moment and discover her own truth. In her case, she needed time to just relax and be. Truth is in the Journey, not in the Destination.

To me, it’s not important that a client “successfully” completes a task that I’ve provided. The experience, just as it is, in whatever way it takes shape, resonates with an inner “aha…” for the client. It can’t be about my expectations or goals.

The task itself gave my mare openings for retreat, if she needed it. She’s familiar with a lunge whip and it didn’t frighten her. I watched very carefully to be sure that she wasn’t in any kind of distress. In fact, an observer to this demonstration commented that she watched the horse for signs of fear or anxiety. She’s a horse person and was pleased to see that my mare wasn’t scared at any time during the demo session. That was intentional on my part and I’m glad some one noticed.

As practitioners in the trailblazing fields of Equine Guided Education and Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, our purpose is to facilitate healing, growth and learning in others. We have to be clear that a session isn’t about our own agendas or what a client and horse partner “should” do. We share an obligation to act ethically and humanely. The substance of the work must include consideration of the well being of human and horse.

If we can simply allow the experience to unfold, rather than dictate what it should be, we create an environment that supports and honors all beings.