Empower U Equine

10/01/2026

🐴 MORE THAN RIDING. MORE THAN LESSONS. A PARTNERSHIP THAT HELPS PEOPLE GROW.🐴

If you’re new to Empower U Equine, welcome! And if you’ve been following along for a while, this is a little reminder of who we are and why we do what we do. ❤️

We believe a horse can be so much more than something you ride.

A horse can be a partner, a teacher, a motivator and a powerful tool for learning.

At Empower U Equine Learning & Wellness Centre, we create individualized experiences that use the partnership with a horse to help children and adults learn, connect, move, communicate and grow.

🌱 For children ages 5–12, especially those who may not thrive in traditional group activities, our programs combine movement, learning and connection in a way that feels like fun—not work.

Through riding and horse-based activities, students can work on things like:
• Balance and coordination
• Motor planning and bilateral coordination
• Vestibular and proprioceptive input
• Communication and following directions
• Confidence and independence
• Problem-solving and emotional regulation
• Building trust, connection and self-awareness

And the beautiful part? They’re learning while doing something they want to do—with a horse beside them.

🐴 For adults with cognitive differences, our ground-based programs provide opportunities to build confidence, self-esteem, communication, independence and self-awareness through meaningful interaction and partnership with horses.

🤝 For workplaces, organizations and community groups, we offer experiential team-building experiences where participants step outside their usual environment and work together in a completely different kind of team—a herd of horses.

Through hands-on challenges and horse interactions, groups explore communication, collaboration, leadership, problem-solving and the importance of understanding the individuals who make up a team.

So, who are we?

We are Barbie Harder and Shannon Dickey, and together we bring experience, education and a passion for helping people discover what they can do.

🐴 We are Equestrian Canada Certified Riding Instructors for Beginners and Equine Assisted Learning Facilitators.

🛡️ We are fully insured with a strong commitment to safety for every participant, every horse and every experience.

Barbie holds certification in Rehabilitation and has spent the past 23 years working as an Educational Assistant, bringing a wealth of experience in supporting individuals with diverse learning needs.

Shannon holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, has additional certification in Adaptive and Intensive Riding Instruction, and continues her education through the University of Guelph's equine program.

But what really makes Empower U different?
We don't believe every student needs to fit into the same lesson.

We believe the lesson should fit the student.

Here, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. We look at the individual in front of us, discover what motivates them, recognize how they learn best, and build experiences around their strengths and goals.

Because success doesn't look the same for everyone.

For one child, success might be independently mounting their horse. For another, it might be communicating with their instructor, navigating an obstacle, trying something new, or simply discovering, “I can do this.”

And sometimes the biggest lessons happen when the goal isn't about riding at all.

From the ground to the saddle, we're creating opportunities for people to learn, connect and grow—with horses as their partners.

🐴 Empower U Equine Learning & Wellness Centre. Individual journeys. Meaningful partnerships. Big possibilities.

www.empoweruequine.ca
Empower U Equine

09/30/2026

There are still spaces available for this impactful day on October 17th right here Empower U Equine.

If you would like more information you can reach out to us or contact Regulate & Thrive Consulting 🐴❤️

09/28/2026

Sophia was a shining light. She was the one I called on to take care of the horses when I left, help with kids camps when more hands were needed, or the painful job or cleaning tin. Her life has been taken much too soon, leaving her family to bare the unthinkable.

Her mother Tanya is a dear friend and experiencing pain no mother should ever have to. It's times like this that communities come together to support one another, and that is exactly what Tanya needs now. 💔

Hi, I'm Natasha, cousin to Tanya and Sophia. This fundraiser is … Natasha Hnidy needs your support for In Loving Memory of Sophia Pannell - Supporting Tanya

09/22/2026

Last week, we watched a group of coworkers become a team in a whole new way—working alongside our herd of horses, where communication, trust, leadership and connection matter.

There were plenty of laughs, a few challenges, and lots of “aha” moments. And along the way, they discovered some pretty powerful lessons about what it takes to make a herd strong, connected and working together.

The best part? They didn’t just leave with a great experience—they left with lessons they could take back to their workplace and put into action.

Sometimes the best way to strengthen your team is to step outside the office and work with a completely different one. 🐴🤝

www.empoweruequine.ca

09/16/2026

And just like that, we're back in the arena where little hands learn big lessons - with a lot of help from our horses. 🐴✨️

09/15/2026

✨️Meet The Presenter ✨️

Regulate AND Empower Retreat
October 17th @ Empower U Equine
Nipawin, Saskatchewan
10 am to 4 pm

Desirea Binning is the Founder of Regulate & Thrive Consulting, an educator, consultant, researcher, advocate, and author specializing in neurodiversity-affirming practices.

She holds a B.Ed., a Postgraduate Certificate in Special Education, and an M.Ed. in Educational Psychology and Special Education. With experience as a classroom teacher, special education teacher, administrator, consultant, and parent of two neurodivergent children,

Desirea brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work. She is the author of You Are NOT Your Meltdownand is passionate about supporting educators, healthcare professionals, community organizations, and families through practical, research-informed approaches to co-regulation and inclusion.

If you are a caregiver for neurodivese children looking for a unique day of learning and self-care, then joining us on October 17th is just what you need!

Regulate & Thrive Consulting

09/14/2026

All set up and ready to welcome a new team into the arena! 🐴

Today, our horses are stepping into their role as some pretty unique coworkers as we explore communication, trust, leadership and teamwork from a whole new perspective.

We’re excited to see what this team learns about themselves, each other — and their new four-legged colleagues! 💫

09/13/2026

🍂🐴 Welcome to Fall! 🐴🍂

We’re so excited to welcome our families back to the arena this week for another season of learning, connection and growth!

We’re looking forward to spending time with the kids — creating opportunities for them to learn new skills, build confidence, connect with their horses, and grow in ways that reach far beyond the arena.

There’s something pretty special about the lessons that happen when we slow down, spend time with a horse, try something new, and discover what we’re capable of. ❤️

We can’t wait to see familiar faces, meet new ones, and share another season of learning, connecting and growing — together with the horses.

Welcome back! 🐴🍁

09/09/2026

What if understanding your child started with understanding their nervous system? 💙🐴

Caregiving can be beautiful, rewarding—and sometimes completely exhausting.

Join us and Regulate & Thrive Consulting for a one-day Equine-Assisted Caregiver Retreat designed to give you space to connect, learn, breathe, and reconnect with yourself.

Through guided experiences with horses, we’ll explore nervous-system regulation, connection, communication, and what it means to support our children while also taking care of ourselves.

No horse experience is necessary. Just come as you are.

🐴 Connect with horses.
🧠 Understand your child’s nervous system.
💙 Reconnect with yourself.
📅 October 17, 2026 | 10 AM–4 PM
📍 Empower U Equine Wellness Centre, near Nipawin
🎟️ 125/person | Only 12 spots
If your nervous system could use a little breathing room, we'd love to have you join us.

📧 [email protected] or send us a message to learn more. ❤️

06/16/2026

Definitely worth the read! ❤️

Why Do We Love Horses?

Sometimes I write an article or make a statement in a video that generates tremendous enthusiasm and overwhelmingly positive comments. Other times I trigger significant controversy. Sometimes a video receives only a few thousand views. Other times it reaches millions.

For years I have wondered why.

The answer cannot simply be the quality of the content, because some of the ideas I consider most important receive relatively little attention, while a seemingly simple observation can ignite an emotional wildfire.

Over time, I have come to suspect that the strongest reactions are not actually about the horses. They are about identity.

I have spent most of my life around horse people. Cowboys, dressage riders, jumpers, racehorse trainers, trail riders, competitive riders, recreational riders, harness horse drivers, teamsters, natural horsemanship practitioners, traditional trainers, therapeutic instructors, rescuers, and advocates of positive reinforcement.

What fascinates me is that nearly all of them claim to love horses.

Yet these same people often disagree passionately about training, riding, management, welfare, equipment, competition, ethics, and good horsemanship.

How can people who love the same animal become so divided?

The question that increasingly interests me is not whether people love horses. It is what they actually mean when they say it.

Because the longer I observe both horses and humans, the more I realize that we may not all be loving the same thing for the same reason.

For many people, horses become far more than an interest. They become part of our identity.

We do not simply ride or drive horses. We become horse people.

We build friendships around horses. Communities around horses. Businesses around horses. Entire lives around horses.

And as in many areas of life, influential clinicians can sometimes attract almost guru-like followings.

The horse becomes deeply woven into our sense of who we are.

And this is not necessarily a problem. In many ways it is beautiful.

But the problem begins when our identity becomes so attached to horses that we can no longer clearly see either the horse or ourselves.

Years ago I listened to a cowboy passionately criticize what he described as the arrogance of English riders. As he spoke, I noticed the large championship belt buckle displayed proudly on his waist.

The irony was not that he wore the buckle. The irony was that he could easily recognize status-seeking behaviour in others while remaining blind to his own.

Of course, this is not a cowboy problem. I suspect we all do it. It is a human problem.

English riders have their symbols and Western riders have theirs. Dressage riders have theirs. Natural horsemanship practitioners have theirs. Competitive riders have theirs. Positive reinforcement trainers have theirs. Traditional trainers have theirs.

Different costumes. Different cultures. Different language.

Yet beneath them often lies the same human desire:

To belong.
To be respected.
To matter.
To be understood.
To know who we are.

Perhaps this is why discussions about horses become so emotionally charged.

When someone questions a training method, we may hear them questioning our competence.

When someone points out tension in a horse, we may hear criticism of our character.

When someone challenges our beliefs, we may feel our identity is under attack.

What appears to be an argument about horses is often something much deeper.

It is an argument about ourselves and what we value.

The horse world contains countless expressions of love.

Some people love collecting horses. One becomes three. Three become ten. The accumulation itself becomes gratifying. The horses may be cherished and well cared for, yet like a child with toys, quantity becomes part of the attraction.

Some people love achievement. Competition provides challenge, purpose, discipline, and growth. For some, the ribbon represents a personal standard of excellence. For others, it represents recognition and approval. The same trophy can satisfy very different personal needs.

Some people love the horse as a working partner. On ranches, farms, and in countless practical settings, horses still have jobs to do. There can be enormous respect in these relationships. Yet it is worth asking whether we love the horse itself or what the horse enables us to accomplish.

Others love the excitement horses provide.

The speed.
The danger.
The adventure.
The uncertainty.
The thrill of competition.
The thrill of gambling.

The horse becomes associated with exhilaration itself.

Then there is the beloved heart horse. The horse who understands us. The horse who comforts us. The horse who seems to see us in ways few humans do.

These relationships can be profoundly meaningful.

Yet even here there is room for reflection.

How much of what we love is the horse?

And how much is the way the horse makes us feel?

How much is the horse itself?

And how much is our longing for acceptance, connection, goodness, or belonging reflected back through the horse?

These questions are not intended to diminish our love. They are intended to deepen it.

Because there may be a profound difference between loving what a horse does for us and loving the horse itself.

Horses do need things from us.

Food.
Water.
Safety.
Health care.
Social connection.

But horses do not care about our divisions.

They do not care whether we ride English or Western. They do not care about our trophies, titles, certifications, social media following, or reputation. They do not care which training philosophy we belong to.

Horses care about something far simpler.

How we make them feel.
Whether they feel safe.
Whether they feel understood.
Whether their wellbeing matters.

Perhaps the deepest form of love is not found in what we get out of horses.

Not identity.
Not status.
Not achievement.
Not healing.
Not excitement.
Not recognition.

But in our willingness to place the horse's wellbeing alongside, and sometimes ahead of, our own wants and needs.

Perhaps genuine horsemanship begins when we become curious about not just what we are doing with horses, but why.

Why do I ride?
Why do I compete?
Why do I collect horses?
Why do I feel defensive?
Why do I need others to agree with me?
Why do I need to be right?

Why do I love horses?

I know for myself that I can honestly say my long life with horses has included all of the above.

The answers will be different for every person. But I suspect the future of horsemanship depends less on finding universal answers than on having the courage to ask better questions.

The horse may not care whether we are English or Western. Competitive or recreational. Traditional or progressive.

But the horse can offer us an opportunity to become more honest human beings.

Not only about horses.

But about ourselves.