Sunny Side Horsemanship

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Sunny Side Horsemanship Horsemanship trainer and coach. Helping others create connection & build confidence with compassion.

How long does it take to get to know your horse? I think the real question here is how long does it take to get to know ...
10/21/2026

How long does it take to get to know your horse? I think the real question here is how long does it take to get to know yourself. How we perceive and respond to fears, failures, success, and simply just existing changes each and every relationship that we have including those with our horses. How we react and respond to different situations changes the outcome of that situation and our relationships going forward. Truly knowing our horse depends on our perception of them and ourselves and the relationship that we have with ourselves first.

When we approach a relationship pointing out everything that individual is doing wrong and constantly looking at what has to be changed in order for them to be acceptable to us, that will not be a relationship without conflict and disappointment. Yet most of us approach ourselves and other relationships, human or equine, in this manner. Always pointing out what we do not like and trying to shove them into a box that works and is convenient and comfortable for us rather than giving them what they actually need.

Those needs may be taking a step back, slowing down, getting rid of drills and strict regimes that give them no space to relax and just acknowledging where they are in that moment and it’s a perfectly normal experience. Or, they also may need more boundaries, developing a very structured routine with incredibly clear expectations so the they can relax inside those safe boundaries. The direction needed for the relationship greatly depends on our and their past experiences, what we both have come to know as our truth, and what we both need in order to move forward in life.

Discovering where we are stuck ourselves, helping to create conflict, and overcoming it becomes a never ending process as we learn and grow and change in our life.

10/19/2026

I love working with babies to help them get the right start on the ground with their manners so they can be easily handled and not develop bad habits before they even get riding. Melody is learning how to stand quietly for her first trim.

To help you get to know me and my business better, here are a few random facts about myself and Sunny Side Horsemanship....
10/14/2026

To help you get to know me and my business better, here are a few random facts about myself and Sunny Side Horsemanship.

I never purposely thought out and strategized to start my own business. Opportunities arose and I grabbed on and let it take me on this wild and wonderful ride.

Anakin & Belle, my now 3yo’s that are coming up to be my next personal riding horses, are the only horses I’ve ever had that I actually shopped for.

I have an incredibly curious mind that gets easily bored if I don’t keep learning new things, so each year I pick a topic to dive in and explore and then work on integrating it into what I do and offer here. A few of these topics are:
-Human biomechanics and movement specifically to how it affects riding.
-Equine biomechanics and movement to include rehab work and massage and nerve release techniques.
-Training techniques and methods from a wide verity of trainers, backgrounds, and disciplines, how they are similar or different and how horses respond to those different approaches.
-Brain based education for both horse and human to move through fears and trauma.
-Photography because I absolutely love it and it’s my absolute favorite form of art.
-This year my topic is learning how to become a better teacher as well as truly coaching people through what makes them get stuck in life.

I kept seeing a pattern everywhere I went where I could teach all the skill sets and encourage mindsets but when someone truly got blocked mentally or emotionally without a clear reason why; completely useless to help. Thus my current curiosity deep dive and O.M.G. the things I have and still am learning!

A new world has opened up to me. I have found places I kept getting stuck not even knowing I was, and have been able to start integrating those processes and skills right into my sessions with people I am teaching.

So now, in addition to regular lessons I already offer as part of my training package, I officially am offering horse free coaching sessions to help you move forward through the things that keep you stuck whether it involves your horse or other areas of your life. I also am adding coaching as separate service and like the horsemanship and riding lessons I offer, coaching is available in person or virtually.

Connection is one of life’s greatest joys. To have the compassion and courage to open yourself to another being growing ...
10/07/2026

Connection is one of life’s greatest joys. To have the compassion and courage to open yourself to another being growing beyond the pain of past. To acknowledge your shortcomings and strive to grow better and stronger leaving judgment, blame and shame of yourself and others in the past in search of the fullest and liveliest of lives.

It’s definitely not for everyone and can certainly be distracting for some, but I have found over the years that I work ...
09/30/2026

It’s definitely not for everyone and can certainly be distracting for some, but I have found over the years that I work significantly better anytime I stuff headphones into my ears, turn on some music, and go.

My brain just absorbs every little sound, movement, and emotion around me and turning on the music sets a consistent rhythm and shuts much of the rest out in a way that helps me stay consistent in my responses and energy.

Every time I rake my arena I fall in love with it all over again, and am thankful I invested so much $ on it and the too...
09/28/2026

Every time I rake my arena I fall in love with it all over again, and am thankful I invested so much $ on it and the tools that keep it rideable year round. The next 8 months are my favorite for training!

Observation without attaching stories to the observations is the key to success with your horse and yourself. Assigning ...
09/26/2026

Observation without attaching stories to the observations is the key to success with your horse and yourself.

Assigning stories to what is happening is relying on past experiences to tell you what is happening in the moment which is a sign of a sympathetic nervous system at work.

A sympathetic system has its place to keep you safe, like knowing that the signs the horse is giving you are similar to what other horses have done before bucking, rearing, etc, and allowing you to make decisions to deescalate the situation and keep everyone safe. However, if you rely on the past to tell you everything, you will not be able to observe what is actually currently happening which is the parasympathetic nervous system at work.

Slowing down and observing what is currently happening with yourself and your horse and how they are communicating without assigning stories allows you to respond to the actual situation. It allows you to understand where your horse currently is emotionally, physically and mentally here and now to progress in the way you need to today in the current environment.

Horses have the ability to facilitate change in the people who are ready, open, and listening. So many of my devastating...
09/25/2026

Horses have the ability to facilitate change in the people who are ready, open, and listening.

So many of my devastating, embarrassing, soul cleansing, ah ha moments that truly made me look at myself and why I think and do things certain ways, were presented to me by the horse.

Sometimes the lesson had to be taught over and over as I struggled to understand what was happening until I was willing to sit down, try to figure out what was going on and why and then realize, like always, the problem lay within myself.

Horsemanship is the study of the horse to create growth in yourself and until you’re willing to look within, you will only be scratching the surface.

When a horse comes to me, I have no expectations for it. Even if the owner tells me the ground work is great but the iss...
09/24/2026

When a horse comes to me, I have no expectations for it. Even if the owner tells me the ground work is great but the issue is with riding. I do not expect that horse to be good with anything. I start from scratch and let the horse tell me where they are.

Today, in this moment and this environment how does this horse respond to being caught and led, being handled and groomed, and on down the list towards the end goal of what the owner desires to do. Whenever I reach the spot that the horse does not do well, I work on that. If that means I work on approach, catching and haltering, that is what I work on.

Tomorrow when I pull the horse out I will not expect it to do well with everything it did yesterday. I will again be aware of how it does when I approach, catch and halter, lead, groom, and on down the list until once again I reach the spot that needs work.

I take note of changes from day to day but do not expect that just because yesterday the wind was blowing and the horse did well that it will also do well today when the weather is perfect.

Horses can have changes in what they’re comfortable and able to do day to day just like we can. Getting stuck in a mindset that they should know this by now means we are not communicating with and listening to our horse in what today is. We are stuck in past experiences or future desires.

Learning in not linear. It is a spiral 🌀 always coming back to the same concepts with more refinement.

Address

66 Lula Lane
Farmville, VA
23901

Telephone

+15406340040

Website

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