Daring Greatly

10/12/2026

“Perhaps the secret of living well is not in having all the answers but in pursuing unanswerable questions in good company.” -Rachel Naomi Remen

10/08/2026

Mental health affects all of us. 1 in 5 people will be affected by mental illness in their lifetime, yet many people still struggle to find support that works for them.

Horses can be part of the solution.

With their sensitivity, presence, and nonjudgmental nature, horses can create opportunities for connection, regulation, and growth, sometimes reaching people in ways words alone cannot. Through professionally guided programs, they can provide real-time feedback and help people build trust, self-awareness, and hope.

This , we’re highlighting the powerful role horses can play in mental health and the meaningful connections that can help people feel seen, supported, and less alone.

10/08/2026

When you get a group of amazing women, who also happen to be officers, out in the arena for a session with horses you will get some pretty awesome braids! These braids appeared during quiet time spent with the herd focusing on connection, mindfulness, and co-regulation. Horses are sooooo good for your mental health and we are happy to join the Challenge at Daring Greatly.

Thank you to Horses for Mental Health for for showcasing HORSETOBER™, an annual celebration of the horse-human connection to .

Just as individual strands remain distinct while becoming part of a braid, every story adds to a growing picture of the countless horses, people, relationships and communities that make up the horse-human connection.

Here's how to get involved:

1. Connect — Spend meaningful time with a horse. Ride, walk, groom, volunteer, observe, or simply be together.

2. Create — Make a braid as a symbol of your connection.

3. — Share your story on social media using + and nominate others to keep the braid moving.

Calling on our friends at:
Harnessing Hope
Reins of Hope Equine Ministry
Mustangs of Service
Grace Mountain Ranch
Turning Point Therapeutic Riding
Naturally Gifted Foundations
Narrow Gate Horse Ranch

Every braid tells a story. Every share weaves our stories together.

10/06/2026

Thank you to all our first responders!

There is a reason most people never have to see some of the things officers see.

Someone has to be there. Someone has to handle it. Someone has to protect the people who never have to know what happened.

10/06/2026

09/28/2026

We spend so much of our lives in activation that many of us have forgotten something the horse still understands instinctively: the body was never designed to stay there.

Watch horses in a natural social environment and you see this beautifully. Something changes. A sound, movement or perceived threat catches their attention. Heads come up. Bodies prepare. The nervous system mobilises energy so they can respond.

And when the moment passes, ideally, so does the activation.
They move. They breathe. They reconnect. They return to grazing. Their bodies are given the opportunity to complete the response rather than remain caught inside it.

The problem is not activation itself. Activation is intelligent. It is part of the body's ancient survival system.

The problem comes when a horse lives in circumstances where their nervous system rarely gets the message that the moment has passed.

Chronic pain. Social isolation. Lack of movement. Unpredictability. Repeated stress. Environments where they cannot create distance or make meaningful choices. Even experiences from the past can influence what their nervous system anticipates today.

Over time, a body that repeatedly expects something to happen can begin living as though something is always about to happen.
And this is where I think we need to look beyond behaviour.
The tense horse. The explosive horse. The hypervigilant horse. The horse who cannot settle. The horse who seems to go from zero to one hundred.

Instead of immediately asking how we stop what we are seeing, we can become curious about what is happening underneath it.
What is this horse's nervous system preparing for?

Because sometimes healing is not about teaching a horse to control their response.

It is about creating enough safety, movement, connection, choice and consistency that their body finally begins to understand:
I don't have to stay ready anymore.

That is a very different way of seeing the horse.

09/25/2026

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness"
- Lamentations 3:22-23

This morning’s sunrise 🌅

09/21/2026

Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued. - Brené Brown

09/21/2026

Every group we serve we see God working through our herd.

09/17/2026

Our new friends Grace Horizon came up with a great list of qualities of herd members. What would you add? What types of people do you want in your herd?