Equine Paths: A Learning Center

05/31/2026

Today’s Summer Sanctuary Series features Apache, the horse who sees without sight, the one who walks slowly toward every visitor until they soften, breathe, and finally let themselves be honest.
His story is longer, deeper, and more contemplative than the others, because Apache has a way of revealing the truth we carry beneath the surface. I’d love for you to read this week’s essay on Substack,
https://katrinahuntermintz.substack.com/p/the-horse-who-sees-without-sight, and if you feel moved by his quiet faith, you can learn more about supporting the work of Equine Paths on our website.
https://equinepathslearning.org/summer-sanctuary-series

05/30/2026

This week I shared the full manuscript of Horses and Holy Ground with my beta readers, and I didn’t expect it to feel quite like this. I’ve written these pages slowly, prayerfully, and with more honesty than I knew I had. But handing them to others, letting my words, my stories, and the lessons the horses have taught me be seen, has left me feeling more vulnerable than almost anything I’ve done. And I’m not afraid of much.

At a writing retreat this fall, a group of fellow authors placed a quote in my hands that I’ve carried with me ever since. Today, I’m leaning on it again, letting it steady me as I step into this next part of the journey. Learning to trust the work. Learning to live into the dream. And hoping, more than anything, that these words will bless someone the way the writing of them has blessed me.

If you’d like to follow along as Horses and Holy Ground makes its way into the world, I’d love to have you with me. Thanks to Levi Mintz for the amazing photography!

05/28/2026

Hi friends,
I’m looking for a group of thoughtful beta readers for my upcoming book, Horses and Holy Ground.
This book blends experiences with horses, spiritual development, and neuro-awareness (how our nervous systems shape how we show up in the world).
It’s a reflective, story-grounded book, part lived experience, part insight, and part invitation to deeper awareness.
I’m not looking for “proofreaders”, I’m inviting readers who are willing to engage the ideas and tell me:
• Where you felt drawn in or moved
• Where things were unclear or didn’t land
• What felt authentic, grounded, or meaningful
• Where you wanted more clarity or connection
You do not have to be a horse person. In fact, I’m especially interested in a mix of perspectives:
• Horse people / equine practitioners
• Those in spiritual direction or contemplative practice
• Coaches, therapists, or neuro-informed professionals
• Thoughtful readers who are simply curious about growth and meaning
If this sounds interesting to you, I’d love to invite you to sign up here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WHZC9Z8
I’ll follow up with next steps, timing, and what to expect.
Thank you for being part of this process; it means more than I can say.
Katrina

05/20/2026

As my book, Horses and Holy Ground, moves into its final publishing stages, I’ve been thinking a lot about presence, direction, and the quiet wisdom that keeps shaping me through horses and holy ground.
I just shared a new reflection on my Substack; now renamed The Mare and the Map, a title that feels a little truer to the journey I’m writing about and the inner landscapes we’re all navigating.
If you’d like to read the latest post and walk with me through this next chapter, here’s the link. And truly...thank you to each of you who read, follow, and encourage this work. Your presence means more than you know. Your messages and calls of encouragement and support have made this work all the more meaningful to me.
Keep your eye out for a call for Beta Readers soon!
https://katrinahuntermintz.substack.com/p/flight-lessons-for-the-soul

05/17/2026

Choice Is the Antidote to Collapse
Collapse happens when the body feels it has no options left. The nervous system shifts into shutdown when agency disappears. Even one small choice can interrupt that spiral. Choice restores regulation. It tells the body there is still a way forward.

Spirit names this as sacred. Free will is not about control. It is about the dignity of being able to respond, to choose, to participate in the life we are given.

Horses understand this deeply. Under saddle, offering choices builds trust. A soft ask. A release. An invitation they can answer. When a horse feels they have a say, their body stays open. Their mind stays present.

Leadership begins here too. Empowering others starts with empowering yourself. Choosing how you show up. Choosing what you will carry and what you will set down. Choice is not indulgence. It is strength that keeps collapse from taking over.
Deuteronomy 30:19
I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life.

What small choice can you make today that helps your body step out of collapse and back into agency?

05/14/2026

All summer, we will share the stories of our sanctuary herd, the elders, the once-athletes, the horses who carry a life well lived, and the wisdom to share the lessons. These are the horses who will live out their days here at the nonprofit, honored and held just as they are.

Today, we begin with Harley, the jet black barrel horse whose power never left him, even as life invited him into gentler rhythms. His story is one of strength, power, and wisdom that comes when the running stops, but the spirit stays bright.
Read Harley's Story here: https://equinepathslearning.org/summer-sanctuary-series

Thank you for choosing Summer Sanctuary Series, and for honoring the lives and lessons of the horses who have shaped Equine Paths A Learning Center.

I hope you'll stay with us for the next story of Apache, a horse whose courage, trust, and way of moving through the world without sight have changed all of us who love him.

05/14/2026

Equine Paths is grateful for the opportunity to partner once again with the UAB Veterans Entrepreneurship Program this year. It is an honor to work with such an exceptional group of participants.

This work represents a meaningful intersection of my professional role and personal passion.

Our equine and human teaching team is looking forward to engaging in this experience. Horses provide immediate, honest feedback that helps foster awareness, trust, and authentic leadership.

Excited for the learning and growth ahead.

05/13/2026

Why Slowing Down Heals

Slowing down is not a luxury. It is a biological requirement. When we move too fast for too long, the nervous system stays in sympathetic drive. Muscles stay braced. Breath stays shallow. Attention narrows. The body cannot repair itself in that state. Slowness is what allows the parasympathetic system to come back online.

Spirit has always known this. Sabbath is not about inactivity. It is about restoration. A rhythm that lets the body and soul return to steadiness. A way of remembering that we are not machines.

Horses show this with clarity. Slow work builds deeper trust. When we remove urgency, they can think, breathe, and meet us with softness. Slowness is not a lack of progress. It is the condition that makes real learning possible.

Leadership needs this too. Sustainable self‑leadership is built on nervous system health. When we slow down, we lead from presence rather than pressure.

Isaiah 30:15
In returning and rest you will be saved. In quietness and trust will be your strength.

Where is your body asking you to slow down so healing can begin?

05/12/2026

All summer long, I'll be sharing the stories of our sanctuary herd, the elders, the once-athletes, the horses who have carried miles that show up not as wear, but as wisdom.

Our sanctuary herd is made up of those horses whose bodies tell the truth of a life fully lived. Each one taught me something essential about presence, resilience, the quiet courage of beginning again. Their stories are not just about where they came from, but about what they continue to offer...if we are willing to listen.

At Equine Paths, we rarely ask for support, and when we do, it is for horses we are preparing for adoption. This summer is different. These five horses are home for life, seniors, and career-ending injury cases who will never be asked to perform again. They are here to rest, to teach, and to live out their days in peace. Caring for them is a long, steady promise, and one we hold with reverence.

We would love to have you walk alongside us this summer and meet the herd. You can follow the stories on our website, and we will also place them here. Meeting the herd and learning from them won't cost you a penny.

If you feel called to support their care, feed, farrier, vaccines, and daily work of keeping them safe, your generosity helps us honor the lives they've lived and the wisdom they continue to offer. You can read more about the non-profit at

At Equine Paths Learning, we are dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating horses in need, providing them with a safe and nurturing environment. We believe in the transformative power of the human-equine bond and are committed to fostering responsible horse ownership through education and outreach. O...

12/04/2025

Working on something that has been on my heart for years. Can't wait to share it with you all next week.