The Story of Kona

Her ad in Horse Deals magazine said, “Exciting Project.” 7 years ago, I bought this energetic mare and thought I’d re-train and sell her. She was sold to me very cheaply because the owner was scared of her. She bit anyone who touched her, kicked, bucked and reared. Essentially, she hated humans due to her traumatic experience in the racing industry.

I wanted a challenge and a challenge is what I got. Even though I'm an EA Accredited Coach, and I thought I knew what I was doing, nothing went to plan. Quite the opposite! Since I couldn’t touch her initially, I worked with her at liberty. I even took the fence down so she had more freedom to get away if she wanted. Interestingly, the more freedom I gave her, the more she wanted to be with me.

She was the ultimate teacher. She had very high standards and a very short fuse. She forced me to look at everything I did and why. I did end up riding her, taught her to lunge at liberty and rear on command. (Since she was such a good rearer). But nowadays, I prefer to just spend time with her. When I put my arms around her neck, she yawns and relaxes. When I lie on the ground, she stands over me a guards me like her foal. Through it all, we've developed a deep, mutually trusting relationship. My plan failed and I'm grateful because she turned me into a better human…more compassionate, more aware and more open-minded.

The horse-human soul journey is a process of transformation that takes place over many years and continues to evolve every day. In every moment, we have a choice: to be stuck in our habits or become something new that feels more in alignment with our truth. This is what Kona showed me.

What are your horses showing you?