It Takes the Herd

04/09/2026

Today, we remember the thousands of Canadians who fought and gave their lives in the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917. 🇨🇦

To them and all Canadians in uniform, we say thank you for your service.

03/31/2026

Today, on International Transgender Day of Visibility, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and beauty of trans and non-binary individuals in our community. Your identity is valid. Your voice matters. You deserve to be seen, supported, and safe- today and every day 🩵🩷🤍

03/27/2026

03/06/2026

Another awesome post!

Ever noticed how emotions spread through a yard faster than a loose pony?

One person is stressed.
Another person starts rushing.
Someone snaps at someone else.
Before you know it the whole place feels tense.

The horses feel it too.

There is actually a name for this in psychology. Emotional contagion.

It simply means that humans (and animals) unconsciously “catch” each other’s emotional states. Our brains are constantly reading body language, tone of voice, breathing patterns, and facial expressions.

We mirror what we see.

Research in social neuroscience suggests this happens through systems in the brain linked to mirror neurons, which help us understand and reflect the behaviour and emotions of others. In simple terms, our nervous systems are always scanning the environment and adjusting to it.

That’s why:

• One anxious person can make a whole room uneasy
• One calm person can steady a chaotic situation
• One panicked handler can make a horse tense
• One regulated handler can help a horse settle

Horses are particularly sensitive to this. They evolved to read tiny shifts in energy and behaviour in order to survive as prey animals.

So when we walk into a field frustrated, rushed, or upset, they often feel it before we’ve even clipped the lead rope on.

But the good news works both ways.

Calm spreads too.
Safety spreads too.
Confidence spreads too.

When we slow our breathing, soften our posture, and become more regulated, horses often start to mirror that shift.

The herd notices.

It’s a quiet reminder that regulation isn’t just a personal skill. It’s something that shapes the whole environment around us.

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can bring to a yard, a session, or a difficult day…

is simply a regulated nervous system.

Have you ever noticed your horse reacting to your mood before you’ve even done anything?

I’d love to hear your stories. 🐴💛

03/04/2026

One of the two leggeds is dabbling in a bit of amigurumi. It Takes the Herd fans…can you guess who this is?

03/02/2026

Candy would like you to know she prefers classical music or EMINEM. It depends on the day.

03/01/2026

With wind chills in the -20’s over the next few nights we won’t be taking rugs off quite yet but soon!!

HAPPY SUNDAY BUT MOREEEEEEE IMPORTANTLY ..... DRUM ROLL PLEASE HAPPY 1ST OF MARCH YOU ABSOLUTE FERAL EQUIMOTIONAL YARD GOBLINS 🌞🐴

We have survived.

We have crawled, emotionally damp and sh*t-scented, out of the swamp that was January and February.

And today… the sun is OUT.

Actual sunshine. Not that pale “is it or is it not?” nonsense. Proper, squinting, take-your-coat-off, vitamin D straight to the soul sunshine.

Both of mine are naked.
No rugs.
None.

I stood there this morning, stared at the sky and said, “No. It’s spring. I refuse to participate in winter any longer.” I REFUSE I TELL YOU.

Is it 6 degrees? Possibly.
Is there still mud that could swallow a welly whole? Absolutely.
Do I care? Not even slightly. I AM DONE.

Because March 1st is not just a date.
It’s a declaration. 🚫

It’s the moment we collectively decide:

🌱 The head torch will be retired.
🌱 The rugs will be launched dramatically into the tack room.
🌱 The moulting will begin (may God have mercy on our dark clothing).
🌱 The feral goblin energy shifts from “seasonal depression” to “chaotic optimism.”

You can feel it, can’t you?

The horses are brighter.
The yard chatter is lighter.
We’re already planning things like summer shows and BBQs like we didn’t spend last week googling “can horses live underwater?.”

So congratulations. Genuinely.

You kept them fed.
You kept them dry-ish.
You kept turning up when it was horizontal rain and financial stress and emotional exhaustion.

And now?

Now we stand in the yard, blinking into the sunlight like victorious swamp creatures, and we say:

We made it.

Happy 1st of March, you mud-splattered legends. 🌞💛

Drop below if your rugs are off!!!!

02/28/2026

Winter heaviness is starting to lift

02/26/2026

For my Ontario friends in the Clarence-Rockland area this is good news!

Congratulations to Julie Lalonde for completing your Pro-EFW Human Services Specialist (HSS) Certification 🎉

Julie is a Registered Social Worker and psychotherapist based in Clarence-Rockland, Ontario. She combines relational and psychodynamic psychotherapy with equine-facilitated work. Her approach is inspired by the horses’ natural way of being, which invites reflection and self-discovery. In the grounded presence of horses, she supports individuals in gently exploring the narratives they carry, fostering deeper understanding and connection with themselves and others.

To connect with Julie please visit: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/therapists/julie-m-lalonde-ottawa-on/1099873