EquiHeart

EquiHeart The Equine Encounter for Personal Growth and Relationship Development. Horses teaching Humans Come accept an invitation from a horse!

EquiHeart is a program managed through the psychotherapy practice of Connett & Associates, through which people learn to improve their relationships and gain insight into their personal challenges by interacting with horses. The Equine Encounter - a "Guided Horsemanship Experience" - is a personal growth and recreational activity offered through EquiHeart where participants enter into "The World of the Horse." Through observation of and interaction with horses, participants have the opportunity to develop their own unique partnerships with horses. By stepping outside our familiar world and entering into the dynamic world of the horse, we encounter highly intuitive, sensitive, alert animals that can teach us the importance of intentional, focused, direct and honest communication, thus helping us improve relationships in our world. The Equine Encounter is an experience for individuals, couples, families and groups that is enlightening and fun, and a positive, effective way to recognize one's strengths. Learning life lessons in communication, assertiveness, confidence-building and problem-solving through interacting with horses is an experience you will never forget! Your life will be changed for the better!

Free Horse Pasture Board in exchange for feeding shifts AND possibility of free RV/Camper lodging! Waverly Hall GA. Equi...
01/02/2026

Free Horse Pasture Board in exchange for feeding shifts AND possibility of free RV/Camper lodging! Waverly Hall GA.

EquiHeart has an incredible opportunity for a Horse Caretaker exchange coming in early February. The exchange is that you provide experienced caretaking for EquiHeart’s horses (3) and cats (2-4), along with your own horse, for 7 feeding shifts per week in exchange for a pasture board arrangement (stall is available if needed) for 1-2 gelding horse(s) (non-dominant, non-aggressive). Your horse(s) must be suitable to be part of my equine therapeutic horsemanship herd. Some feed shifts can occasionally be covered by EquiHeart feed staff, that you would pay, if needed.

We have paddocks/pasture suitable for riding or training, some cleared trails around the property, a pond and a round pen.

Another possibility to add onto the Horse Caretaker exchange is a live-in arrangement in a camper or RV, if you own one to re-locate to our farm, or one may be available for purchase in mid-February. We have a full hook up available on our property. You would be responsible for your power, internet and cell phone service.

Please only serious, experienced applicants need apply. Contact Mary Ellen MacDonald at connettandassoc@aol.com or message me with your description of your horse care experience, your gelding horse(s)’s age(s), temperament, training, activities.

Thank you!

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12/31/2025

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Peace on Earth Is A Dog

His name is Aloka, the Peace Dog.
In Sanskrit, Aloka means light, brightness, vision, splendor and symbolizes knowledge, clarity, and enlightenment. He is currently walking with a group of Buddhist monks across the United States in their Walk for Peace.

Before Aloka was walking, here, he was a stray dog in India. When a group of Buddhist monks began a peace walk there, he started following them, and never stopped. He stayed by their side through bad weather, illness, and even after being hit by a car.

While most dogs eventually wandered off, Aloka chose to keep going. That quiet loyalty is what led the monks to officially welcome Aloka as part of their group.

The months-long, mindful journey is focused on compassion, kindness, and connection. The Buddhist monks and Aloka began their Walk for Peace in Texas and are making their way to Washington, D.C. Aloka walks when he wants to and rides in a small cart when he needs rest. Along the way, local veterinarians have met Aloka and offered to give him a checkup if needed. He's received massages too.

If you are fortunate enough to see Aloka and the monks during their Walk for Peace, you are welcome to observe, walk alongside them for a bit or simply wave from a safe spot. There are no speeches, no signs – just presence.
The art of being. The art of dog.

Source: Kaitlyn Ross, journalist
Walk for Peace Aloka the Peace Dog

Here’s another interpretation of the year of the Fire Horse, 2026. For me, this brings together my two programs, EquiHea...
12/27/2025

Here’s another interpretation of the year of the Fire Horse, 2026. For me, this brings together my two programs, EquiHeart and Fierce Feminine Fire. I feel that the importance of these two programs in empowering, encouraging, and motivating people to live their best lives as their best selves is all converging now.

I’m remaining open to what this Energy calls me to do. My prayer is that the offerings will reach the people that need to work with Horses and discover the power in the stillness that horses offer. And to embrace their inner passion, creativity, and spirit in ways that they never have before.

We only get a short time in this life. I do believe we have more than one lifetime but as our souls evolve through each lifetime, we are being given another chance to express what is deepest inside of our soul and bring it out as a gift to the world.

I encourage each one of you to be in contemplation and meditation about this for this coming year.

Enjoy this interpretation I found it really inspiring.

The year 2026 marks the return of the Fire Horse in Chinese Zodiac astrology, an energetic combination that has long been associated with movement, intensity, and decisive change. Even outside of myth or mysticism, the symbolism of the Fire Horse is fairly straightforward and powerful. It represents a year where momentum increases, where people feel a stronger urge to act, and where life tends to move faster than usual.

In Chinese astrology, the Horse is a symbol of independence, travel, vitality, and personal drive. It is associated with motion, confidence, and the desire for freedom. The Horse does not like to be constrained, whether by routine, authority, or outdated expectations. When the element of Fire is added, that desire becomes more urgent and visible. Fire represents passion, clarity, courage, and expression. It brings things into the open and tends to speed up whatever it touches. Together, Fire and Horse create a year that emphasizes action, self-determination, and bold choices.

Astrologically, Fire Horse years often correlate with periods of social acceleration and personal turning points. People tend to feel less patient with situations that feel stagnant or misaligned. There is often a collective sense that something has to change, even if the exact direction is not immediately clear. This is not a year that favors playing small or staying comfortable simply for the sake of stability. The Fire Horse energy encourages risk, movement, and initiative, sometimes before all the details are fully worked out.

Looking back at previous Fire Horse years helps give context to what this energy can bring, not only in terms of disruption, but also in terms of lasting progress. The most recent Fire Horse year before 2026 was 1966, a time often remembered for upheaval, but it was also a year that catalyzed profound and necessary transformations. Beneath the unrest of the era were breakthroughs that reshaped society in enduring ways. Civil rights legislation gained momentum and visibility, youth culture began redefining values around freedom, equality, and self-expression, and rigid social hierarchies were challenged in ways that permanently altered the collective trajectory. Artistic innovation flourished, music and literature became vehicles for truth-telling, and new forms of identity and community began to take shape. Many of the freedoms and cultural shifts that later generations would take for granted were seeded during this volatile but fertile time.

Fire Horse years tend to act as accelerants for changes that are already overdue. They bring buried truths to the surface and force conversations that can no longer be postponed. While this process can feel chaotic in the moment, it often results in greater authenticity, expanded rights, and the breaking of cycles that have long restricted growth. Historically, periods associated with Fire Horse energy have coincided with leaps in creative expression, technological curiosity, and the courage to imagine alternatives to the status quo. What begins as tension frequently matures into reform, innovation, and renewed vitality.

On a personal level, Fire Horse years often highlight themes of autonomy and direction. Many people feel called to change careers, relocate, end relationships that limit their growth, or finally pursue goals they have postponed. While the restlessness of this energy can be uncomfortable, it is rarely meaningless. It tends to arise when the soul senses that it has outgrown its current container. In positive expressions, Fire Horse years empower individuals to claim leadership over their own lives, to trust their instincts, and to move toward paths that feel more alive and self-directed.

There is also a confidence that can emerge during Fire Horse years, a sense of remembering one’s inner strength. People often discover capabilities they did not know they possessed, simply because circumstances demand courage and adaptability. Obstacles that once felt immovable may suddenly dissolve, not because conditions are perfect, but because the will to move forward becomes stronger than the fear of change.

Spiritually and psychologically, 2026 is likely to feel like a year of initiation through experience rather than reflection alone. Lessons tend to come through real-world choices and lived consequences. Clarity often arrives after action, not before it. While this can challenge those who prefer certainty, it can also be deeply empowering. The Fire Horse teaches discernment through movement and wisdom through engagement. It rewards sincerity, self-honesty, and the willingness to take responsibility for one’s direction.

Debbie Edwards

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12/26/2025

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What does 2026 .... the Year of the Horse ...mean for us?

Not in a loud, charging, “run faster, do more” way.
But in a deeply embodied, truth-telling way.

The Horse, symbolically, is about:

freedom

movement

instinct

truth

nervous system wisdom

connection over control

And 2026 asks us something very simple ..... and very uncomfortable:

Are you living in alignment with yourself,
or are you still trying to outrun something?

The Year of the Horse doesn’t reward force.
It responds to authenticity.

It asks:

Are you listening to your body or overriding it?

Are you choosing paths because they’re expected ....or because they feel right?

Are you moving with purpose… or just staying busy to avoid feeling?

For many of us (especially horse people), 2026 will be about coming back into the body.

Less dissociation.
Less pushing through.
More noticing.

Horses don’t rush for approval.
They move when it makes sense.
They stop when it doesn’t.
They don’t explain themselves.

That’s the energy.

2026 supports:

boundaries without guilt

rest without justification

saying “not today” and trusting it

choosing safety over spectacle

partnership over power

It’s a year where truth shows up quickly.
Misalignment feels louder.
And intuition gets harder to ignore.

If something isn’t right , you’ll feel it.
If something is right, your body will soften into it.

For horse owners, riders, helpers, carers, healers, humans: 2026 isn’t about doing more.

It’s about moving honestly.

With yourself.
With others.
With the lives we’re responsible for.

The Horse doesn’t ask you to be perfect.
It asks you to be present.

And that… might be the bravest thing of all.

From all the gang at EquiHeart to you and your family!!
12/24/2025

From all the gang at EquiHeart to you and your family!!

I love this post! https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15U1dBDmfU7/?mibextid=wwXIfr
12/21/2025

I love this post!

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Soft Sunday Practice
Winter Solstice
Between the Snake and the Fire Horse

Today is the Winter Solstice
the still point of the year.

The moment between release and ignition.

We are closing the Year of the Snake a year of shedding, unraveling, and letting go of skins
we could no longer live inside.

And we are not yet in the Year of the Fire Horse.

The Fire Horse carries movement, courage, freedom, and power —
but horses do not leap forward without first finding their ground.

This moment is that ground.

A pause where the nervous system settles.
Where the body integrates what the soul already knows.
Where power gathers quietly before it moves.

Soft Sunday asks only this:

Place one hand on your heart.
One hand on your lower belly.
Take one slow breath in…
and a longer breath out.

Ask yourself, gently:

What am I done carrying?
What is quietly gathering strength inside me?

You don’t need answers.
Only presence.

Like a horse standing at dusk
still, aware, listening.

The Snake has finished her shedding.
The Fire Horse is drawing breath.

And today…
you are allowed to rest in the space between.

If it feels right, leave a symbol in the comments:
for what you’re releasing and/or for what you’re holding with care.

It’s so important that the public understand this message! Please read and donate to organizations that support reform i...
12/17/2025

It’s so important that the public understand this message! Please read and donate to organizations that support reform in how wild mustangs and b***os are managed on public lands that are legally reserved for wild mustangs and b***os to roam free and safe.

You can donate to the Mustang Mission Wild Equine Rescue here:

https://mustangmission.blogspot.com/

Or AWHC, the American Wild Horse Conservation here:

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.americanwildhorse.org/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiJ4uOBvcORAxWUm2oFHaLTLecQFnoECCAQAQ&usg=AOvVaw20a2FM6_9OdrIJOzNYkUV5

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=122178384194756149&id=61572684487124

Did you know that 60,000+ wild horses and b***os are currently being held in government facilities—costing American taxpayers millions of dollars every year?

There is a better way to manage America’s wild horses—one that’s humane, effective, and fiscally responsible. 👍

🛑 End public-lands livestock grazing that continues to damage Western ecosystems.
🛑 Stop killing natural predators like cougars and wolves so nature can help regulate populations.
🛑 Discontinue helicopter roundups, which disrupt herds and can lead to increased reproduction.

✅ Use proven fertility control like PZP when needed.
✅ Work alongside experienced wild horse and b***o organizations that already have the knowledge and resources to help.

Protect the land. Protect the horses. Respect the taxpayer.

The time has come! Hydrangeas from Dad: His Text from Beyond that Rescued My Soul: Healing and Thriving After the Loss o...
12/08/2025

The time has come! Hydrangeas from Dad: His Text from Beyond that Rescued My Soul: Healing and Thriving After the Loss of a Loved One - The book that has been percolating inside me for 10 years - has been published and can be purchased on Amazon.

My hope was that it would be available by Christmas and here it is. Christmas is often a difficult time for those grieving the loss of someone they’ve deeply loved. Life without this love can be unimaginable.

I share my story as a path to healing; and to bring an understanding that our relationships continue after physical death because the soul is eternal. Stepping into this truth, learning the ways of soul communication and nourishing your own soul along it’s journey can bring the deepest meaning to your life. The awareness of soul in every day can become a new perspective for living with more passion, creativity and spirit than you’ve ever known.

One of the many ways I learned to nourish my soul was through Equine Encounters. I write about this in this book. I think many of you who have encountered the healing power of interacting with horses will truly understand.

For those who could receive gentle healing for their own losses and find ideas for nourishing their soul, thank you for supporting my book.

For those who know someone who can benefit from the messages in my book, and share this with others, or gift them a copy, thank you for being a vehicle for others’ healing and thriving in this lifetime.

And, thank you for helping me celebrate this major accomplishment in my life, and fulfilling a promise I made to my Dad 10 years ago!

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

This is beautifully written and brought tears.  My daughter shared tears too when she realized Sunny was no longer stand...
12/03/2025

This is beautifully written and brought tears. My daughter shared tears too when she realized Sunny was no longer standing in the pasture. Sunny’s spirit will never leave me. But the absence of his physical presence hurts every day. I see him in the wind, in the clouds, in the shadows of dusk. To my Sunny…

When we close our eyes, some horses still press their foreheads against ours…
Even if they’re no longer here.

It’s strange how longing arrives silent, deep, filled with memories that glow from within.
We can feel the scent, the warmth, the soft breath… as if nothing had changed.

Some horses don’t just pass through our lives.
They stay.
They stay in the way we take a deep breath, in the care we learned to have, in the strength we discovered in ourselves without meaning to.

And when the ache of missing them rises, it feels like they return for a moment light, free, running across the sky just to remind us that the love never truly left.

For those who have lost a horse that felt like home, comfort, and peace…
You know this feeling well.
They live on. In us.

At EquiHeart, during the Equine Encounter, I ask people to: observe the horses; reflect on what they think is going on i...
11/09/2025

At EquiHeart, during the Equine Encounter, I ask people to: observe the horses; reflect on what they think is going on in the horses’ world; tune into what’s going on in their world (the human world); set an intention for what they want to learn; meet the horses; see if a horse chooses them or they choose the horse; see what magic happens when horse and human join worlds together.

This very first encounter between human and horse shows what can happen when the energy is mutually engaging, trust is mutually felt and the intention is delivered and accepted with mutual respect.

Enjoy this video clip of a very special encounter!

Come experience the magic for yourself! Call 706-565-6062.

horsemanship

At EquiHeart, during the Equine Encounter, I ask people to:observe the horses; reflect of what they think is going on in the horses’ world; tune into what’s ...

Now for more on the Equine Encounter that was like no other that I’ve ever witnessed. As the participants were entering ...
11/06/2025

Now for more on the Equine Encounter that was like no other that I’ve ever witnessed. As the participants were entering into the World of the Horse, the horse was determined to show the participants a leap into freedom. He slipped through the gate, entering into the World of the Human. This horse showed the humans exactly what they needed to see to learn what was most important. He was free! He released so much energy. He ran and ran and then he came back to see the horse who had been separated from him for many months. With a bucket of feed and finally slipping the rope around his neck, this horse, this mirror for the humans, entered back into his world to join with the humans again.

So many things happened in this Equine Encounter. Every session is unique to the energy exchange between the horses and humans. That’s what makes this experience magical!

Horses teach humans about their lives based on their ability to mirror and reflect authenticity back to the human.

It’s fascinating in every way to learn through the heart and soul of a horse.

Come take a peak!

Address

23415 GA Highway 315
Waverly Hall, GA
31831

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 2pm

Telephone

+17065656062

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