Heart & Mind Equine

05/25/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF8iuv9GmgA
Sometimes life just feels like it wears us down. Sometimes we start to feel burned out with all the stress and decision fatigue. Sometimes, the ground feels shaky beneath our feet. Maybe you have been hustling to make ends meet, or working hard to support others who are struggling or depending on you. And possibly, you have been more isolated or suffered great losses. Whatever is true of you, I know what is also true is that you need retreat. We all do need that escape. That time to get away from everything. But, why?

Why is it imperative for every single one of us? And how do we make it a priority? And, above all, HOW DO WE MAKE IT HAPPEN? For me, retreat is about finding my optimal level of arousal again. Sometimes I advance. If we think about the military, that’s where the word retreat is most commonly defined or used. So, I am often advancing my army on the world or out into the world. And it feels as though the world is advancing toward me. Retreat means to back away; to withdraw in order to replenish resources. And that is what it takes for me to return to my optimal level of arousal after being out in the world.

Healthcare & healing professionals, I invite you to join us this Saturday, May 30th in Novato, CA for Horses & Healers 🐴

Horses & Healers: Equine Experiential Methods for Strengthening Clinical Presence offers experiential learning with horses to support presence, connection, resilience, and professional growth. Learn more here: https://heart-mind-equine.mykajabi.com/horses-and-healers

🗓 May 30 | 9:30 am–3:30 pm PT
📍 Novato, California

May 30th | 9:30am-3:30pm | Novato, CaliforniaHosted by Heart & Mind EquineProceeds to benefit the Heart & Mind Equine Rescue Herd

03/05/2026

Gentle coaching and help preparing for the major transition to Daylight Savings Time and it's impact on HSPs with sensitive nervous systems.

02/03/2026

Spring is springing at the pasture and all over Marin and Sonoma. We are excited to welcome Lunar New Year and The Year of the Horse this month. May you shed what no longer serves you and welcome the spirit and energy of the herd into the new you.

02/27/2025

https://exciting-artisan-9880.kit.com/posts/wisdom-sharing-HSP-women

Highly sensitive women, especially elders, are wise women. The HSP five to thrive includes learning, healing, and community. Meets monthly: March 1st.

08/28/2024

Last week, I uncharacteristically walked over 19,000 steps and guess what? I slept through the night without waking! Another good reason for moving more.
You will be surprised at the many ways you can move in and toward a healthier you.

Mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health are all dependent on movement, so please join us and Move Your HSP into the new book club where we will study Starrett‘s fab book, Built to Move so you can experience well-being and thriving in the life you were born to have.

We are back starting this September 12th. The first meeting is free if you aren’t ready to commit to your Self for five meetings.
https://alane-freund.mykajabi.com/move-your-hsp-book-club 💜

08/22/2024

When highly sensitive youth are needing to ground, to return to optimal arousal level, there is nothing like a highly sensitive horse for the job - connection, pause, breath, nature. . This is a therapy horse, one of my beloved equine colleagues. He’s possibly the most skilled therapy horse I’ve ever trained, or ever seen.

Come and join us this Saturday, August 24th for our Speaking Horse Class at Friendly Trails Horse Rescue.
Understanding the language and nervous system of the horse. Holistic horse keeping methods and perspectives. https://speaking-horse-class.eventbrite.com 🐴💜

07/02/2024

I'm now live! Come and join me for the Live Q&A: Decision Fatigue and HSPs -

07/02/2024

5:45am I'm laying in bed trying to decide if I should get up and send you this email...

Trying to decide being the operative phrase. 6:00am Should I rest more? 6:15am Should I cancel my plans to go LIVE today? Should I...?

Being a deep processor can be a nasty trap for decision fatigue.

Nonetheless, the HSP strategy of deep processing Is one of the best preventions for decision fatigue. What? Yes, truly.

The trick is this: When you carefully decide once, you gotta make it count.

​Deep processing and decision fatigue is the topic of our masterclass on Friday.​

7:00am I finally decided: I'll do a little live Q and A today at noon Pacific time on Instagram and Zoom. I'd love to see you there (zoom link here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85728613727 )

Watch out for my July schedule coming to your inbox on Thursday. Sneak peak: Wise Women and Wonder this Saturday (getting full) and a two hour training for mental health practitioners on the 14th.

Blessings and breath (both help with decision making),

Alane

PS
7:24am I'm almost ready to send this. I just decided to add the photo for the class since it's so cool. Many thanks to Hwa Mi, my assistant for perfectly capturing my vision. You can do the math on my morning time clock. (If I knew how to do an eye rolling emoji, I would right here.)

06/26/2024

You have probably heard I'm one of those horse girls. I literally rode horses in utero because I'm a daughter of another sensitive horsewoman.

I am a graceful athlete on a horse (and a klutz on the court.)
I understand prey mentality way better than I get humanity.
There isn't a bad smell at a horse barn - It all soothes my soul.
AND... I've been rescuing horses since 1997. It's (I've) been a financial disaster as a result, but it's filled my heart and those of dozens of other people who have joined our herd.
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FINALLY... after all these years (27 in all) we have attained nonprofit status with a fiscal sponsor, Marin Link, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit which helps incubate new nonprofits. I'm so excited.
​
We're called Friendly Trails Horse Rescue, and we are officially launched. The horses have a few different homes, including Heart and Mind Equine, my equine assisted therapy practice. We'll have a big fancy fundraising launch event some day, but for now, we're jumping in with all four hooves and planning a few monthly events as well as some extra mini retreats.
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We are seeking volunteers and interns to help us get our hooves under us: social media, crowdfunding, website, grants... anybody? Here is our Intern Job Announcement. No one has to or even could do it all, but if you have a little time on your hands and some interest, please let us know of your interest. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Liaa1p738A_IY-DG268VXpI9yA4ZHlgnI6b_4F-Yu0A/edit?usp=sharing
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We have a different email for this project, but for now, I'll send updates here and slowly identify those who are interested in hearing about the horses--both the nonprofit and our events.
​
Our upcoming scheduled events are great opportunities to check us out, help us out, and fill your own heart. (Would you like to be our volunteer event coordinator?)

They include our Barn Open House (seasonally, first one this Saturday!), HSPs & Horses mini events, Teen Retreat, Second Sunday Sit (meditate with the horses), Women's Retreat, Speaking Horse Class (holistic horse keeping + the nervous system of the horse,) and our next major HSPs and Horses Retreat. https://heart-mind-equine-barn-work-day.eventbrite.com

06/25/2024

This is one of our wise herdmates at Heart and Mind Equine. When this guy got access to the falling tree, he used it to scratch every bit of his body that he could. I love the resourcefulness. I was thinking that the tree should be cut down before it falls, but I guess we need to keep it for the horses. We find horse hair on it often. All the different colors. 🐴

Let’s all take inspiration from these incredible creatures and be resourceful in our daily lives! Share your thoughts and tag someone who embodies these qualities. 💜

Come join us at the Heart & Mind Equine Open House | Barn Work Day to meet our horses, tour the barn, and lend a hand with some fun chores. This June 29th at Woodacre, CA. Register here: https://heart-mind-equine-barn-work-day.eventbrite.com/

06/19/2024

Today’s dads tend to be different, too soft or gentle sometimes. Or sometimes too traditional. They might struggle to find just the right balance for their sensitive children. And a highly sensitive dad can be especially challenged by parenting.

Everyone is welcome at this masterclass: How Dads Make the Difference, where we will discover, unpack, and tell the story of fatherhood in the lives of sensitive children. 💜

Register here: https://how-dads-make-the-difference.eventbrite.com