If you’re a horse person, you’re probably aware that change is afoot. From equine facilitated wellness, to positive reinforcement and liberty training, to barefoot horses, paddock paradises, and bitless bridles, to a booming herbal supplement industry, and horse lovers worldwide releasing the bladder meridian on their horses, there is a shift in the works. For many, our way of seeing horses is changing, evolving, and we are opening our eyes to how we may have learned early on to harm horses, the animals we love, inadvertently and unconsciously. As a horse crazy young girl, I learned to ride horses using what I now refer to as “Get-it-done” horsemanship. Riding was not about fun, connection or relationship but rather, meeting a goal and performing perfectly.

After many conversations with horse people, I have come to realized that I was not alone, that this way of forcing horses was and, in many cases, is, the norm. As an adult, I found natural horsemanship, and was certain that I’d hit upon pay dirt. At a similar time, I met my mare Diva, my first horse, and she was the unlucky recipient of several years of carrot sticks, seven games, and often-harsh training arising from my learned belief in hierarchy and dominance. Thankfully, at around the same time I began my career as an Equine Sport Therapist and a different journey with horses, which progressively grew my ability to listen, to see them as complex emotional and spiritual beings, and to dismantle my dysfunctional patterns, beliefs, and conditioning about how to relate and connect with them. 

This challenging self-reflective process is why I am here, in a much healthier, more connected partnership with Diva 17 years later, despite all the ways I have failed and all the mistakes I have made, and now starting a new relationship with my mare Raven. I hope, this is part of why you are here too. We are at a point as horse lovers, stewards, riders, where the information we have been waiting for to make substantial change is here and available, and where the possibility for a healthier connection with our horses, for re-writing this “love” story, is a reality. 

There is an opportunity to make reparations, and to build a new way of being with horses, from a stronger foundation based on systems that work for all, that are healing and not harmful, that are trauma-informed, that begin to topple some of the unhealthy structures and systems that are underpinning much of what we have come to believe about horses and training. 

I fully believe that when we know better, we can do better. And through our own work, actions, and compassion, we show other horse people a better way forward as well.

This six month program is a dedication to the horses in your world, past, present and future. It is an invitation to unpack where you have been, what you’ve done, and what you have believed, and an opportunity to move into the future with the tools, skills and understandings to experience the loving relationship with horses you’ve always envisioned. This is a process and a practice, and annoyingly, there is no finish line. It continues well beyond our time together, and over our six months together I hope to instill a curiousity and a sense of joy in discovery, so that even after we complete our time together, the skills, resources, and understandings shared will support the growth of your equine relationship well into the future. 

There are so many of us courageously walking this edge and doing working to advocate for the wellbeing of horses around the world, starting with the ones in our own backyard. Many of us feel alone in this process, rebels in our individual horse communities, but the online space provides a venue for us to connect, build community and continue our learning into this hopeful and exciting future. Together, anything is possible. I look forward to the possibility of spending this 6 months with you and your horse. We begin September 15th, 2022 (and if this year is not your year, we start on this date each year for the foreseeable future).

Read on to learn more about the details of our time together.

If you are feeling ready to sign up, you can register here. 

xo Alexa and Diva

Do you ever find yourself wondering…

• if your horse is as healthy and vital as they could be?
• if your horse is receiving the nutrients and supplements they need to feel their best?
• if your saddle is fitting, hooves are balanced and your horse is comfortable and pain-free?
• if you are as balanced, centred and strong as possible in the saddle both physically and emotionally?
• if your horse sees you as a safe and trustworthy partner?
• if your horse is happy in their current environment and with their current work?
• how you and your horse can feel more safe, comfortable and relaxed?
• why your horse is in your life and what they might have to teach you?
• why you are being challenged by your horse and how to move through it?
• what the more “spiritual” nature of your relationship is, and how to find out?

If you answered yes to a good number of the questions above, you’re in the right place! 

I’d love to invite you to join me for the Whole Horse Apprenticeship, an opportunity to immerse yourself in an exploration of all of the aspects of the horse-human relationship with a small group of dedicated horse people just like you.

In working together I have three visions…

#1: a healthy, content horse who is happier in their environment, in their job, and in their connection to you, and is open to expressing their needs through healthy and clear communication.

#2: a relaxed, effective, compassionate human who has the tools, presence, awareness and understanding to work effectively with whatever comes up in the moment, and to embrace the journey (because relating to horses is a journey!), no matter what it brings.

#3: a communication-rich, loving relationship. One in which both your horse and you feel able to express, to grow and to open up into your potential in the saddle, on the ground and in the world.

The Whole Horse Apprenticeship happens (almost) entirely online!

Here’s the almost – There will be an optional 3-day retreat with a equine body work focus for all participants in the Apprenticeship on Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada (not included in the price of the Apprenticeship). This allows participants to get hands on with the herd at the farm.

Other than this retreat (which is optional), the entire course content will be fully accessible online:

• 4 – 1.5 month modules covering the “whole” horse – physical, energetic, emotional and spiritual 
• 4 live webinars with Alexa with skill-building, group sessions, and Q&A (60 minutes, one per module)
• 4 live webinars + Q&A with guest instructors from around the world, handpicked by Alexa for the relevancy of their work to the growing and ever-changing field of equine partnership (60 minutes, one per module)
• Over 25 content-rich pre-recorded webinars from guest instructors covering a wide range of pertinent topics related to equine and rider well-being, training, relationship and more (30-60 min). 
• 6 months of curated weekly emails bringing you digestible portions of skill-building resources to thoughtfully reset your horse relationship and build strong and healthy foundations for growth and development. 
• Access to 3 online courses created by Alexa, including Redefining Equine, Kinetic Communication (Applied Kinesiology for Animal Lovers), and Building your Equine Apothecary, as well as Manual Therapy for Horse Owners Online Course created by Equine Manual Therapist Elisse Miki
  
• A course workbook (PDF) outlining the four modules: physical, energetic, emotional and spiritual, with barn worthy printable charts and tools, techniques and information to weave into your equine relationship, plus PDF copies of Death Sucks: A Straight-Up Guide to Navigating your Pet’s Final Transition and the Best Hoof Forward Ebook. 
• A 30 minute one-on-one visioning session with Alexa
  
• A vibrant Mighty Networks Community connecting participants from all over the world, and providing access to experienced and inspiring horse people (and possibly new friends), resources, relevant and fascinating content and more.

Ready to sign up? Register here.

I’ve called this the Whole Horse Apprenticeship for a few important reasons.

After nineteen fascinating and sometimes frustrating years with my mare Diva, I have realized that there are several, often overlooked, components of the horse-human relationship that are essential to its success.

We work in this program to understand how everything works together as a whole and how it can work even better. Throughout our time together we’ll be addressing the inter-connection between…

• the structural system of ourselves and our horses (bones, muscles, fascia) and how to work effectively with these components to promote circulation, range of movement and comfort.
• the unique and connected internal systems that determine the well-being of our horses and ourselves and how to easily discover and correct imbalances and maintain harmony.
• the cycles of the elements and the meridians, and how they relate to each other, and to overall well-being.
• the chakra systems of the body and the areas that the harmony of each individual chakra affects, including endocrine glands, emotional well-being, depth of connection and energy levels.  
• your horse and you, and the many undiscovered and awe-inspiring levels of this relationship.

And the final component of wholeness is support and collaboration – and in this immersion you will have it in spades. Including more than 24 of my mentors, colleagues and friends as guest instructors helping to make this experience one of a kind…

It takes a village…

I have brought together more than twenty four of my mentors, esteemed colleagues and dear friends to share their understanding and wisdom.

They’ll be sharing online via both pre-recorded and live webinars about equine health and well-being, rider awareness, hoof care, saddle fit, body work techniques, aromatherapy, vibrational remedies, 5 element theory, conscious and relational horsemanship, trauma-informed horsemanship, equine behaviour, animal communication, meditation, heart connection, grief work, and much more. These amazing teachers will be joining us on pre-recorded or live webinars throughout our 6 months together (all will be available via replay). I will be releasing more about each of them and what they will be sharing as we come closer to our time together.

It’ll look a little like this…

• 20 pre-recorded webinars (60min) with Guest Experts from around the world made available to you throughout the modules. Watch the sample webinar with Lily Fawn sharing her recipe for the a healing salve for horses and riders above to get an idea of the format
• 4 live webinars (60min) with Guest Experts chosen by Alexa for their relevancy and the work they are sharing within the horse industry (one per module)
• 4 live webinars (60min) with Alexa (introducing and mapping out each of the four modules

Webinars with: 

• Shelley Poovey of Body Attune Wellness teaching on heart connection
• Heather Nelson of Liberty Horse Training teaching on straightness and work at liberty
• Sabina Pettitt of Pacific Essences teaching about vibrational remedies and the five-element theory
• Celeste Morris of CelesteMorris.com teaching on grief
• Sandra Wallin of Chiron’s Way Equine Guided Development on conscious horsemanship
• Lily Fawn of Earth’s Herbal Tea sharing how to make a horsey healing salve
• Laura Bird of One Spirit Animal Therapies
• Heather Nelson of Heather Nelson Liberty Training on liberty training
• Breanne Ellison of West Coast Animal Massage
• Lucie Klaassen of Balanced Horse and Rider
• Elsa Sinclair of Taming Wild
• Stefanie Travers of Lodestar Horsemanship
• Jackson Holm, Natural Balance Equine Dentist on equine dentistry and oral health
• Josh Nichol of A Horseman’s Pursuit on relational horsemanship
• Michelle Atterby, Equine Behaviourist on positive reinforcement training
• Sarah Schlote of EQUUSOMA on trauma-informed horsemanship
• Christina Cline, author of The Essential Hoof  on happy hooves
• Hillary Schneider of Epona Rise on the medicine of horses
• Lara Pieret of The Gift of the Horse
• Susan Tenney of Elemental Acupressure
• Elisha Edwards of Riva’s Remedies
• Hannah Weston of Connection Training
• Dr. Emily Kiesen
• Elisse Miki of Equilibria Therapeutics
• Lockie Phillips of Emotional Horsemanship (LIVE)
• Kerri Lake of Generational Harmony
• Jane Pike of Confident Rider
• Wendy Murdoch of Surefoot Pads (LIVE)
• Shannon Beahen of Humminghorse Equestrian (LIVE)

Webinar with Lily Fawn

F.A.Q’s

Do I need a horse to participate? 

No, happily you don’t. Any one who loves horses and wants to build their connection with them can participate, whether you’re just starting down the path or you’re a seasoned expert. Everyone will learn and grow.

Is there any in-person events?

Yes! I will be facilitating a 3-day optional Apprenticeship retreat focusing on manual techniques and energy work for horses on Vancouver Island in Canada. Dates, pricing, and details will be made available after the program start.

When do I pay by and what about refunds? 

Great question. In order to run this program viably I need at least 10 people registered and committed with deposits paid by August 15, 2020. When it comes to refunds, here’s how it works. If, for some reason, you need to back out between August 15th and our September 15th start date, you will receive all but $100 of your payment back including deposit (I do this because I will have purchased necessary products at this point). Before August 15th you’ll receive a full refund. Once the course begins on September 15th, no refunds are possible (barring emergency).