Discovering the Horse
243201 Range Road 33 T3Z 2E6 Calgary, AB, Canada

Cold snaps are the worst!! Thank heavens for @burwashequineservices being within minutes from home. We were able to catch our sweet girls colic early, load her over to the clinic and have her resting comfortably within an hour! Time makes a huge difference and we are so grateful for Dr. Leah Ellis. Always calm, caring, compassionate and professional while assessing, she is fast to pin point and give solid advice. We truly can’t thank her enough. So everyone cross your fingers for this beauty! #feelingblessed #cochranevet #yycveterinarian #calgaryvetclinic #horsesofinstagram #yychorses #whew

We really like this one...

Getting ready for summer phase one Thanks to Kevin at Pure Mountain Medic for an excellent first day of CPR. Kevin has an informative, educational and fun approach to learning and the day was filled with real life scenarios, hands on practice and a few laughs. Happy to say that my mannequin Milton lived and will make a full recovery thanks to my new knowledge of AED...always learn my friends and IF you need to brush up or get certified call Pure Mountain...highly recommend!!! #yycsummer #yycsummercamps #yycredcross #puremountainmedic #alwayslearning #canadianredcross #readyforaction #safetyfirst #safeinthesaddle

We are excited to be launching our Couples Connection Riding!! Led by Mum and Dad this 6 week program will focus on our four pillars in a very unique way. Contact us for more information or to reserve your spot!! Let the date nights begin! #yyccouples #yycdatenight #yyclife #yycliving #yycnightout #yycnow #yyclocal #letsgoonadate #datenight

The benefit to your child having an equine best friend? Increased self awareness, improved leadership skills, enhanced self esteem, lowered anxiety and empowerment. Each encounter brings new lessons and new discoveries...that is what we are all about #empoweringkids #bethebestyou #beallyoucanbe #yyckids #cochranekids #yycmoms #familyfirst #yycfamily

We are all about kids...how many times have you heard the phrase I wish I knew then...what I know now...? DH is all about the now...working with kids to learn how to handle their personal space, energy within that space, pressures that affect their space and in the end how this all changes our minds. We are slowly opening spaces back for 2021. If you have been waiting to ride or your child has been on the wait list please contact the office. We are still working within COVID regulations so lessons look different but our content is the same...getting better and better as we learn and grow. Contact us today to begin to build your equine connections!!

Today is the perfect day for a massage! Thanks to the BEST team @vitalityequine Dealing with Brigitte is not only good for our horses but good for our souls. She is professional, knowledgeable, intuitive and compassionate to each horse as she pin points soreness and tissue issues. Thanks again for taking care of the wonderful Shiloh today!! #equinesofinstagram #equinemassage #equinemassagetherapy #equinemassageandbodywork #yycwomeninbusiness #yycsmallbusiness #cochranealberta #cochranewomenentreprenuers

We are eternally grateful for the lessons of 2020...so many beautiful things to reflect on. Life is how you choose it. We can choose to see only the negative or we can choose to see the positive. We can choose to hold grudges and hate or we can choose forgiveness. We can choose fear, uncertainty, and all that travel with it or we can choose hope and faith. We decide, each day, how to be in the world and in turn how the world sees us. So we choose to thank 2020 for all its magic, lessons and glimpses for possibilities that lie ahead. From all of us at Discovering the Horse...Happy New Year!!

Massive thanks to the folks at D.T. Metal Designs for our new sign! What a huge surprise that was this morning! Can’t wait to proudly hang our logo!!! #yycartists #yyclocalbusiness #proudbusinessowner #proudbusinesswoman

From our house to yours... Merry Christmas and all the very best for 2021

Well it looks like we are having a white Christmas! We have been up making sure the mini’s are plowed out, the seniors are covered and have lots of food to munch away on. The boys will be on hay all day to make sure they all stay nice and warm. Did you know that snow accumulation on a horses back actually means they are staying warm?!? So it’s a good thing to see! They are all nice and toasty Stay safe and warm everyone!!

Says it all!! Jingle Bell ride to finish off the season...we have a few left and then we are back for a fresh start in 2021!

Imagine if every time we saw our reflection we reacted with pure curiosity dabbled with love and acceptance. This big guy makes me smile.

Sometimes words are small...mum said it best...we filled a car! Thanks Bryanne for arranging our second annual Adopt-a-family.

With more and more regulations we wanted to post this incredible from our friends at Soul Health. We underestimate the effects of social isolation so this program is well worth checking into. Check out Soul Health for an array of programming

Fred (aka Sparky) has been joining some of our classes to spend some time with the big boys. We centre the classes on our four pillars. We adopted them through years of clinics with Matthew’s mentor Josh Nichol. (If you haven’t looked him up...DO IT!). It would be after a mentorship year that Matthew introduced the idea of making the pillars the core of what we teach...he was right. By understanding space, energy, pressure and mind we can build a relationship with our horses... through relationships based on trust. In this class we brought Fred out to hang out to simulate a pressure that we might encounter in riding. Our riders wowed us with their answers and it was so great to see that they were able articulate when their horse was focused on the new little guy. They were able to hear the questions that the horse asked, learning to answer yes...I know he’s different and small but it’s ok he’s allowed to be in the class direct quote... Kids are amazing...they may have learned about pressure but I learned how easy it can be to see something and let it go... Love this journey with these amazing kids and horses

Our amazing little Fred...he’s been part of our lessons...ok he’s taken over and is stealing the show!!! He’s helping us gain Velma’s trust and is the BEST friend to Scooby. They are finally being integrated into our lessons and we can’t wait to see where this leads!! Fred...aka Sparky by the way...he’s just the light of our lives.

Doing our part...even the horses...with the climate of COVID ever evolving we are DH are watching the updates to strive to keep everyone safe. We have implemented mask protocols for all who attend lessons and will be restricting access to the public buildings. After each lesson we are sanitizing all items for the next lesson. We are using Virkon which we obtain from our friends at Burwash Equine...it’s a veterinary strength spray on disinfectant and everything is sprayed bef...ore and after each class. We remind all visitors to use hand sanitizers before leaving their vehicles and again upon returning. We ask that once a child is in lessons to please either return to your vehicle or to ensure practicing social distancing while observing. Thanks everyone for helping us do our part to keep each other safe...although Frodo might need a bigger mask

Exciting day when hard work begins to pay off. We were able to safely introduce Cruz to our lessons today. He is always the first to the gate and always eager to participate and today his dream came true! He was a steady little man . We’ll go slow and see what he thinks about all this and slowly add more to his plate. Feeling overjoyed at how well he is doing.

And week two of our Christmas 2020 Rides have come to an end... We finished with an EPIC week of communication... We posed the question...what do you do when you feel like you’re not being heard? We got responses like I get mad, I just stop talking, I tell my mum and so on...so we took that to the horse and tested out volume whilst riding over some longer more tasty grass. The big boys did exactly as we planned. They put their faces in the grass and munched away. ... We have the riders tools, tricks we use to change what we are asking to how we ask... Pretty soon, one by one, riders were able to get their horses to move off and eat again in a different spot. After the lesson we asked the class again...we got answers like He listened when I stayed calm, He heard when I asked different. He got it right when I asked better Tell me horses and kids aren’t the wisest of us all

Due to the current changes in the COVID forecast all of us at DTH are going to do our part. Effective November 12, 2020 masks will be mandatory in all public areas of the ranch and during all lessons. Let’s work together to protect each other

Have you ever felt like everything is going wrong? Been thinking about faith a lot these past few days. Here’s what is coming to mind... Faith is being bold enough to stare the universe in the eye and yell bring it on...I can take it. Faith is a million reasons to quit and the one reason to keep going. ... Faith is believing the dream is worth it no matter what anyone says. Faith is feeling the fear and doing it anyways. Faith is moving forward when everyone tells you to stop. This is the beginning of a brilliant path. We never know how things will end but we always need to have the courage to make the step. I love the possibility behind the unknown.

Because some days aren’t just about working outside they are about working on the inside. Taking time to rest, relax and rejuvenate before heading back out to the horses. Finding balance can be tough when we run pillar to post but take the time when you can to appreciate yourself, to love where you are and to thank yourself and your body for chasing dreams.

Our little Jinx...she is my co-cattain (sorry that was a little bit of a dad joke) we thought we’d give a shout out to the barn cats...just for some Furday night purrfect conversation...ok I’ll stop now

Been spending quality time with our herd leader Stryder. He’s been off so we had him at the vet and thanks to the care from the team at Burwash Equine and the expertise of Dr. Marie France Roy of UCVM we put a piece back into the puzzle of Stryder. Our incredible gentle giant has been off lately and given that Burwash takes exceptional care of all our horses, they were the first call. Thankfully we were able to see that the hunch we had about gastric ulcers was a good on...e as Dr. Roy was able to find some hidden deep in his stomach close to the pylorus which is the part of the stomach that creates the valve allowing gastric fluid to enter the small intestines. Took a pretty big effort to get a clear picture...we were able to snap a few pictures of the appointment and we are posting them with permission from Dr. Roy. But all this has us thinking about why the old guy is suddenly developing painful ulcers now in what we feel is a pretty harmonious environment. So we looked around and here are our thoughts. Our environment needs to be acknowledged as it impacts us in many ways. We spent loads of time not thinking about the little things that happen until something larger makes us stop to think. We have had many comings and going’s in the herd and one has to stop to think about the impact that has on the herd leader. Herd dynamic is a fantastic thing to watch but learning about what we see is a step we admit we take for granted. Stryder has watched as horses have left and we put a pause to that for a moment to realize that they too grieve. A loss is profound to the humans but when a horse simply leaves with no body to smell, what does that translate to in the horses energies? We have seen horses create deep bonds so do we truly understand the connections they make to each other? As the human how do we step in and communicate to understand the loss? Even if the departure is for the best and overall harmony increases it still means a shift in their hierarchy. Challenging to fill the vacancies had been seen and amongst it all we as a ranch have operated as per the norm. Just food for thought on a really cold day...love to hear your thoughts as well. Best news is Stryder is getting the meds and care he needs...this amazing old soul...how can you not love this big guy???

Fall Solstice Drumming TONIGHT! If youre looking to set your intentions for fall and would like to meet some incredible people, share in friendship, rhythm and horses please join us. The evening is free of charge however those wishing to make a donation to Poncho we will happily accept and send to his family

Looking for a fun, unique and unforgettable birthday party? DH has added birthdays to our lineup! We customize the experience to your child and send home a good luck keepsake. Today was butterflies and seashells. Call us to book!!!!

Excellent read that gives a glimpse into what we do. At DH we teach the love of the whole horse. We focus on the connection and the building of trust which leads to increased sense of self, self love and empowerment. With a horse we are free to be who we are without judgement, criticism and stigma. The horse lacks these and only shows us acceptance, care and gratitude. For he accepts us as we are. He takes care of us and shows gratitude when we meet his needs. They live in ...the moment and hold no grudges, opinions or bias. In return if we are willing to listen and learn we become who our horse needs to be and with that a happier, healthier, more present being. Sounds like a pretty good trade dont you think???

2020 has been a challenge but all for the right reasons... It has been a challenge to put love over hate To forgive over holding grudges To be patient and kind... To be aware but not afraid To accept what we cannot change and change what we can To reconnect and find creative ways to stay in touch To explore our backyards and support local To hope when it seems hopeless 2020 is only what we make it...so never...EVER...give up...there is good everywhere

Join us for our first drum circle. This is a free event but we welcome donations for Poncho for those who choose. Well have a fire going, warm beverages and even warmer hearts...we hope you can join us

Powerful message about the time limits in life...good and bad everything has them and where you are is NOT where you will be forever.

Happy dogs day!!! We are lucky to have 3 amazing dogs here at the ranch... Meet Doug, Noelle and Bear...love spending time with these love bugs!

Happy 22nd birthday to Matthew! Thanks for being a vital part of DH, for your vision, your dream and your inspiration. It is the greatest challenge and honour to be a part of a family business but Matthews calm, loving approach to horses equals his approach to our business. Each day spent working towards a dream means we get to make wonderful memories each day. Thanks Matthew for being everything that you are to us all here at DTH

We are branching out and adding Birthday Parties!! We made these for our first party group today! Sending the birthday girl and her friends home with some Discovering the Horse good luck!!!

Sometimes the horse chooses us... Weve all been to the sale...searched for hours on websites. Weve talked to trainers and breeders searching for that one perfect horse. Will he be fast enough, will he be strong enough? Does he spook or is he brave? ... For we know he will have us in his hands. We know what we need to be safe, fast and brave. When we find that horse we build a lifetime together. We share our hopes, dreams and hearts. The trail becomes our path, the arena becomes our accomplishment and the pens become our experience. When we have to part ways the loss is profound. The new task to find another horse is misunderstood, underrated and overwhelming. The emotion behind finding your next partner the one whose hooves you give your life to is nothing short of heart wrenching. Often times we stop looking for fear of never finding another. We step away never to ride again. And sometimes...in a precious, most unexpected way, there they are Sometimes the horse finds us. Sometimes...the horse chooses us

And just like that our summer camps came to a conclusion this week. We had a great time of learning, riding, crafting and laughing. We are looking forward to building on the program to become a unique and exciting camp season for next year. Thanks to all who chose Discovering the Horse...we hope to see you next year!!

Camp number 5...THE END!!! What a great week!! The kids keep us on our toes...the poop emoji on Mojo this week is one of the funniest moments of the summer

We are taking advantage of a smaller camp to bring out some toys and play with the horses. Its wonderful to see what our horses think about the different games we played. Then to the fire to weave our perceptive eyes keeping in line with day 3 theme perception.

Our four day core values at camp... Care Wisdom Perception... Gratitude It never ceases to amaze me the depth of understanding that the kids have to these four words. From the smallest campers to the oldest campers the responses are nothing short of incredible...

Going to be a GREAT night!!!

Camp week 5 is a wrap!! We had the BEST time with these amazing kids learning connections, trust and foundations of riding. Its incredible to see how they progress in the short time we are together...we are over flowing with gratitude

Very excited about this..we're having a Date Night here at the ranch...please contact Cori Douglas Everett for details. Watch for more exciting events from Stable Soul Health in the future...and thanks Cori for the gift of time, volunteering, loving and visiting with the horses.

Our newest program horse Buddy aka Archie is already stealing our hearts. This big beautiful boy is settling in very well...welcome to this gentle giant #healinghorses #yychealing #yychorses #horsetherapy #familybusiness #daughtersarethebest

Donkey daze....they LOVE this ball

Excellent read... If you are facing a need to promote your self wellness, a horse can become a steady, willing, nonjudgmental partner that will allow you to make mistakes...fall apart...and hell love you anyways. Why? Because you are there...

Knowing what the best thing to do for our horses and making the tough calls is all part of the price of the ticket. We never expect to hear that our beloved side kick and partner can no longer do the things wed like. Meet Buddy!! Buddy has been donated to our program where he can live out his days surrounded by the pure love of children. We want to thank Howard for his selfless gift, we know this was a heart wrenching choice. We also want to thank Dr. Kirby Penttila from Burwash for her part in getting this gentle soul here to be part of our kids program. Buddy is a young 17 and he has already fallen head over hooves for Belle. Thanks Howard and Kirby for believing in our little place and the care we provide. Hes great addition to our growing herd of support program horses.

Its our goal at DH help help those seeking...to find. This quote is precisely why we get up in the morning. To be better today than yesterday. To learn from mistakes and find a new way. Learning with horses allows us to make mistakes, to fall and see the beautiful lesson in the mistake and the fall. Here those arent bad things, they are the foundation. Being honest about what we know, what we dont, what we fear and what we arent ok with is strength. Identify struggles and face them head on. Speak the truth about where youre at...because the horse knows...before you catch, before you groom, before you ride. Your horse knows...and still he loves you for showing up.

Some of the artwork from our last camp!! My absolute favourite part of camp...when the kids get to pour love over the horse they bonded with. No two are ever the same and all come their hearts

Love this!!! Team work makes the dream work...we are halfway though the summer of a lifetime. So many things we feared, we faced...the things we were told we couldnt do, were doing. Anything is possible

Horsin around at horse camp!!! Spencer has become a staple at DTH. His calm is equal to his serious, his work is equal to his play. We love how he adapts to every rider in new ways. Being one of the only boys at our all girls party this week he shows that he can be as down to earth as he needs to even if hes upside down!!! Thanks for all you do Spencer, we couldnt do it without you!!!... Thanks Ela for the great video!!!

Meet Paige!! We met Paige when she asked to come and help out as a volunteer for our Sunday classes...she has added Monday and Tuesday for summer camp and we are so lucky to have her. She grew up in the country and is going into grade 9. She has a gentle and kind light that touches not only the horses but everyone she spends time with. She is an excellent volunteer, eager learner and and absolute pleasure to have as part of the team. Thanks Paige for all your hard work here at DTH. We are so so lucky to have you!!!

Were back in camp!! We have an amazing group of young ladies again...Care day is always a big day of learning...with loads to cover we work our way through safety, grooming, feed and we touch on the herd dynamics...all very important to know when working to build a relationship with our horse that is based on trust. Thankful for all the beautiful campers, incredible sidekicks and of course the horses

This woman is pure magic...meet Cori... Its truly an incredible thing when the universe helps people connect. Cori contacted us to volunteer because she had been watching our little herd over the fence. She is such an awesome addition to DH. Stay tuned for program announcements for participants of all ages. She brings a love of the horse and the client to every encounter. ... Welcome Cori and thanks so much for finding us

We cant do what we do without help...Meet Eva she has been a friend to DH since 2016 when she met Bryanne whole working at a local vet clinic. Eva brings to DH a vast knowledge of horses, camp experience and ideas on how we can improve. We are looking forward to building a relationship with Eva so we can have her around much much MORE! Thanks Eva for all your hard work, support and faith in our little piece of heaven. You are an inspirational, strong, brave and caring woman and those traits are poured over every life you touch here at DH

We brought an old favourite back and put it in our camps. We forget how the littlest things hold the best memories. Camp week two is under our belt and gratitude day has become our favourite #yycsummercamps #yyckids #yycsummer #familybusiness #connectiveriding #bethelight #beyourbestself #yychorses @ Notso Rustic Ranch

Gratitude is the theme of the last day at camp. Starting off with a guided meditation by our amazing Cori...to painting our horses to riding and hugging a final hug. We are so blessed to touch each life. We are so blessed to share time with the horses and the kids that come to our little piece of heaven. Thanks to Matthew, Spencer, Adam, Belle, Paige, Heather, Leanne, and Cori for making this another unforgettable week of connecting to horses and humans

Wisdom day at camp we play Hot Potato equine style. This exercise puts into play the topics that we cover about space, mind and pressure. When riding we create a more trusting relationship by being aware of which horse likes which and seeing how they react to being asked to approach those more difficult relationships. We see this daily life and this tool helps navigate the world around us and the ever more complex relationships at school etc. We think the kids knocked this exercise out of park! We heard tons of communication, witness loads of care for the horse and awareness of the care needed to be so close to another horse Excellent day at camp!!!

Its all about the feet!!! We learn something new before each ride at camp and today we mastered the feet!! No foot no horse and these campers did an AMAZING job cleaning feet!!!

Face lift for the mares and donkeys...things are moving along. We learn as we go, try and FAIL!! We have never been so happy to get so many things wrong. FAIL=fabulous attempts in learning. The one thing we know FOR SURE is no one can ever go wrong when working as a team.

Good and bad...be impeccable with your word. Have been reading the book the Four Agreements. Highly recommend its a life lesson

And its a wrap! First summer camp of the season comes to a loving close. Thanks to all the helpers and the riders for being part of a memorable week!!

Day 3 of camp and Mother Nature gave us a little challenge. But lets face it...not all days are sunny days. Today was about perception. We visited on how horses talk and how our perception acts as interpreter. We also talked about how others have their perception of us and how its non of our business. My opinion of you is none of my business it was really great to see how the kids connected the dots to begin understanding how to deflect energies that are not for us. ... Despite the cold rain we still had ear to ear grins.