Is My Horse Sick... or Just Safe?

(What a sleepy spotted colt taught me about nervous system healing, trust, and the real secret to progress)

I used to be the girl who thought the more you do, the more your horse will respect you. The one who thought horses lying down around people was either dangerous… or a fluke. Or at best — something other people had, those lucky unicorn girls with magical bonds.

Until I became her.

Now I’m the one tiptoeing around the pasture whispering, “Are you alive?” because my horses are in such deep rest they don’t flinch until I accidentally wake them by touching them gently — or gasping like I’ve seen a ghost.

This happened again just last night. Bruno — my two-year-old colt with a heart the size of the moon — curled up under the stars and fell into a sleep so deep, I panicked. I dropped to my knees, hovered over him, whispered his name. Nothing. I gently touched him. He blinked, slowly lifted his head, and looked at me like, “Why are you being so weird?”

And I just smiled. Because this wasn’t the first time.
But it still takes my breath away.

Not because I think something’s wrong.
But because something is so right.

People tell me it’s not normal for a horse to sleep like this. And they’re right. It’s not.

It’s not normal.
It’s sacred.

You can’t fake this kind of trust. You can’t train for it. And you can’t force it.
It’s not a method.
It’s a mirror.

Bruno isn’t sick.
He’s safe.
And that kind of safety doesn’t come from hours of drills, pressure-release sessions, or high-performance liberty work.
It comes from presence.

Would it shock you to know I’ve done less than 10 hours of actual “training” with him?
But I’ve spent hundreds of hours connecting.

Walking beside him.
Sitting in the pasture.
Listening.
Laughing.
Being.

And the more I do… less…
The more he gives me everything.

The 95% Rule No One Talks About in Horse Training

People love asking me, “What method do you use?”
Here’s my answer:

95% mindset.
5% method.

And if you only focus on that 5% — the cues, the lingo, the footwork, the drills — you miss the whole magic.

Because connection doesn’t come from knowing what to do.
It comes from learning how to be.

If you’re dysregulated, tense, disconnected from yourself, your horse will feel it.
You can say all the right things with your body — but if your energy is frantic or fearful, your horse knows.

They don’t listen to your technique.
They listen to your nervous system.

Bruno has taught me this better than any book, course, or mentor ever could. He doesn’t follow me because I’m alpha. He follows me because I’m aligned.

At one point, I needed my horses to help me regulate. Now… they fall asleep next to me.

And that, to me, is everything.

It means the emotional work I’ve done — the healing, the shadow work, the identity rewiring — is landing.
It means I’m not just creating a calm horse.
I’m becoming a calm human.

The kind who doesn’t need to prove herself anymore.
The kind who knows when to lead, and when to lie down.

Your horse doesn’t need a perfect version of you. They need a present one.

So if you’re struggling with your horse, start here:

• Step 1: Do nothing. Be still. Watch them.

• Step 2: Breathe. Notice how your body feels around them.

• Step 3: Be curious. What are they mirroring back?

If the answer is discomfort — that’s your invitation.
If the answer is stillness — that’s your reward.

Either way, you’re being shown something sacred.

And maybe, like Bruno, your horse will show you how beautiful it can be to rest — even in a world that tells you to go.

💬 If this resonates…

Encourage you to register for my upcoming webinar:
🪞Your Horse, Your Mirror — A deep dive into nervous system healing, self-discovery, and what your horse is trying to tell you. It’s at 8pm CEST July 13th. 

✨Or, if you want to wear this message proudly, grab my 95% mindset / 5% method shirt here.

📘 And if you’re new to this work, start with my e-book — it’s the foundation of everything.