Happy Hooves Wellness

08/17/2026

Jill Rainwater and I are hosting a great experiential learning opportunity here on the farm in Dexter this Fall! I am is HERD Certified and an ICF Certified Coach, and Jill is PATH Certified and an LPC. We both really enjoy providing creative equine assisted learning opportunities following industry standards and best practices, and I’m especially excited about collaborating for this topic!

Do you ever notice how much fear of failure keeps us from thriving? Observing and working with horses can help us identify that dynamic and overcome it. Horses respond to what’s real, not what’s displayed, which can show us quickly where self doubt or the need to perform tend to creep in. We’ll explore the difference between self worth and confidence, and practice staying grounded when feeling uncomfortable instead of avoiding it. Join us a soft place to land while doing some important learning and self-care.

Please feel free to pass the registration link along to friends: Connected-Hope.com

Limited Space available, advance registration required.

Connected Growth & Wellness Equine Assisted Learning

07/13/2026

Horse change lives 🩷 check out this trailer.

https://vimeo.com/1207376914?fl=pl&fe=sh

Warwick Schiller's Attuned Horsemanship

This is "REKINDLE - OFFICIAL TRAILER" by TASTY PICTURES on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

07/13/2026

07/10/2026

Farm animals, hands-on activities, games, and Kona Ice — WACA's annual Fun on the Farm Day is coming to Dexter on Sunday, July 19, from 1-4 p.m. at Happy Hooves Wellness.

Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for kids with pre-registration (or a bit more at the door), and 20% of Kona Ice sales support the Washtenaw Association for Community Advocacy. Tickets are limited, so organizers recommend registering ahead.

05/29/2026

Lakota challenges the story that quiet means weak🐑 She is observant, thoughtful, and incredibly detail-oriented. While others rush forward, Lakota pauses, notices, and takes in the environment around her.
Watching her reminds us that sensitivity and quiet awareness are forms of intelligence, not shortcomings.
In a world that often rewards loudness and speed, animals like Lakota remind us that calm observation has value too.
As poet Mary Oliver wrote:
“Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
Maybe the story isn’t:
“I need to be louder to matter.”
Maybe it’s:
“My quietness allows me to notice what others miss.”

FarmWisdom

05/28/2026

We are incredibly excited to host a special one-day Movement Method Workshop with internationally known author and educator Rupert Isaacson this summer at Happy Hooves Wellness.
The Movement Method is a movement-based approach designed to support nervous system regulation, learning, emotional connection, and brain development — particularly for neurodivergent individuals and those impacted by stress or trauma.
Research continues to show that rhythm, movement, relational safety, and sensory integration play critical roles in learning and emotional regulation. This workshop is designed for parents, educators, therapists, and anyone interested in how movement and nervous system support can unlock growth and connection.
As Rupert Isaacson’s work reminds us: movement is not separate from learning — movement is learning.

🌿 Join us in Dexter, MI for this unique event
👉 Learn more and reserve your spot here: 🔗 in bio
Movement Method Workshop at Happy Hooves Wellness: https://www.hhooves.com/in-the-media

05/27/2026

What is one story you inherited about what it means to be “strong”?
Did strength mean staying quiet? Never asking for help? Pushing through no matter what?
Now gently ask yourself:
Is that story helping me… or protecting me?

As author Mark Nepo writes:
“To be broken open by what you cannot control is to be given your true strength.”

Sometimes healing begins when we realize we’re allowed to write a different story.

05/26/2026

Many of the stories we carry about ourselves begin as nervous system adaptations.
Research in attachment and developmental psychology shows that repeated early experiences shape how we interpret safety, belonging, and connection. Over time, these experiences can become internal narratives:
“I need to stay small.”
“I have to get it right.”
“I don’t fully belong here.”
Our farm animals interrupt these patterns in unique ways. They respond to what is happening in the present moment — breath, posture, energy, regulation — rather than the labels or expectations we carry about ourselves.

As psychiatrist Dr. Bruce Perry reminds us:
“Relationship is the most powerful therapy.”

Animal assisted learning offers opportunities to experience new relational patterns. Sometimes that’s where the story begins to shift.

🌿 Learn more about our programs and philosophy: 🔗 in bio or www.hhooves.com

05/22/2026

This week we had the pleasure of welcoming the summer camp youth staff from Detroit Horse Power to Happy Hooves for a horsemanship refresher ahead of their upcoming summer programs. 🐴🌿

It’s always meaningful to spend time with others who believe in the power of horses, relationship-based learning, and creating spaces where young people can grow in confidence and belonging.
The day was filled with thoughtful questions, hands-on learning, and reconnecting with the foundations of safe, attuned horsemanship.
One of the beautiful things about this work is that no matter how we show up on any given day, horses continue to invite us back to presence, regulation, and curiosity.

We’re grateful for organizations like Detroit Horse Power that are helping make equine experiences more accessible to youth and communities. Wishing their team a wonderful summer camp season ahead!

and pic cred goes to DHP too

🌿 Learn more about our programs and philosophy at: www.hhooves.com

05/21/2026

On the farm, the herd doesn’t ask anyone to become someone else to belong. The bold horse and the cautious horse both have a place. The curious goat and the observant sheep both contribute to the group.
Nature reminds us that diversity within a herd is not a problem, it’s part of what makes the herd resilient.

This is one reason experiential learning with animals can feel so healing for people. It creates opportunities to experience connection without constant comparison.

🌿 Learn more about our belonging-based approach:
www.hhooves.com