MY STORY
Born to be awesome not perfect.
I was born with horses in my heart! Since a young age, I have been fascinated by their language and have loved to learn about them. The horses constantly bring purpose and passion in my life. They truly fill my heart and soul with wonder and love.
I grew up on a farm with two brothers, my mom, my dad and a lot of animals! Since a very young age, I have had a big dream in my life to have my own ranch in the beauty of nature. I have wanted to have my own method with the horses; where I can help horses give them a wonderful future, as well as helping all different people connect with horses and grow together in a where we can feel a sense of connection instead of control.
What's the fastest way to get to your dream? -It's a straight line-. In my life, I like to share with people and explain to them; "yes, the fastest way to get to your dream might be a straight line, but no matter what, you'll always have ups and downs. Those up and downs might sometimes be really hard, however, find something that will help you through your hard times and you will see a bright light faster than you think."
In 2005, a horse named Chester came into my family. Chester was a jumping horse and I did not know too much about horses at that age (5 y/o). Because of my age; not too many people believed in me and my horse. Therefore, no one wanted to teach us and we had no trainer to correct our mistakes. So instead, we learned from each other. No one was there to tell me I was being too “soft” with my gelding or that I did not have his “respect”. Looking back now, I’m sure I would have received such comments from other riders and trainers. I was not dominant; I was not feared by my horse. All I knew and had was an incredible amount of love for my soulmate Chester; and that was all that mattered to me. To get to the relationship we have reached together today, one of the things I learned so much from, was watching him and his herd grazing and playing in the pasture. In my head, I was dreaming of communicating with Chester just like other horses could. I always believed in our work and knew that one day, we would create our own herd together; him and I.
I love to inspire people and show them how beautiful life can be, even when our line to our dreams is not straight. For me, in my life, my dyslexia, dyscalculia, and anxiety have been a little bit of a blessing. It helped me find my strength and directed me towards what I really wanted to do. When you wake up in the morning, you have two choices; you can either go back to sleep and dream your dreams or you can wake up and chase those dreams. Fight for your dreams and they will fight for you.
In 2015, after a first attempt to move to Canada, my parents divorced and this brought a big black screen in front of me. My dad decided to take his own new way and lost contact with me. I had a really hard time to let go of the things I had lost and accept this new way. My magical horse Chester always helped me through those difficult times and he is the one who brought some light into my life. One of the happiest moments in life is when I found the courage to let go what I could not change.
In 2017, my mom and I decided to move from Belgium to Canada. One big part of my dream was to be in the beauty of nature. For me, it was a big life decision! In order to follow my dream, I had to "leave" my horse, friends, a big part of my family and everything I knew around me... I could not let this stop me from following my heart, going on new adventures and chasing my dreams! Not everyone believed in my dreams, but as long I believed in my dreams; I thought it was the biggest gift I could give to myself. With the years passing by, I learned that the ones who say "you can't & you won't" are the ones scared that you will. When I was sitting in the airplane, I remember telling myself, "I decided to fly through the air and live in the sunlight and enjoy life as much as I could."
On January 8, 2018, I rescued a horse that never had been handled by humans. She had no name and her number was 119. She quickly became my new soulmate; I named her Shadow.
In September 2019, I started university at "Université de St. Boniface - Psychology." In 2020, I decided to educate myself more so I can keep turning my passion into my work. Therefore, I started at the University of Guelph so I can obtain my Diploma in Equine Studies & Certificate in Equine Business Management. (graduated April 2, 2023) We never stop learning! In the summer of 2021, I started my Child-Centered Animal-Assisted Therapy Association Certification which will take place over the next 2 years. (graduate date = summer 2023), In the winter of 2023 I started my instructor certification true Prairie Strides (certification date June 2023) My life goal is to obtain my MA in psychology. My dream is to have an Equine Play Therapy program to help children in the mental health sector.
Throughout my journey, my mom decided to move back to Europe which has been pretty tough but that's another opportunity for me to become stronger. If you can't do anything about it then let it go. Don't be a prisoner to things you can't change. Letting go doesn't mean that you don't care about someone anymore. It's just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself. I was able to build my own little family close by with my horses and that's what makes me happy.
After volunteering for many years at local rescues and learning about the slaughter industry, I decided I needed to do something myself. Hundreds of horses experience neglect, abuse, and trauma by the hand of humans. Laying awake at night thinking someone isn't safe, burns my feelings. If I can save someone's life, I will make it happen! Each year I take in approximately 10-25 horses (mainly untamed ponies). It unfortunately doesn't safe the world, but it DOES changes the world for that one horse. Rescues warm my heart and each of their stories are unique. Upon arrival, these beautiful souls empty their heavy backpacks. Due to my own story, it's easy for me to feel their fear, sadness, losses, trauma's, or any other superpowers they might be struggling with. Here, everyone is loved for who they are, beautiful, brave, and extraordinary, everyone will feel at home.
As I continue my journey; my ideas of doing things never end. My 3 part time jobs, running business, rescues, puppy and school keep me busy and running to enjoy life and help as many living beings as possible! Every day I work on some new future plans and because of that, I can be very proud of where I am right now. Keep your dreams alive. Understanding to achieve anything requires faith, believing in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe. My immense amount of patience, creativity, and calm energy makes my work unique.