Gentled and socialized (tame & safe) mustangs retain heightened senses from their experiences and family lineage in the wilderness. Most were born under the cloak of darkness and would walk miles at dawn to safety with their extended family band.
They quickly learn what a threat is and where protection is; the experienced mother raises the fur baby to adapt to a changing environment and remain secure within the band relationships.
 Mary and Susan, couldn’t tell you much about these traits, but that didn’t keep them from having life-changing mentor sessions with a mustang! (their stories are below).
 
Many of the traits in mustangs are not trained or taught. In fact, we count on this! Rather than training or conditioning a wild horse to behave in certain ways, the horse is actually the “standard” or “control” that is predictable. Each mustang mentor behaves congruently with its nature, thereby being a trustworthy barometer for the human participant and the coach.

• Great crap detectors! Every part of a mustang is a sentient bluetooth taking in all kinds of information every moment while offering instant response to what the person is feeling and thinking.
• Immediate feedback as to whether the horse feels safe or unsafe
• Comfortable with all ages of individuals or groups
• Engaged and expressive during sessions. Not numb to a persons’ internal and external dynamics.
• Frequently point out locations of physical injuries and lodged trauma with its incredible olfactory receptors. A horse possesses 1,066 olfactory receptor (OR) genes compared to a human’s 396 OR genes. They not only distinguish scents more than a mile away, they also access valuable information from the nearby person which that person is unaware of.
• The horses’ heart rhythm (HRV) influences the persons HRV: within 2 minutes, oxytocin increases, stress decreases to lower defensive & survival mechanisms so that persons can identify authentic needs and longings.

Two clients, one horse, very different responses!
 Mary has never spent time around horses. She’s an acupuncturist who admits, “my head is in the clouds most of the time. I want to be more grounded and practical in my day-to-day tasks.”
 
Susan actually lives with several mustang horses and is very practical, yet in her words, “I say ‘yes’ to everyone else’s  requests, and then I resent them and get angry with myself for not holding better personal boundaries. I want to be able to say ‘no’ tactfully.”
 
Satin is a gentle quiet mustang born in the Little Bookcliffs wilderness of Western Colorado. She was brought off the range at a young age, and adopted by a local person. Now she lives at the Sanctuary with her adopted family band.
 
Satin and Tracy (equine-guided life coach) coached Mary and Susan on the same day, several hours apart. The two women never met and do not know one another.
After an orientation, Tracy empowered each of the women to be fully present in the moment as they sat peacefully for one of the 9 horses to connect/choose to mentor them.
 
Unusually, the same horse chose to mentor both persons on the same day.  Due to Susan’s and Mary’s different needs and intentions, we were really curious as to how they would manifest in Satin’s behaviors?
 
Satin calmly stood in the DiscoveRing as Mary entered through the gate. Satin immediately turned away and wandered toward the far side of the ring – actually sliding her head through the panel to graze weeds on the outside!
 
Later that day when Susan was about to enter the DiscoveRing, Satin stood with her head extended over the gate and her chest pressing on it! Remember, Susan has troubles holding boundaries.
 
Through the 45-minute coaching session, Satin’s behaviors and Tracy’s questions challenged each woman to release their needs and reclaim their intention; to embody and ground their authentic self in such a way that Satin’s behavior would tangibly reflect their recovery of true self.
 
Sure enough, while Mary walked around the DiscoveRing with grounded strength and purpose, Satin followed her respectfully behind at liberty (without a rope for physical connection). Mary was beaming with the outcome of her manifested intention!
 
Now, Susan had to release what her brain knows about mustangs and focus on her own need for healthier personal boundaries. This was a huge shift from “what I can do for and with horses” to “what a horse can do for and with me.”  Sure enough, Susan was able to conclude her session by walking confidently within her own skin. And Satin? Of course she followed Susan at a few feet behind all the way around the DiscoveRing at liberty! 
 
While standing with Satin, Tracy helped Mary and Susan to integrate the life lessons into their daily behaviors and relationships. Then they thanked Satin respectively and received their own picture postcard of Satin to place in their cubical at work or mirror at home – a positive reminder of living into their authentic self.  
 
Live your LIFE@LIBERTY!  Click Here to Learn more about being mentored by a mustang.