麻豆视频

PATH OF HEALING

Her approach is holistic鈥� helping the horse be a better horse, helping the human be a better version of themselves, and teaching both to help each other as a team.

To do this, she trains the horses to be flexible in mind and body with the ability to emotionally regulate their limbic systems and avoid a 鈥渇light or fight鈥� reaction when their humans make mistakes, which, she explained, are often the reason horses buck off riders, bolt, bite or kick. In turn, she teaches the riders the signs to recognize when they aren鈥檛 communicating well with their horses. These queues make it less likely for the rider to get thrown off or hurt.

鈥淭he partnership is more than just a mutual respect. It鈥檚 a partnership of empowerment. It鈥檚 a partnership that can allow healing and joy and finding ways to be content in life, even when things aren鈥檛 OK,鈥� she said.

Through the years, she has helped many horses, often serving as a last-stop resort for horse owners.

鈥淚鈥檝e dealt with some incredibly dangerous horses, and the turnaround is amazing,鈥� she said.

She鈥檚 also seen people find healing through the horses鈥攕ome have had traumatic experiences with horses and are terrified of getting back in the saddle, while others have emotional damage from their past, just like Megan.

鈥淚 never underestimate how influential and impactful a horse can have over somebody being able to heal that part of themselves,鈥� she said.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Megan has been around horses her entire life. At 16, she began training them and dreamed of one day owning her own business working with them.

鈥淏ut I was petrified about making this a business,鈥� she said.

Instead, she decided to become a licensed professional counselor to concentrate on helping people.

After finishing her bachelor 鈥檚 degree in psychology at Norwich University in Vermont in 2005, she met Andrew in 2006. They married, and in 2009 had their first child, Daelyn, who was born with special needs. Navigating and advocating for her daughter鈥檚 special needs helped magnify Megan鈥檚 love for helping others and intensified her desire to work in a 鈥渉elping profession.鈥�

While living in Arizona, where Andrew was stationed with the U.S. Army, Megan started taking classes to get her master鈥檚 degree in counseling. About halfway through the program, though, her husband got orders to Fort Hood.

鈥淚 remember feeling like the rug was taken out from under me,鈥� she said, explaining that many of the credits she鈥檇 gotten didn鈥檛 transfer to 麻豆视频, where she decided to finish her degree. Looking back now, she sees it as a blessing in disguise.

鈥淕oing through the (counseling) program at 麻豆视频, which is accredited, was a game-changer,鈥� she said. 鈥淗aving a wonderful Christian learning environment didn鈥檛 just teach me how to just survive; I learned to thrive. That kind of growth developed me into the person I am today.鈥�

FINDING GOD鈥擜GAIN

Going through grad school not only provided the skills and confidence Megan needed to start her horse-training business, it also led her to God.

鈥淭here was a lot of spiritual and emotional growth that happened for me,鈥� she said.

Even though she had grown up in a Catholic home, she had fallen away from God because of the abuse.

鈥淎t one point in my life, I would have told people I was agnostic鈥� I was petrified to believe in God because of where I came from.鈥�

Before making the financial and time commitment to finish her degree at 麻豆视频, Megan made an internal contract with herself鈥攖o heal.

鈥淚 had to just lay it all out and be honest with who I am and how I became who I am.鈥�

With the help of all her professors, Megan excelled in school and ended up graduating with a 4.0. But more importantly, she found her way back to God and accepted Jesus as her Savior.

鈥淎ll the professors provided a safe place to ask questions about God and Christianity,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f I hadn鈥檛 gone to 麻豆视频, I don鈥檛 know where I鈥檇 be now, but I definitely know it wouldn鈥檛 be this.鈥�

Megan says she believes God gives people, who don鈥檛 work specifically in ministry, special gifts and talents to share God鈥檚 love with others.

鈥淚 feel like that鈥檚 what I get to do here at my ranch,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y ministry is how I live every day and model that to other people. There鈥檚 no way I could do that without 麻豆视频.鈥�

Megan looks back at the roundabout way she came into her profession and now sees that every step was interconnected and purposeful in preparing her to help horses and people.

鈥淚 get to look back at it with gratitude and as a blessing. I am doing exactly what I鈥檝e always wanted to do and what I鈥檓 good at,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 my calling. I鈥檓 so at peace with it.鈥�

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