Equine New Life Rehab

Equine New Life Rehab Slaughter bound Equine Rehab and Rehoming Facility

04/30/2026

Let’s talk about “one-owner horses.”
Because people love to romanticize that idea.
You hear it all the time—
“Oh, she only bonds to one person.”
“No one else can ride him.”
“They’re just that connected.”
It sounds beautiful.
It’s usually not.
There are generally two ways a horse becomes a “one-owner horse,” and neither of them is what people think.
The first is training.
Not bad training—specific training.
Think of trick horses.
A classic example is a horse trained to rear on command.
That’s not just a cool trick. That’s a dangerous behavior if you don’t know exactly how it’s cued and controlled.
Put an inexperienced rider on that horse, and they could accidentally trigger that response.
Now you’ve got a horse coming up under someone who has no idea how to handle it.
That’s how people—and horses—get seriously hurt.
So it’s not that the horse is “loyal” to one person.
It’s that the horse has been trained in a way that requires very specific communication.
The second way is a lot harder to talk about.
Bad training.
Mismanagement.
Fear.
Sometimes outright abuse.
When a horse has learned that humans are unpredictable, unsafe, or painful…
they don’t become “deeply bonded.”
They become selectively tolerant.
Sometimes—through an incredible amount of time, consistency, and patience—they will learn to trust one person.
Just one.
And even then, it’s fragile.
They might allow basic handling from others.
But in stressful situations—riding, new environments, pressure—
they go right back to that one person.
Because that’s the only place they feel safe.
That’s not a fairytale bond.
That’s survival.
And here’s the part people don’t like:
Horses are naturally social.
They are wired to interact, adapt, and function within a group.
So when you see a horse that only allows one human?
That didn’t happen by accident.
And it’s not something to praise.
I get it—humans love the idea of exclusivity.
We project our own values onto it—loyalty, partnership, even something like marriage.
But horses aren’t monogamous.
Not socially, not emotionally, not biologically.
That “only me” bond we admire so much?
A lot of the time, that’s not devotion.
It’s limitation.
Now, do I let just anyone ride my horses?
Absolutely not.
But that’s not because I’m afraid they’ll bond with someone else or perform better.
It’s because I’ve put in the work—
and I’m not interested in someone else undoing it.
There’s a difference.

11/24/2025

Have you ever felt like time is just flying by?
And then someone asks, “What did you do Tuesday? Or last Wednesday? Or a month ago?”
…and you come up blank.

People usually shrug and say, “Time flies when you’re having fun.”
But is that actually true?

I think time flies the most when we’re bored—
when we’re not fully present, not making memories, just going through the motions.
Wake up. Work. Scroll. Repeat.
Your brain is awake, but your life is on autopilot.

There’s a reason we say “making” memories and not “having” memories.
Memories take intention. They take attention.
Sure, the brain catalogs everything—but unless it’s meaningful, it gets tossed into that giant mental junk drawer labeled “just another day.”

Trying to retrieve those moments later is like trying to find that one cat video you swiped past too fast—good luck digging it back out of the algorithm.

So when someone says “time flies when you’re having fun,” they’re sort of joking.
Time doesn’t fly when you’re having fun.
When you’re having fun, time feels full, thick, slow, rich.
You remember it.

Time flies when you’re not having fun—
when nothing stands out enough to anchor your mind to the moment.

If you want your days to feel unique…
If you want your life to feel long, full, and lived…
If you want November 24, 2025 to get its own little file instead of disappearing into the folder that just says “my life”…

You have to make memories.
You have to notice.
Reach for the small moments.
Pay attention to the things that make today different from every other Tuesday in your life.

No, this doesn’t mean every day has to be bungee jumping or life-or-death excitement.
But every day has something unique in it—
a conversation, a person, a laugh, a color in the sky, a thought, a choice.

Some weeks will still blur together, and that’s okay.
Boredom isn’t fatal.
But a mundane life—a life where every year looks exactly like the last—that’s a choice.

So the next time someone says,
“Time flies when you’re having fun,”
you might gently correct them:

Time flies when you’re going through the motions.
When you’re truly having fun… time stands still.

We are all broken. But it isn’t the fact that we are broken that defines us—it’s what we do with that brokenness that sh...
09/05/2025

We are all broken. But it isn’t the fact that we are broken that defines us—it’s what we do with that brokenness that shapes the kind of person we become.

It does not matter who broke us or how we were broken. Placing blame changes nothing. Holding onto that blame only keeps us stuck. Healing can never begin when all our energy is spent pointing fingers.

You can ignore the cracks. Pretend they aren’t there. But people will see them. Your behavior will show them. The anger, the fear, the hurt—whatever negative emotions slip through those cracks—will leak out.

You can lean into your brokenness and use it as an excuse, spreading negativity to everyone around you because you’re broken. Or… you can work on repairing, healing, and growing.

Will you ever be completely unbroken? Not really. Just as the Japanese art of kintsugi doesn’t erase a bowl’s history but fills its cracks with gold, you will never return to the state of never having been broken. But you will carry a new kind of beauty—one that is seen and appreciated by those who recognize it.

Not everyone will. That’s the nature of art: it is always in the eye of the beholder. Some will overlook it. But to the right people, your healed soul will be breathtakingly beautiful. And to the wrong people—well, it won’t matter anyway.

You Don’t Have to Be “Important” to Be ImportantThis might sound a little strange or come out of the blue, but here’s so...
07/20/2025

You Don’t Have to Be “Important” to Be Important

This might sound a little strange or come out of the blue, but here’s something I’ve been sitting with lately:

I like to feel important.
Not in a flashy, spotlight sort of way—but in the quiet sense of feeling essential. Like I matter. Like I’d be missed if I weren’t there.

Lately, though, I’ve felt a little on the outside.
A little stuck.
A little… not essential.

It’s a humbling and uncomfortable feeling.
But here's the truth that’s been unfolding for me:
You don’t have to be important to be important.

We live in a world that pushes us to prove our worth constantly—to be seen, liked, needed. Social media feeds that hunger, giving us a little dopamine hit with every like, comment, or share. It makes us feel like we matter—if only for a moment.

But what if being important isn’t about recognition at all?

What if it’s about showing up?
Doing your best, even when no one sees it?
Being present for your people, your work, your life—whether or not it earns applause?

Because every time you show up—whether it’s at work, with your family, in your relationships, in your self-care—you make a difference. Maybe not a dramatic one. Maybe not one anyone ever says thank you for. But it matters. You matter.

And sometimes, just being there is more powerful than we realize.

07/15/2025

“Kindness Costs Nothing.” Or Does It?

There’s a meme or video going around right now pushing back on the old saying that kindness costs nothing. It points out that neither does being a jerk. But here’s the thing — neither statement is really true.

If we’re talking strictly about money, kindness can cost you. People might take advantage of your good nature. They might mistake your kindness for weakness, or push your boundaries. On the flip side, being a jerk can cost you too — in lost sales, missed opportunities, or people simply refusing to work with you.

So no, kindness isn’t free if you’re only counting dollars and cents.

But the real cost — and the real reward — is deeper than money. Being kind pays you back in peace, joy, and connection. It nourishes your mind and heart. Being a jerk, on the other hand, corrodes your spirit. It chips away at your relationships, your reputation, and your own sense of self.

So next time you have to choose whether to be kind or be cruel, don’t just think about the financial cost. Ask yourself: What will this cost my soul?
And decide what’s really worth paying for.

07/13/2025

While I was riding Scarlet yesterday and telling her, “Keep your brain in the arena, I’ll watch out for the scary stuff,” I realized how much that applies to us humans, too.

How often do we let our minds drift outside our own “arena”? We worry about things far away — the news, other people’s problems, what might happen. We focus on the shadows and the rustling bushes instead of the work and life right in front of us.

Scarlet wasn’t calmer for watching the bushes — she was more anxious. Once she focused back inside the arena, she relaxed and did her job well.

I think we’re the same. When we’re at work, we’re thinking about home. When we’re at home, we’re thinking about work. We worry about things we can’t control, while ignoring what’s right in front of us that we can do something about.

What if we practiced keeping our brains in our own arena? Be aware of what’s outside, sure — but don’t fixate on it. Focus on what’s in front of you. Be present for your work, your family, your friends.

When Scarlet stayed focused, she was calm, happy, and productive. When we do the same, maybe we will be too.

Just a thought from the saddle today. 🐎✨

07/12/2025

I was riding my filly, Scarlet, this morning and had an interesting moment I wanted to share. A few days ago, Scarlet spooked when my old dog, Muttley, stood up under a mesquite tree as we passed by. From her perspective, a hidden predator just popped out of nowhere — fair enough! I felt her tension and expected it, so we worked through it, no big deal.

Yesterday was calm and quiet, so we had no problems. But today was windy, and Scarlet kept eyeing the shadows outside the arena — the weeds were whipping around and she was just waiting for something to jump out and eat her.

At first, I did what we’re all told to do these days: let her stand and look so she can “process” it. But the thing is, the wind didn’t stop. The bushes kept moving. She didn’t get braver — she just stayed worried.

So I did what I used to do 30 years ago when I was working and showing horses: I ignored it, and told her to ignore it, too. I kept her mind inside the arena, working on her focus so that the outside might as well have been invisible.

When I was showing, I couldn’t control what went on outside the arena — dogs, umbrellas, flags, kids — you name it. We didn’t have time to stop and coax a horse past every distraction. They had to learn to trust the rider and stay focused on the job.

Somewhere along the line, we’ve started trying to desensitize horses to everything imaginable. But I don’t want a horse that never reacts to anything — if there’s a cliff, a snake, or a pothole I don’t see, I want my horse to let me know!

Good training, in my opinion, isn’t about shutting a horse down. It’s about teaching them to trust us when they’re worried, and to stay focused when they’re working — but to still feel free to tell us when something is truly wrong.

Scarlet did just that today. I reminded her to keep her brain in the arena. I’d take care of the shadows and the wind and anything scary out there. Little by little, she settled in, her focus got better, and we had a really nice ride.

10/27/2024

I think we have all heard the term, "I lost a friend today." That sentence has always bothered me because I always thought, "How can you lose a friend? Especially so quickly?"
As I've gotten older, I've realized that that situation is not a loss. That friend walked away by their own choice. To lose a friend, is when you put a friendship down for a time, and when you go back to re-engage, your friend was no longer where you left them. It doesn't matter the reason. Life happens.

I'm sure we all remember as children when our mother would say, "Where did you leave it last? It didn't grow legs and walk off on its own." Well, our friends have legs and they will disappear.
But the thing about it is, they have legs and they can reappear, as long as we leave the door open and make sure that they know they're still welcome.

I just started back to school in to get my BSN and I realized that in all the stress and all the assignments and everything I may have put down a friendship or two. They may wander off before I get a chance to pick them back up again. Hopefully, if they do, I'll be able to find them again and reconnect. I value every friend I have.
Also, if I was your friend and you put me down and I wandered off, don't hesitate to reach out to me because I probably just got distracted by something shiny.

12/28/2023

The saying is that you cannot pour from an empty cup. I don't believe that cup is ever empty and that is the problem. When you look at a cup with water in it our instinct is to say that it's half full or half empty. Pessimism or optimism, but empty is an absence of something and that cup is actually half full of water and half full of air. If it was truly half empty that empty half would be a vacuum and nature despises a vacuum.

We all know that wondering person who gives and gives until they finally say, "I'm exhausted I can't give anymore there's nothing left." The problem isn't that they give too much. The problem is that they have trouble receiving. For every bit of love, joy, and peace you give out, you need to receive that love,joy, and peace back.

We all have heard this story of the person that made everyone laugh. They showed everyone love. That was the happy person. The most loving person that committed su***de. And this is a hard thing to talk about. It is devastating. People wonder how such a wonderful person could kill themselves. How somebody who loves so much could hurt the ones that love them by killing themselves.

Su***de is not always an act of selfishness. Su***de is not an act of hate. Su***de is an act of extreme pain. They're so full of pain that there's nothing there. They can't see the love around them. They can't see the joy around them. All they can see is pain. That person gives and gives and gives, but has difficulty receiving. Nature will replace that vacuum of love that has been given away with something else and it is often pain, self-loathing, loneliness, all the things that are the opposite of what that person gave to all of those around them.

In nursing, we talk a lot about caregiver fatigue, about self-care, and taking care of yourself making sure you stay healthy mentally, emotionally, and physically.
The problem is loving yourself and taking care of yourself is not enough. You have to have people around you. You have to have a support system of people who are loving you who are giving to you what you have given to them. People who are filling your cup of with love and peace, people are preventing that vacuum from being filled with negativity and pain.

During the holidays we are all expected to be joyful and happy pouring out that energy to everyone.
Look around you look at the people closest to you, who give you the most, and give it back. Show them the love that they may not be able to realize that they need. The love that they may have difficulty accepting. Because every drop of love that you can give to somebody prevents,
that cup from getting filled with a debilitating pain and isolation. Every bit of love that you give ti somebody is one less drop of self-loathing, one less drop of loneliness, one less drop of heartbreaking devastating pain that that cup could be filled with.

03/20/2023

There is not a lot good that I can say about the COVID epidemic but there is one thing. The many shut downs and isolation precautions created a need for people to be able to teach over video. Suddenly, it became acceptable to do much of the teaching that is traditionally done in person online. However this requires a different type of technology than what many of us have ever used before.

When it comes to horseback riding lessons, training, and showing, there are some very unique challenges to recording such as being outdoors, multiple horses, rural conditions, and speed. I have purchased with my own funds the top 3 devices that are recommended for recording horseback riding. This is my review of them and my thoughts of which is better and why.

First, we have the Soloshot. Admittedly, this was my first purchase and it has had multiple upgrades since then. However, the basics remain the same. This particular device consists of a robot camera on a tripod and a tag which can be placed on your body, your horse, or whatever you wish to track. The robotcamera is paired with the tag and tracks via that signal up to 2000 feet away. The camera is designed for outside usage only though I've read that they are trying to change that. Pairing and tracking requires a strong Wi-Fi signal. On my property, I do not have a strong Wi-Fi signal outside of my home because I live in a metal building quite a bit out in the country.The only way I could consistently get the tag and the camera to link was by using my cell phone as a hotspot. This was quite a hassle. Also I had a lot of difficulty with the battery life and being able to keep the camera functioning.The videos are stored on a SD card and you use your computer to edit or upload.The cost of the newest Soloshot is around 1500.00 depending upon which upgrade you have and wether its new or used. I believe it is a very good system for certain sports and in certain areas, it really did not work for me at all.

Next, we have the Pivo. Pivos are amazingly inexpensive. They will work indoors and outdoors. They're small and very easy to set up. All of the videos go directly to your phone, are easy to edit and upload to YouTube or whatever place you decide. However, they do not use a tag but are supposed to lock on to your or your horse's outline and follow along. The problem is if you have any other animal in the area or activity, the Pivo sometimes forgets what you look like. In particular, I have found that the Pivo forgets what a horse is. It also has issues tracking in the sunrise or sunset times. While it can be quite entertaining to see what your Pivo is going to follow when it loses you, it certainly diminishes the effectiveness for training. They also have a shorter range of about 65 feet more depending on the quality of your smart device's camera. If you are needing to put your camera in a particular area of an arena for a certain angle, you may have difficulty with it being unable to keep up or with losing you and not being able to track well. The Pivo costs from 70.00 to 450.00 depending on model and accessories so affordability is a big plus. However the inconsistency in tracking and the shorter range made it very frustrating for me with what I needed it to do.

Finally, we have the Pixio. Costwise, it's between the Soloshot & Pivo ranging between 750.00 to 1100.00 depending version and accessories. It like the Pivo in that you attach your phone, camera, or laptop to the robot via Bluetooth. It uses a tag similar to the Soloshot which comes with a watch band so that can be worn on you wrist. Unlike either, there are 3 beacons which create parameters to help with tracking. This system has worked incredibly well and is amazingly consistent. It requires no Wi-Fi but hooks up via Bluetooth to your device. It's range is 330 feet. The video is saved directly to your device and is easy to edit and upload. The tracking has been on mark only losing me when I went "out of bounds" by quite a bit and even then it surprised me by finding and tracking me and my horse within just a few seconds. The video quality and Zoom are on point. Now, the watch/tag is fairly bulky and setting up/taking down requires a few extra minutes due to the beacons needing to put out and picked up each time. That and the cost have been my only complaint so far.

In summary, with the right environment and circumstances the Soloshot would probably work, but the high cost and narrow usability just didn't work for me. The Pivo is inexpensive, but unreliable. My favorite is the Pixio with its ease of use and reliability despite it being fairly costly and having a bulky watch band.

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Iowa Park, TX
76367

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