Bushel Barns: Boarding & Horsemanship

01/18/2026

•15 years of companionship (and counting!)•

PART II

As many of you commented across fb and ig (thank you!), Bella and Gem are providing one another with quiet, consistent companionship; sharing the sort of bond that allows them to feel safe, understood and wholly themselves.
As prey animals, their very survival depends on having multiple eyes and ears looking out for danger and conveying subtle messages, such as when it’s time to flee, settle to graze or safe to sleep. Simply spending with one another isn’t enough… this makes them herd mates, but not necessarily companions. A deeper bond starts to form when they are emotionally attuned to one another, co-regulate together and look to each other in times of stress.

If every time Gem raised her head from eating to investigate a new sound, sight or smell, Bella ignored her, it wouldn’t take long for Gem to start seeking the company of a horse who were more attuned to her and aware of their surroundings. Equally, if Gem was constantly interrupting their grazing time by reacting to every bird chirp or falling leaf, Bella would start seeking the company of a horse who was more regulated. Instead, they have found a happy medium - when something new enters their environment, they mirror one another’s emotional state (i.e. in photos from part I and II, they are both looking and listening to the same thing with about equal levels of arousal) but they aren’t wasting one another’s energy by reacting to small, constant changes such as leaves rustling or birds flying overhead. As they’ve aged, Bella and Gem’s roles and dynamics have shifted (more on this to come), but the trust and safety they share has remained.

For a myriad of reasons, we often do not have the luxury of pairing our horses with herd mates who allow for this sort of bond, so instead I encourage us, their humans, to become this presence in their lives. We may not be able to spend every moment, day in and day out, with them but how can we emulate what Bella and Gem provide to one another? What causes your horse to seek out the companionship of some horses in their herd and avoid others? Has this changed over time for your horse(s), and if so, what might be the reason why?

Horses are extremely social creatures who operate almost entirely on sensory input, emotion and instinct, rather than reason and logic. The interactions they have with one another (and us) deeply shapes how they perceive the world 🧠

01/13/2026

12/24/2025

• 15 years of companionship (and counting!)•

Two of my personal horses, Gem (28 years old) and Bella (18 years old) share a relationship that beautifully highlights and embodies so much of what we center our conversations around horse behavior on.
This will be a short series exploring and discussing some of those elements. Questions and comments welcome; more details on their lives together to come in future parts.

PART I

In almost every clinic, workshop or group lesson I teach, the conversation turns to what matters to horses: what motivates them, what they seek and how do we better provide that to them as their owners, riders and/or caretakers. Over the course of these discussions, as humans we inevitably impose our own perception of the world by saying horses are motivated by the provision of food/treats, verbal praise, recognition and/or touch. All things that we, as humans, may enjoy and things that are frequently sought out by our dogs and cats too - all 3 of us predatory species, starkly in contrast to our prey animal friend - the horse. While horses can certainly learn to accept, and even enjoy, these things, they do not naturally have a place in horse society and are not typically sought nor perceived as motivating as a result.

So let us think, for a moment, about what Gem and Bella are providing to one another in this photo. What do they offer one another? What withstands the test of time and all that comes with it?

07/11/2025

Since many horse people are dog people, too! This will be a fantastic course for anyone looking to spend quality time with their canine companion(s) and get them out & about 🙂

✨NEW WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT!✨
🐾Equuvation has partnered with Synapse Canine Learning Center to offer PAWS WITH PURPOSE—a 5-week Skills Workshop for dogs and their humans!
🐕Join us on the farm for a special group class designed to help your dog become a well-mannered companion—all while supporting a great cause!
🐶In this playful, positive course, dogs of all ages will learn (or get a refresher on) the basics: focus/name conditioning, sit, down, stay, recall, heel, leave it, and place. We’ll explore how dogs learn, helping you generalize good behavior beyond the farm (and home), and throw in a little trick training, too! Take advantage of our sensory-rich environment, where your pup can be exposed to animals, obstacles, and more!
Spots are VERY limited—sign up today!
⭐️ equuvation.org/dogs
Workshop Details:
▪️WHEN | Saturdays in August, 9:30-10:30am (8/2, 8/9, 8/16, 8/23, 8/30)
▪️WHERE | Equuvation Therapy + Education Center in Statesville
▪️COST | $200 for all 5 weeks*
▪️INSTRUCTOR | Stasia Dempster, CDBC
▪️DOGS | Puppies over 10 weeks are welcome (must have at least one set of vaccines). Rabies required for all dogs over 4 months.
▪️HUMANS | Handlers must be over age 12. Anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
▪️OTHER | Goodie bags for all students!
▪️QUESTIONS on if your dog is suitable for this class? Email Stasia: [email protected]
💛 *All proceeds support Equuvation’s Scholarship Fund, which provides therapeutic services for kids, teens, and adults at no cost.

05/03/2025

Extremely grateful for a continued partnership with an incredible organization; thank you to all the humans and their horses who joined us today!

💚 Thank you to everyone who joined us today for our Benefit Obstacle Days! We had a wonderful group of horses, riders, volunteers, and families…and the rain held off to the very end!
A huge thank you to our clinician - Laura of Bushel Barns: Boarding & Horsemanship - for her thoughtful and encouraging guidance, always.
If you would like to join us in the future, we are having additional clinic and challenge days on August 6 and Sept 27! Also, if you would like to take lessons with Laura, utilize our courses, trails, and/or covered arena, join us one Friday per month. More details on both at the links below:
🔗 equuvation.org/obstacle-days
🔗 equuvation.org/lessons-with-laura

04/25/2025

BENEFIT OBSTACLE COMPETITION AND CLINIC
✨Spots are filling up for our upcoming Benefit Obstacle Day on May 3! If you are hoping to participate in the CLINIC please reserve your spot as soon as possible. These sessions are suitable for juniors or adults, and horses of all ages and training levels, in-hand and/or under-saddle!
✨We also have a handful of COMPETITOR spots available for our Obstacle Challenge! You do not have to participate in the Clinic in order to participate in the Competition.
✨Auditors are welcome—a great opportunity to learn horsemanship while observing different horses!
DETAILS:
🗓️ Saturday May 3 • 9am-4pm
📍Location: Rocky Creek Ranch {Statesville} – Home to Equuvation Therapy + Equuvation Center
🔗REGISTER: equuvation.org/obstacle-days
🌸 We have a variety of obstacles on-site including, but not limited to: pedestal, teeter totter, bridges, water obstacles, tarps, poles, stadium and cross-country jumps, noodles, shower curtain tunnels, giant horse soccer balls and toys, cones/weaving items, tires, changes in footing, terrain and a variety of sensory experiences along The Discovery Trail (art easels, music, dinosaurs and much more)! New obstacles for each clinic date!
💕All event proceeds benefit Equuvation’s Scholarship Fund, which provides no-cost therapy services to families and individuals in the community. Equuvation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

02/25/2025

This is a lengthy read, but might be of interest if you have a few minutes and want to listen to my ramblings! I originally wrote it for a mustang-oriented Facebook group, but of course applies to all horses.

…

In light of the recent allegations against some well known trainers within the equine community (mustang and other), as a trainer myself, I’d like to share a few thoughts. The list below is not designed to advocate for certain training methods over others, nor to paint myself as someone who has figured out the “right way” to do things. I certainly haven’t, but I do believe I am working every day to get closer to that, and anyone who isn’t needs to get out of the business. As a community who prides themselves on loving equines, we need to be better, because they deserve better. If we are not constantly striving for self-improvement and emotional congruency, then horses are the ones losing out. With that said, here are several things I think each of us can do to prevent anymore trainers with inhumane methods from gaining notoriety:

- As an owner, bystander, auditor, or horse lover of any kind, if you see or hear something that doesn’t sit right with you, say something. Raise questions, ask for the *why*, and observe what the horse is saying.

- Horses never lie! If we dedicate ourselves to being constant students of the horse; to become acutely aware to what they are communicating, we will never be left to rely on how humans promote themselves… the horse will speak for or against that trainer or methods all on their own. If you are participating in a clinic, taking a lesson, or your horse is with someone for training, listen to what your horse is telling you about what that experience feels like for them. Whenever I have clients who are doubting if we “did enough” during the session, or if we pushed the horse out of their comfort zone too much, or if they rode with enough feel and skill, etc I ask the question “did we leave the horse better than we found him/her?” If the horse is more relaxed, emotionally regulated, balanced, and/or happier in their own body than when we started, then we are in a good spot. If the answer is no, it’s on us to find a better, kinder way. With that in mind, if you go to visit your horse whilst he/she is in someone’s training program and they are more nervous, shut down, impulsive, reactive, tense or any other number of signs indicative of them living in a sympathetic (fight/flight/freeze) state, take your horse home and find someone else. The is equally as true if you horse is physically looking in worse condition than when you dropped them off.

- Once we know better, we need to be better. In being a student of the horse, I am a better, kinder, more aware owner, trainer and teacher than I was 10 years ago. If I can’t say the same thing in another ten years, then it’s time to give it up.

- Timeline guarantees are a big red flag, both from a trainer and an owner standpoint. If a trainer is making guarantees about what a horse will be able to do in x amount of time, they likely are not putting the horse’s best interests first. Equally, if an owner has a set timeline of when they want something achieved, they are to blame if their horse suffers at the hands of a rushed, pressured trainer.

- Be your horse’s advocate. I am adamant that owners receive daily photos and videos while horses are staying with me at my facility, and that they visit weekly… the owner needs to be as actively involved in the process as their time allows for. To not do this is to not setting the human-horse pair up for success once that horse goes home.

- The day I stop educating myself, stop listening to what the horses are saying, or stop enjoying what I am doing, is the day I need to stop doing this for a living. Any less is a disservice to the horses I am privileged enough to interact with.

And lastly, a huge thank you to the individuals who are stepping up and sharing their accounts of these injustices in order to bring them into the public eye. You are brave and heard.

02/24/2025

✨Who needs some hands-on horse time?✨Join us on Friday, March 7 at 9am for our monthly HERD HOUR!
🐴 HERD HOUR at Equuvation is a micro workshop for those interested in spending time with our therapy herd, learning compassionate and ethical horsemanship, and sharing a snack, coffee, or tea with friends! {Gluten-free treats, too!}
🐎 Activities may include but are not limited to: mindful grooming, approach and halter, leading, obstacles, herd observation/discussion, equine Q&A, and much more. Participants will work with horses from Equuvation’s therapy herd. You do not need any horse experience (or to have your own horse) to participate!
EVENT DETAILS:
📍 Location: Equuvation
🗓️ Date: Friday, March 7
⏰ Time: 9:00am-10:00am
💙 Instructor: Laura Hebard
💵 $20 per participant
🫶 Adults only. Registration required.
REGISTER:
equuvation.org/herd-hour
💕100% of fees support Equuvation’s Scholarship Fund.

02/21/2025

I can’t say enough good things about this little mare ❤️ she’s been here for less than two months and has come along very quickly.

Available for adoption 💗😁

Sue is a 19 year old petite Arabian cross mare looking for a forever home to live out her golden years! Despite being unhandled most of her life, she has quickly learned that humans aren’t so bad and really enjoys grooming, going for walks, and spending time with her people. Barefoot, trailer loads, mid rank in the herd and gets along well with others, stands for vet and farrier. She does have mild heaves that is managed with daily Zyrtec during growing months. She is fully up to date on everything to include teeth floating. Due to her age and prior neglect, Sue is being offered only to non-riding homes. Adoptable through HERO with an approved application; currently located in Pfafftown, NC.

01/21/2025

✨NEW PROGRAM: Herd Hour✨
🐴 HERD HOUR at Equuvation is a hands-on micro workshop for those interested in connecting with horses and learning more about horsemanship. Join us and spend time with our therapy herd, learn compassionate and ethical horsemanship skills, and share a coffee or tea with friends!
🐎 Activities may include but are not limited to: mindful grooming, approach and halter, leading, obstacles, herd observation/discussion, equine Q&A, and much more. Participants will work with horses from Equuvation’s therapy herd. You do not need any horse experience (or to have your own horse) to participate!
EVENT DETAILS:
📍 Location: Equuvation :: Therapy + Education Center (Statesville)
🗓️ Dates: Feb 7 • Mar 7 • Apr 11 • May 9 • June 6 • July 11 • Aug 8 • Sep 12 • Oct 10 • Nov 7 • Dec 12
⏰ Time: 9:00am-10:00am
💙 Instructor: Laura Hebard
💵 $20 per participant
6️⃣ Only 6 spots available for each date
🫶 Adults only.
REGISTER:
equuvation.org/herd-hour
https://form.jotform.com/250202087054143
💕100% of fees support Equuvation’s Scholarship Fund.