Photo from Kim’s Personal Collection

To say I was stunned would be putting it mildly! Then he put his head down, and Destiny finished the birth process. He named himself Gideon that first day, and a good friend of mine came up with “Goodheart,” which he has certainly lived up to.

I had a list of things I had prayed that this foal would be: a good size for my older years (luckily I bred his 16:2 h dam to a 14:2 h Connemara pony, because he turned out to be a little over 15:3!); an unusual color that also did not show dirt (after twenty-five years of cleaning The Gray Goose that was important!); a great temperament; and a mare. I got all but one. I was dismayed to see that he was a colt and not a filly, for I planned to keep this bloodline going. I had to think long and hard about this, for I could tell right from the beginning that Gideon was not going to be like other youngsters and take until his second or third year to become stallion-like in his behavior. He was a herd protector right from birth, and obviously was an old soul who knew exactly what he had to do to fulfill his duties.

Photo by Sal Paradysz

I was with him daily for his first seven months. He had what I call “wild” instincts, which were quite strong. He would buck if you laid your hand on his croup (because one day it might be a mountain lion up there), was very aware of everything in a calm way, and had a clear sense of what he considered to be right and wrong. If what you thought was “right” (like picking a foot up for cleaning) was something he considered “wrong,” he was quite clear about it! Luckily, he was not a big colt, and we could persuade him that perhaps there was a good reason for these things we were doing “to” him. I quickly learned that I had to be very clear and confident when with him. Most foals are pretty malleable, but not this one! I had thought I was skilled in working with foals, but Gideon had a whole lot more to add to my “toolbox.”

Quite early on my inner voice insisted that I ride Destiny with him alongside. I had the feeling that he was going to label that as “wrong” and protest, and I was correct. Sure enough, after staring at us a moment and taking in the fact that I was astride his mom, he came right over, reared up, and tried to knock me off with his front legs. He was too short and small to do any damage, and I let Destiny be the one to tell him that that was inappropriate behavior.

I had no experience whatsoever with stallions, so I bought any book I could find and began to look for articles and asking people questions. Alas I found nothing that agreed with my training philosophies. The only line that resonated with me was this: “An aroused stallion is a force of nature.” I could feel that in my bones. I also knew that keeping a stallion would be a huge responsibility, and that Gideon would have to be boarded and thus extra reliable and safe to handle. Here I was at the age of 45, yet again, embarking on an entirely new path with horses and once again having to navigate on my own. Not exactly what I had envisioned when I set out to breed my mare to get my elder years’ horse!

Right from the beginning, Gideon stepped into his Teacher role. The Gray Goose had prepared the way, but I was in whole new territory with Gideon. If Gray didn’t like something, he would try to run away from it. Gideon approaches anything he doesn’t understand head on and pushes both mentally and physically on it…including me. I quickly learned to become a calm and fair Lead Mare, and thankfully he responded well to that. I also learned how to put into words the gestalt messages he would “download”… awarenesses that came from scenes he would plant in my head that were multi-sensory and had strong feelings. Mr. Goodheart has pushed me into a whole new world and way of being, and I’ll be forever grateful.

When Gideon turned seven months, I had to return to Pennsylvania from West Virginia. I could find no place to bring The Gray plus a mare and foal, so I found a large farm in Virginia that kept horses in a huge field as a herd, and brought them there on my way back. Gideon spent the next several years roaming free in various situations, always with a companion gelding so he would learn horse manners. I would visit with him several times a year to continue his basic education of leading, human manners, and how to handle himself with balance and alignment on unlevel footing and over poles on the ground. The owners of the farm made sure that his feet were trimmed, he had his injections, and that he was daily checked for any injuries.

By the time I was able to return, Gideon had become adjusted to living in a stall at night, but his manners had taken a nosedive. No one would turn a horse out with him, and he was confused why he could not join others. I tried with The Gray upon my return, but Gideon wanted to play and Gray felt too vulnerable for that. It was a tough adjustment for both of us. Being around Gid reminded me of my days of raising my children when they were toddlers…only I was now forty-nine, and I didn’t have the stamina of those years! The barn was a round trip of an hour and a half, and I would be so exhausted after working with Gid that I would have to take a nap.

Photo from Kim’s Personal Collection

Over the years, we did some low level Eventing (he did well, but his heart was not singing), then embarked on a career of Dressage. Gid either won or placed in the top three in all his classes right through Fourth Level. He loved the precision of work done correctly, and the learning of how to move and carry his body differently. On his own, he became quite the Tai Chi Master, applying what he learned in our sessions to situations when he was by himself. Now that we are both in our elder years, we have shifted our focus to helping others understand what it is that horses need from us, both on the ground and in the saddle.

Photo from Patti Klein

Photo from Janet Cohen

Photo from Deb Persson

I could see her looking the situation over and not understanding why I was not complying as before. She could tell I was not upset or hurting, and I had a calm expression. I knew she did not understand at all, so I “spoke” into her mind as I do when she is really confused. “She is afraid,” I said. I could see surprise and some doubt register in Kim, but she came back over to the lady, put her hand on her knee, and began to talk to her. The lady softened as the truth came out, and eventually she was ready to move. At that point I willingly went forward at a calm and supportive walk around the ring, and the lady was beaming when she dismounted.

Kim came to me afterwards, and told me that she now saw a very different side to me. I told her this was my main mission, which she not only heard but totally honored. Five years later I insisted she go to Life Coaching School so she could better interpret and partner with me in my desire to help humans remember and live from the Truth with which they are born.

Photo by Linda Bayne

Gideon’s Messages