I want all of you who have subscribed to the Energetic Equestrian Newsletter to know how much I appreciate your interest and dedication to our equine partners. For those of you joining me for the first time, a heartfelt Welcome!

My goal is to guide people to a place where they can experience communion with another being, whether it has four legs or two! It never gets old when I see a horse, donkey, or mule realize that they are seen and heard at a deep soul level. Their appreciation and gratitude can feel almost ethereal.

This month, I’m hosting a free Zoom meeting for all newsletter subscribers. In the Zoom meeting, I’ll discuss my work and how it relates to the paradigm shift happening in the equestrian world. I’m also interested in what you have to say, so I’ll dedicate about 30 minutes to answering questions submitted in the Zoom chat.

If I don’t get to everyone’s questions during the meeting, I’ll try to answer them in a future newsletter, the Energetic Equestrian Digest, or in one of my upcoming books.

Schedule permitting, I’ll try to do a Zoom meeting each month. Expect the Zoom meeting to last approximately 1 to 1½ hours. I’ll post a link to the recording in following month’s newsletter.

The free Zoom meeting will be on Saturday October 11, 2025 at 9:00 am Mountain Time (8:00 am Pacific/10:00 am Central/11:00 am Eastern)

Click on the button to register for the Zoom meeting:

If you missed last month’s Energetic Equestrian Newsletter, here is the link:

If you want to read The Energetic Equestrian Digest, which contains several longer, more in-depth articles, here is the link:

I believe most of you would agree that we’re in the midst of a paradigm shift in the equestrian world. The mindset that says we must gain dominance to train and interact with equines in a safe and productive manner is slowly being replaced by more evidence-based and horse-centric training models and belief systems.  

The paradigm shift appears to be trending in a direction that benefits the mental, emotional, and physical health of equines. Gaining traction are trainers and clinicians who offer alternatives to dominance-based training methods. The problem now is that it becomes difficult for many equestrians to distinguish between new methods that work and those that are merely a fad.

If you peruse the internet and social media, you’ll find a cornucopia of new ideas. Trainers and clinicians use scientific and descriptive words that make you think they are participants in changing the paradigm. Many are.

However, upon closer examination, you may discover a discrepancy between what some clinicians or trainers say and what they actually do. It’s often difficult to identify this lack of congruency. Many people have repackaged their methods and techniques to make them sound nicer, more progressive, and in alignment with the new paradigm.

When evaluating any new method, pay attention to both the person’s words and their actions. The techniques they use may appear kinder and gentler, but the mindset, methods, and tools they use might remain firmly entrenched in dominance or force. Still others may be trying to adapt their current methods and training techniques to fit into the new paradigm.

The question facing many equestrians is:

How do we maintain the methods, processes, and tools we currently use while adapting them to fit a new way of thinking?

Instead of framing the question in this way, perhaps we should ask:

Is the paradigm shift that is occurring so great that it requires a whole new set of principles, methods, tools, and techniques?  

If the paradigm shift is significant — as I believe this one is — we need to fundamentally change the way we approach our interactions with equines and their training. We have passed the phase of the paradigm shift where we’re thinking differently. We’re now entering the phase where we must do things differently. The mismatch between mindsets and actions can’t be sustained. We have reached a tipping point . . . 

Join me in the Zoom meeting on October 11, 2025, where I’ll continue this discussion.

Thank you for spending time with me in the Sacred Space!

October 31-November 2, 2025 St. Louis, MO

Contact Barbara Dove: [email protected]

November 14-16, 2025 Surprise, AZ

Contact: Tammy (623) 332-8116

December 5-6, 2025 - Queen Creek, AZ

Private gathering

This August it was the third time we had the great pleasure to have Dr Susan Fay with us in Finland for a clinic.

It is impossible to describe all what we learned, also this time. My head is still processing and digesting it. I believe my horse Roxy is also still processing the new things.

Well, it is not quite correct to say that all was new, but there was certainly a new deepening of knowledge.

Susan has put a name to so many things. She has also showed us in practice what to look at and what to do.

The many discussions we had in the group made us laugh a lot -and also made us cry a bit.

What did we then do with my Roxy?

We did breathing, of course, we did two-step, we did hook, we did modeling, we did "out", we did ambling. We did five levels of the question "are your pieces in alignment", we did exercises on using mental pictures and more. Roxy was communicating in a beautiful way with us.

Maybe the most beautiful thing for me and Roxy was the question " Do you have peace of mind" and finding a good model picture and level of energy for that.

Right after the clinic Roxy was getting upset when her fellow horses galloped off to pasture and Roxy had to stay behind -because she is recovering from low grade laminitis. I modeled her the picture I had for Peace of Mind and she raised her head slightly and looked at me, then put it down being quite calm and all worry gone.

Thank you Susan for doing what you do, and thank you for sharing it with us also here in Finland. Thank you for showing us how amazing horses really are. And yes, we did have an amazing clinic!"

Patsy & Roxy

Colby lived for 10 years at a large boarding stable where he learned a variety of dysfunctional behaviors around feeding time. Even after moving him home two years ago and intentionally trying to manage his behavior, he continued the dinner time hijinks by charging the fence, running the fence, rearing, pawing, and bouncing around enough to shift the stall mats.

I suddenly realized this week that none of these behaviors were happening anymore. What changed? Dr. Susie has been doing some pretty intense trauma release work with him over the past few months.

I've been practicing Dr. Susie's Elliptical Breathing and being intentional about trying to stay present in the Sacred Space. Here he is, quietly and patiently waiting for last night's dinner.

I have been an enthusiastic consumer of information for most of my life, with far-ranging interests including horses, the environment, psychology, energy, the brain, and consciousness. While pursuing these interests, I earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in Environmental Science, and a Ph.D. in Psychology.

I also have certifications in a number of energy and mental training modalities and techniques. I consider myself quite fluent in the language of energy!

In my former life, I raised Morgan horses and Scottish Highland Cattle on my ranch in western Colorado. I showed many of my horses, achieving local, national, and world championships in various performance-related disciplines.

While working on my Ph.D., I studied the role of early childhood trauma on mental, emotional, and physical health outcomes. My understanding of the effects of trauma is vital to my work with equines. The devastating impact of trauma on our equines is far too common, but also highly preventable if we follow science-based and energetically-aware training methods, such as the ones I teach in my Sacred Spaces work.

Virtual Zoom Session

A private Zoom session is a great opportunity for you and your equine partner to experience the Sacred Space. In a Zoom session, I offer:

The potency of energy is not affected by distance. Many clients comment that the energetic effects are just as strong during a virtual session as during an in-person one.

Sacred Spaces Gathering

Go to the News, Events, and Upcoming Projects page of The Energetic Equestrian to see where I’ll be appearing in-person in the coming months.

Gatherings offer both people and equines an opportunity to experience Sacred Spaces principles and techniques in a safe and supportive environment.

At a gathering, you’ll learn more about energy, energetic horse training, and how to commune with your equine partner.

Consider joining the Sacred Spaces/Sacred Wisdom Facebook community where we share heartwarming stories, struggles, and victories on our path to becoming our horse’s “once in a lifetime human.”

© 2025 Susan D. Fay Ph.D., LLC. All rights reserved.