Hearing the Call

A few years back I had pondered the notion of becoming an equine bodyworker. I would spend hours researching schools and various programs of study. Yet always in the back of my mind I would find a way to talk myself out of following through with it. ...It's too much money...Do you really know enough about horses?...I need a better car first...
Then, in the winter months of early 2007 I made a decision to go for it.

I had first decided to begin taking riding lessons again. Here I was, 32, determined to surround myself with horses. After putting an ad on craigslist looking for a working student position I was contacted by Shelly Morfeld of Stormcrow Stables. Unsure of how I would be "interviewed" for this position I decided to simply be thankful for getting to spend an afternoon in the country surrounded by the intoxicating smells of the barn. Needless to say, my riding skills were nowhere up to par with what would be required of a working student. I decided to take lessons from Shelly. Twice a week I would drive 30 minutes south of Portland and spend time with the horses, learning horsemanship and humilty.

As I progressed with riding, I decided to take another look at the Equinology website. Reading over the various class descriptions, the instructor bios, and archived newsletters I knew that I had to begin my certification this year. A friend of Shelly's just happened to be an EBW, and was coming out to massage a few of her horses. As I sat and observed Miriah working I knew this is exactly what I wanted to be doing. I decided right then to begin saving. The foundation course was $1700. I knew spring and summer would be profitable at the Brewery I worked at, even more than the previous year. So I set out stashing my tips in an envelope in my closet. I struggled between wanting to take the course offered in northern California in June, and knowing that that also was during the birthday camping trip Ryan and I were planning. The only other date that looked available was in Virginia in August. I took it. I had never been to Virginia, and it sounded like an adventure that was calling to me.