Lessons from the Pasture: Making Space

🌿🐴 Lessons from the Pasture: Making Space

Written by Sunny & Miss Betty Boop (translated by Anne)

Hi all, it’s Sunny. The honey colored Paso Fino at AHHS.

We’ve had a busy start to spring at Art, Heart & Hoofbeats.

We’ve welcomed so many new friends—the Walser team, Holy Family 10th graders, 4th graders from Cologne Academy, IAA high school students, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Minneapolis and our first group from Magnifying Abilities.

I watch how you arrive.

So excited… or a little unsure. Holding a lot… or not quite sure where to begin.

And I remembered what I learned when I was a guide horse for my blind friend, Spur.

What I Learned

There was a time when I walked beside a horse who could not see.

Every step mattered. I couldn’t rush him. I couldn’t pull him forward.

So I slowed down. I learned to listen. To notice everything.

I learned to make space—so he could find his way safely.

🐐 When Betty Arrived

This month, I watched that same lesson unfold again.

When our new goat arrived—Miss Betty Boop.

Miss Betty: “I didn’t know this place. I knew fear. I knew loss.

It was hard to step off the trailer. I wanted to stay close to what I knew. I wasn’t ready.”

The Shift

Betty: “Then I saw him. Little Vinnie Van Goat—moving, playing, not worried at all. Something in me leaned forward. Not all at once.

Just… a step.”

What Made the Difference

Sunny: “We made space. No one rushed her. No one pulled her into the herd."

Space for her to:

• pause

• look

• choose

Betty: “That space mattered. I wasn’t asked to be different. I was allowed to arrive in my own way, in my own time. Now I walk with the others. I’m still learning safety—but I’m here. And I know I am home.”

🐴 What We See in You

Sunny: “It’s not so different from what I see in all of you who come to AHHS.

Students. Volunteers. Visitors. You arrive unsure of where to stand. How to move. What’s expected.

But when you slow down…”

Betty: “And when you breathe…” Sunny: “When you stop trying to get it right…”

Both: “You begin to find your way.”

🌿 This Is Equine Education

At AHHS, equine education isn’t just about:

• leading

• brushing

• doing things “right”

It’s about learning to:

• listen

• notice

• make space

For each resident at AHHS.For each other.For yourself.

Because when there is space…something begins to shift.

A Mindfulness Practice

Betty: “I want to share a mindfulness practice we did on a recent goat walk.”

Pause. Feel your feet on the ground.

Take one slow breath in…and out.

Let your shoulders soften.

Ask yourself:

Can I give myself just a little more space right now?

Stay for one more breath than feels natural.

A Simple Art Practice

(Anne asked me to share this with you)

Take a piece of paper.

Create three simple shapes.

Let them represent:

• where you’ve been

• where you are

• where you’re going

No fixing. No overthinking. Just place them on the page.

Notice what happens when you allow space instead of control.

💛 Coming Home

Betty: “I didn’t rush into this place.” Sunny: “And she didn’t need to.”

Both: “Home isn’t something you force. It’s something you find—when there is space enough to arrive.”

We’ll be here.

Horses First. Humans Blossom.

💛 A Gentle Invitation

If this story moved you…if you believe in creating spaces where healing, connection, and belonging are possible—

we invite you to support the work at AHHS.

Every donation helps us care for the animals who make this work possible and keep our programs accessible to all—especially those who need it most.

🌿🐴 This is more than a sanctuary. It’s a place where something softens. A place where people and animals find their way. A place where we remember we belong. If you or your group, organization or business wants to set up a time to visit AHHS please contact us at www.artheartandhoofbeats.org

or register for one of our classes at artheartandhoofbeats.org/classes

👉 If you feel called to be part of that, please consider making a donation:www.artheartandhoofbeats.org/donate