Hi, I’m Gayle! I’m 57 years old, and I live on my farm in North Carolina with my husband, one Corgi, three barn cats and a herd of horses. I’ve been a horse professional for over thirty years.

The Fearless Equestrian is a new adventure for me. I’ve been teaching rider biomechanics for over twenty years, and studying somatics for five. Combining them to create courses, workshops and masterclasses is just a natural evolution of creating a better world for horses and the humans who love them.

Like just about everyone who’s been around horses, I’ve had traumatic things happen. Falls, being run over, being run away with, the list goes on. Interestingly it was not always when I got hurt that traumatized me. It was also off the horse things – for example, aging as an equestrian has felt traumatic in unexpected ways. Whatever was going on, it was stopping me from being the equestrian I wanted to be – a mentor, a leader and a friend to my horses.

In 2019 my son died, and in a quest to handle the anxiety, fear and trauma that surrounded his loss I found somatics. It was during Covid so I had time for a deep dive. Much to my surprise, not only did I recover from the shock of his death but I’ve since then thrived, in spite of his loss. I literally owe my life to somatic techniques.

When I started applying the somatic techniques to the complex feelings I had around horses, I was astonished to realize they worked to relieve my anxiety, fear and trauma, just like they had around my son’s death – without revisiting the trauma, and without retraumatizing myself with memories. Having taught riders for decades now, with very few tools to work with fear, I recognized it as the opportunity of a lifetime to help equestrians make lasting change in what matters to them the most – their riding and their horsemanship. I love horses, and by helping you, I help your horse. Everyone wins.

I created The Fearless Equestrian because I can teach you how to process the traumas and emotions that hold you back from really stepping into a collaborative relationship with your horse. Your horses will thank you!