The Magic of Horsecraft Paige Lockton

Exploring True Resilience and Self-Mastery with Chris Irwin
Keywords
Resilience, Self-Mastery, Chris Irwin, Horsecraft consciousness movement, trauma recovery, healing, horses, balance, trust, letting go
Summary
An interview with Chris Irwin, a renowned ‘horse whisperer’ who has been helping humans and horses connect since the early days of the ‘Natural Horsemanship’ movement of the 90’s. 
- Discussion on true resilience, self-mastery, and self-trust.
- Overcoming personal challenges and self-sabotage.
- Exclusive access to Q&A and perks for members of my ‘Famous Horse Club' - 'The Wizards of Horsecraft'.
Chris has proven himself over time, having been tested time and again in the most brutal of arenas - sometimes even set up to fail with difficult horses in front of live audiences - and we all know, horses never lie. The horses have spoken!
Coincidentally, ‘Horses Never Lie’ is the title of Chris’ first book! I just finished reading his second, ‘Dancing With Your Dark Horse’ and he has given me plenty to think about.
Listen in, while I get vulnerable and we dig into a bit of a live life coaching session, as we talk with a master of Horsecraft and resilience, about what it takes to cultivate true resilience, to recover from trauma, to take our ‘training wheels off’ and make the changes we need to make, to live a truer expression of ourselves.
Together, we explore what it looks like to learn how to do the final step - to develop something BEYOUND self-trust. What might that be? Listen-in!
Take a chance,
Paige Lockton
P.S. ANYTHING is possible (together!)
www.themagicofhorsecraft.com
Download our freebie - Our #1 Tip to build trust with your horse: https://gift.themagicofhorsecraft.com
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Podcast
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Rolfing for Horses and Humans - Maximize YOUR Horse-Human Potential
Description
* What the heck is Rolfing, or Structural Integration, and how can it help me and my horse?
* Find out why Structural Integration was the most effective healing modality that enabled me to access the hidden Magic inside of two trauma-riddled beings - me, and a little mare called Speed Axcel.
* AND, why I think it could be what YOU need to connect with your body, your horse, and your potential for magic between you, no matter what that looks like for you.
Join us for a candid podcast interview with two spectacular humans - Kayla Anne McGowan and Saxon Alexander - who work together to make the most of your horse-human potential.
Find out:
~ What fascia is and why you should care
~ How past injuries and trauma stored in our bodies affect our movement patterns, and how these inhibit our potential for fluid movement, balance, flexibility and connection with ourselves AND our horses
~ Hear how Saxon's journey into structural integration changed their experience with trauma.
In their own words;
"I have made it my mission this winter to spread structural integration to as many horses and humans as possible. I’d love to talk about my journey into (and out of) the academic biochemistry world, my journey through my non-binary gender in the gendered world of horses, and how horses have helped me through my mental health struggles. Thank you for all you do: your words and your shows make me feel a little less alone."
Learn more about them in the links below.
In the meantime, let’s examine the common trait between all the smoothest riders?
It’s all in the hips! 
IF the hips can carry their weight evenly and with precision, if they can lift and drop, exaggerate or dampen the flow of  energy over a horse’s spine - they can do ANYTHING!
Until then … NO MAGIC!
You can’t have good hands, without good hips.

And the focus on the hips doesn’t start and end with the human in the saddle - it extends to the horses, too, in both philosophy and approach, and in the physical sense, in terms of straightness and soundness.
Jack Legoff used to say;
“Horses are like women. If you have them by the mouth … you may or may not also have them by the haunches … but if you have them by the haunches, you most certainly also have them by the mouth!”
Of course, that was delivered with a wink and a leer, and followed up up on with devoted fervor amongst my peer group. Say what you want about the obvious misogyny of the era, or of a coach saying this to his students in this day and age - I get it, I LIVED it - but … we were adults (mostly), and the metaphor was provocative and effective.
Upon further reflection, shooting from the hip can have negative connotations, as well as positive:
Speak or act recklessly or impulsively, as in Steve isn't very tactful; indeed, he's known for shooting from the hip. This expression transfers the fast shooting accomplished by drawing a gun from a holster and shooting without raising it to quick speaking or acting. [Slang; mid-1900s] For a similar transfer, see shoot off one's mouth. 
If the shoe fits …
I wanted to be provocative, because I am bringing up some touchy, but very real subjects, like the concept of trauma being stored in the hips, a casual reference to the mysogyny of the era I grew up in, and a breezy mention of the vulnerability of learning how to move one’s body with the speed, suppleness and elegance of the world’s largest prey species. It is NOT for the feint of heart!
Buckle Up. If ever there was someone to un-pack these things with, it is the dynamic Rolfing duo of
Kayla Ann McGowan and Saxon Alexander!
This was my dream interview - I got to combine passions and build on my social justice platform, introducing gender pronouns, the land I am privileged to work and play on, and unpack Saxon’s trip through the horse world and the academic world, as a non-binary person.
And so, together let

TW: This post comes with a trigger warning, as we explore life after trauma *******************************
If you watch the news, you will know: the world is on FIRE!
The Magic of Horsecraft ... AND life! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

And while that may be true … there is another important truth right on the heels of this one.
It has ALWAYS been this way!
Truly. Ask an elder!
At a time when we are bombarded by images of war in the Ukraine, stories of climate catastrophes, and going through our own personal struggles and losses, it can seem overwhelming. You may wonder how it got to be this way and if there is any hope in this uncertain time. You may even long for ‘the good old days’, and something you perceive as ‘simpler times’.
Yes, the world IS in fire.
AND ... it always has been this way!
Turns out, the certainty you are looking for, my dears, is just a myth. And yes, sometimes life is a full blown shitshow. So how do we cope? How do we find hope? I like to turn to our elders.
What our elders show us, is that we CAN find joy again.
Hearing stories of what they have survived has never failed to alter my perspective. Recently, I got to share stories with my friend and mentor Kim Walnes, about her ancestors and what it took for her to find joy after the hardest tests of her life. Together, we looked for the commonalities.
Stories of other people surviving and thriving through heartache, pain and challenge, help provide perspective and hope to others stuck in the trenches of grief, or enveloped by the darkness of shame – they show us there is a way out! A way to a lighter, sunnier life even after trauma. Here is one of my ancestral stories that helped me.
When I moved into our un-winterized cottage in the woods after the loss of our dream farm to bankruptcy, it was a memory of my grandmother’s story that snapped me out of it, when I was prone to feeling sorry for myself.
My youngest son, Max and I moved into the cottage a week before the official move, to get him settled in his new school. It was mid-April and there was still snow so deep, it blocked the front door, and we had to chop a hole through the lake ice to bring water in for cooking and bathing. I tried to make that a fun thing for my ten-year-old Max to do with an axe!
One night, after putting Max to sleep, I was alone in the kitchen, crying while heating lake water on the stove for my makeshift bath, and feeling desperately morose over my losses. As I was waiting on the final pot of steaming hot water, which I was about to pour into the partially filled tub in our little cottage bathroom, I had a vision or a memory: not one my own, but one of my gritty ancestor's ... and it changed everything.
My grandmother Isobel's life story would break your heart ten times before Tuesday. She found herself widowed just before the polio pandemic, with four children under 14 years old, living on a hardscrabble farm whose well was not productive enough to supply the family with enough water for regular bathing and cooking. Shortly after losing her husband, she lost her 9-year-old son Lloyd to polio, then her beloved border Jimmy, to a hit and run.
In this memory, or vision, I was in my grandmother Isobel’s skin sometime after all these debacles. The kids were all in bed, and I was stepping carefully, quietly out of a glorified bucket - the galvanized wash tub they used for laundry that the family brought into the living room and filled, pail by pail, on bath night.
As I (we) stepped gingerly out over the edge of HER tub, toes seeking safe purchase on the wet, worn wooden floor beneath our tiny, tired feet, I compared our realities.
When my long legs stepped over the edge of MY tub in the same movement as Isobel’s, MY foot would be met with a soft bathmat. I would wrap a fluffy towel around myself. I would be emerging from an actual tub, in an actual bathroom whose ceda

Are you ready to delve into the fascinating world of equine boundaries and establish mutually respectful connections with our equine companions?
Join us for an enlightening episode featuring Carmen Theobald – renowned as 'The Boundaries Queen' – as she shares her wisdom on setting healthy boundaries with 1200 flight animals.
Boundaries – The complexities of establishing mutual respect with our equine partners
Guest: Carmen Theobald, Equine Facilitated Trauma Specialist
In this exclusive interview, Carmen will explore various aspects of boundaries with horses, drawing on her extensive experience as both a farrier and an Equine Facilitated Trauma Specialist. We’ll discuss:
* How trauma influences boundaries and its manifestation in equine relationships
* Micro-aggressions versus macro-aggressions – Understanding the subtle yet impactful interactions
* Navigating pressure-and-release techniques while embracing positive reinforcement training
* Consent, clear communication, and navigating aversive experiences
* Establishing boundaries that command respect without compromising trust
This promises to be an enlightening session for every horse enthusiast seeking to elevate their equine connections.
Join us as we explore the magical ingredients necessary for a harmonious and respectful relationship with our equine partners.
This is the FIRST of a biweekly series where YOU are invited to join us for the podcast interview and get a chance to ask questions.
We invite you to register and participate in our insightful discussions, followed by live Q&A sessions which will not be released to the general public. A BONUS for my paid subscibers and members of my online learning community.
Be sure to check out the links below to learn more about Carmen and take advantage of an exclusive discount for listening to this episode. Let Carmen know that you heard it HERE - at the Magic of Horsecraft to unlock the savings.
https://horsesensenorth.com/
carmen@horsesensenorth.com
Take a chance, 
Paige
Take a chance,
Paige Lockton
The Magic of HorseCraft, CEO
705-498-9453310 Hwy 654 WCallander, Ontario P0H1H0
http://www.themagicofhorsecraft.com
https://www.facebook.com/themagicofhorsecraft
https://www.instagram.com/themagicofhorsecraft
https://themagicofhorsecraft.substack.com/podcast
Try our FREE training at: https://themagicofhorsecraft.com/top-tip-4-trust-freebie


This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themagicofhorsecraft.substack.com/subscribe

Time to switch it up!
In between our new rhythm of free bi-weekly guest interviews that EVERYONE is encouraged to attend, there will be something special for paid subscribers.
What was that about attending interviews???
Yes! YOU CAN ATTEND the recordings of my podcast conversations via Zoom, and listen-in to these interviews LIVE, then stay for a Q&A session at the end!
What can Paid Subscribers expect?
In between these free events, Paid Subscribers will have access to those aforementioned impromptu journal readings, as I struggle and strive to learn new skills.
You will follow along on my own evolution, as I recover a traumatized nervous system AND a body made decrepit with age, chemo, radiation and poor living, and attempt to elevate my own Horsecraft to a place I haven’t been before, while exploring liberty training and new ways to train horses.
In Season 3, we continue we explore these themes and develop the tools we ALL need, to make magic with our horses … and our LIVES, incidentally! These are the things that will bring your Horsecraft from the mechanical and mundane … to the mystical!
This is a series for horse lovers who are dealing with the uncertainties and decrepitudes that come with age, infirmity, and previous trauma/conditioning, that make accessing ‘the magic’ challenging.
Our plans …
We’ll talk to:
1.      experts in trauma, boundaries
2.     body workers/energetics/structural integrationists/rolfers  
3.     saddlery and equipment experts - how saddlery and sport have evolved and how the right equipment/props can help
4.     rider’s who have had to adapt after catastrophic accidents
Where do we start?
Join me for my 1st bi-weekly interview of 2024 on Jan 16th at 7 PM - with Carmen Theobald; The ‘Queen of Boundaries’
(link to event: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAsfuqppj8vHtEXN3u2jGvpZ28RFLVOUpGt)
I am starting this season off, once again, with a conversation with Carmen Theobald. This time, it’s ALL ABOUT BOUNDARIES!
We will examine the importance of setting mutually respectful boundaries with 1200 flight animals. This episode will cover the complexities of navigating safe, respectful boundaries under the paradigm of the pressure-and-release world from a trauma-informed lens.
Boundaries -
o   How trauma informs them. If you are someone who has had their boundaries transgressed, what can that show up as with horses?
o   micro-aggressios vs macro aggressions - the smallest of things that were once ignored and acceptable, under a new lens …
1.     how to re-establish healthier boundaries
2.     What does mutual respect look like? What does it FEEL like in your body?
Learn more about Carmen in the following days and on my socials and follow the link below:
https://horsesensenorth.com/

Join me for my 2nd bi-weekly interview of 2024 on Jan 31st at 7 PM - Rolfing for Horses and Humans - Maximize YOUR Horse-Human Potential with Saxon Alexandra and Kayla Anne McGowan
(link to event: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82753918961?pwd=f86bcI3IhgGNK8NXqt0YL56SXHQdDY.1)
What the heck is Rolfing, or Structural Integration, and how can it help me and my horse?
Find out why I think it could be what YOU need to connect with your body, your horse, and your potential for magic between you, no matter what that looks like for you.
Join us for a candid podcast interview with two spectacular humans - Kayla Ann and Saxon - who work together to make the most of your horse-human potential as a team. Stay for a chance to ask your questions in a Q&A session that follows.
Find out:
~ What fascia is and why you should care
~ How past injuries and trauma stored in our bodies affect our movement patterns, and how these inhibit our potential for fluid movement, balance, flexibility and connection with ourselves AND our horses
~ Hear how Saxon's journey into structural integration changed their experience with trauma. In their own words;
"I have made it my mission this winter to s

Join me for a conversation to help you find hope and resilience, with my old friend Rod Kelly, when we were reunited after over 20 years. Rod is a horseman, a Celtic Healer, a hypnotist, and a Reverend. He helps people through the challenges of cancer and other major health/life catastrophes. Rod was pivotal in my recovery from a nervous breakdown after the shitstorm trifecta of Cancer, chemo and covid 19. Rod was the one person in the world who kept me afloat when I was ready to give up on myself. Hear about Rod’s near-death experiences and the lessons he learned, as well as:
* How your state of mind affects your health
* Can our thoughts create reality?
* Why changing our thought patterns matters
* How HeartMath technology can be used to interrupt our neural circuitry and rewire our thought patterns
* Why people didn’t see me as a people pleaser and how not using my voice was going to kill me.
* How Rod’s faith allowed me to cling to my own
* How to look for the small wins and aim for a 1% change per day
* A story about wanting to smack my good friend Tana, then going from crying to laughing at a set of stop lights and finding gratitude in the middle of my shitstorm
* How shame will kill you, but you can let go of it
* Our go-to exercises and mantras when challenged
How does this resonate with you? Do you consider yourself spiritual? Do you think you can heal yourself? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
Take a chance,
Paige Lockton
P.S. ANYTHING is possible!
Learn more and get in touch at:
www.themagicofhorsecraft.com
Download our freebie - Our #1 Tip to build trust with your horse: https://themagicofhorsecraft.com/top-tip-4-trust-freebie
Sign up for our course:
https://themagicofhorsecraft.com/making-magic-with-horses
Follow our Podcast and Blog at: 
Get to know us on our socials:
https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Magic-of-Horsecraft/100089462483278/
https://www.instagram.com/themagicofhorsecraft/
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@themagicofhorsecraft


This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themagicofhorsecraft.substack.com/subscribe