Wind Dancer Ranch - Cooper TX

The Invitation

By Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love for your dream

for the adventure of being alive. It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain mine or your own without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it I want to know if you can be with joy mine or your own if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful to be realistic

to remember the limitations of being human. It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me

is true. I want to know if you can

disappoint another

to be true to yourself.

If you can bear the accusation of betrayal

and not betray your own soul. If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty

every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure

yours and mine and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes.” It doesn’t interest me

to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up

after the night of grief and despair weary and bruised to the bone

and do what needs to be done to feed the children. It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand

in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back. It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom

you have studied.

I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself

and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

I recently visited Wind Dancer Ranch for a week of lessons. It was awesome! Heather was really patient while we worked on improving my leg and seat.

Over the week my riding, seat and horsemanship improved drastically. She had many different exercises to enforce correct, classical riding. They were fun, made me think and best of all worked! I even rode my horse in circle patterns without using my reins!! (Something I had never mastered before)

I look forward to coming for more lessons and clinics in the future!

Thanks Heather!

About Heather:

Education: I have been riding and training

horses since I was 8 years old in 1978,

(30 years). After my initial lessons as a child

in English flat and jumping, I studied for

5 years (1984 – 1989) under professional level

instructors for: flat track racing, stadium jumping,

English flat, and Freestyle Quadrille at Le

Cavalier Manage in Scheveningen, Netherlands.

I also studied trick/circus riding at Stal Ballou in

South Holland, and learned to drive wagons and

carriages in Friesland. As an adult I have

studied under the direction of professionals such

as Pat & Linda Parelli, John Lyons, Clinton Anderson, Richard Shrake, Dennis

Reise, Sue Sherry, Jan Mower, Sheila Buschette, Jeanne Geadreau, Katrina Tiensvold and many others. I have shown and placed in Western Pleasure, Dressage, and English Flat. I am certified for everything from equine first aid and safety to behavior and psychology. In 2004 I earned my “formal” degree in Equine Science Instruction for both horse and rider. I continue my education constantly, with the my main focus on Classical Dressage beginning in 2005. Continuing education for 2006 included a "science of the Equine foot" clinic with Gene Ovnicek in January, Dressage Camp at Creekside Ranch in May, a three day clinic in July with Dr. Max Gahweyhler, a two day clinic with Jeremy Steinberg in October. In March 2007 a clinic with Christiane Borchert of Etoile Dressage school, Germany, and monthly clinics with Sue Sherry, as well as daily training with Katrina Tiensvold.

2008 clinics include Sue Sherry monthly, a March clinic with Christiane Borchert of Germany and Lisa Blackmon clinic in Dec 2008. 2009: Monthly clinics with Sherry Guess. 2010: Weekly with Liz Petty of Excell Farms. Two weeks in July with Stefanie Holzer, of Reitstall Holzer in Frohnleiten, Austria. Nov 21 Dressage simulator clinic with "Luke" and Barbro Ask-upmark, Austin, TX. 2011: Lessons with Liz Petty, March clinic with Debbie Cinotto of Poolville, TX.

Along with traditional education, I am also a student of holistic horse care. I practice Equine massage, natural equine nutrition, herbal healthcare, animal communication, and Reiki (Japanese for Universal Life Force). It is important to take in account the whole horse and to create and maintain a balance between body and spirit for the horse to be it's best, just like us. Please check out our Services page for more detailed information and prices.

Wind Dancer Ranch is a small farm in Northeast Texas, where all my stock is specially bred, hand raised, imprinted and trained to create the finest partners for whatever riding discipline you desire. Founded in the rimrocks of south central Montana 1998, WDR is my dream of breeding the best quality Friesians and Friesian Sporthorses for true horse lovers and friends like myself. This means character and personality play as just as large a role as physical atributes and genetics. These horses are special because I take quality breeding and raise them to be exceptional partners. I use all natural local hay & organic feed that is absent of commercial fertilizers (nitrates), pesticides, additives, preservatives, hormones or any other man made toxins. I focus on clean and nutrient rich feeding. I use organic and natural methods for worm, fly, and other pest control.

I embrace the use of organically raised herbs and local fruits and vegetables in the feeding regimine. Horses live natural, being turned out in family groups/herds, so natural behaviors create balance along with training and instruction, off site events, and shows. All our horses grow coats and follow mother natures cycles. Horses are interacted with daily, as beings in their own right. They learn trust, courage, respect, to think, have self-confidence and develop their own identities. Foals are allowed to grow and mature in good time, each one having different schedules for their learning process. No animal is pushed, forced or rushed through any process or procedure until ready both mentaly and physically.

Thank you Dazzle for being a part of my life for 5 years. For teaching me things about spirituality, friends, and souls no other could have shown me. Thank you for the beautiful kittens you gave me, and the motherhood everyone said no wild cat could. Thank you for all the memories and antics I have of you that will be a part of me always. I already miss your "patrolling", jumping up and down, our conversations, your special greeting, like no other. I will miss our snuggling, with you "nursing" my ear or neck, or when you kneeded so hard with those nails and looked into my eyes while you purred pure unconditional love and thankfulness. Although I feel our time was cut short from my expectations, I thank the Universe for you. I love you always, Heather.