Kristine E. Brickey

This morning after playing with my horses, I discovered a beautiful, leafy green katydid on the small gate leading out of my west pasture. Not a praying mantis. Not a leaf. Not a grasshopper. An insect that secures its safe existence on faking others out as to its true identity. Wow, Universe.  See, after playing with my horses for the hour before, I began to succumb to Imposter Syndrome. I questioned my skills, my patience, my need to always do more, and for at least a nanosecond, wondered why I felt I was any good at anything.  Ninety-nine percent of the time, I begin training sessions with Cinder and then move to Cappy. However, this morning, since Cappy was already in the west, I started with him. Instead of playing in the arena, I moved our stuff into the pasture. Instead of giving my equines some grazing time together after being separated for breakfast, I went right into a session with Cappy. As we worked on some hoof husbandry skills, Cappy felt more tense than usual, ...

For the last couple of weeks, it's felt like my lovely Mustangs have been all over the place during our training sessions, and I was stumped, frustrated with myself for not being able to figure out the problem. I mean, it isn't as if there was anything extra going on around here: Two dear, beautiful friends died unexpectedly. Another friend had an accident and we (allegedly) may have kidnapped her and her lovely, large bearded collie until the surgeon gives the okay that independent living is two thumbs up. The first Michigan Shawna Karrasch Equine Clinic is happening here in a few days. My website builder went into some bizarre 'oops, something went wrong' lockout, meaning I could not access ANY of my resources to update or send newsletters. AT&T blocked me from even going to my website...malware, are you sure this site is safe? Uh, yeah it's my website! AND DID I MENTION MY HORSES SEEMED TO HAVE FORGOTTEN EVERYTHING WE HAD EVER DONE DURING OUR SESSIONS? Two we...

This piece came about as a response to a prompt from The Book of Alchemy , by Suleika Jaouad, that my 3rd Saturday Book Club recently began reading. Each of the ten chapters focuses on a theme and holds an intro followed by ten pieces created by different writers that each hold a writing prompt.  "How are you really?" was the piece and prompt by Nora McInerny, from the first Chapter, On Beginning. Friday, July 18th, 2025    I am really, really, really happy at this moment, sitting on the soft dark blue cushioned chair that makes me think of my friend Lori-she gave us this entire set, four chairs and lava rock square fire pit table all. Every time I sink into one of these, I smile and think of Lori But I am happy to the max because this day has been perfection. My memoir beta draft is in the hands of three readers. It is up to them now. I pushed away the panic earlier and gave it up to Fate. If they hate it, or love it but tell me NO WAY should it be published, so be it. I...

It's been a rough couple of weeks around here if I'm being totally honest. Covid. Fallout symptoms of exhaustion and a heaviness in my lungs and chest that keep my 'to do list' out of attainment. I am not a person who enjoys idling when there are so many things I love.  Yesterday happened. Everything was 'fine', in that nothing was really wrong...but there I sat, crying on the couch because a familiar website morphed before my eyes into a new display. Not a big deal...except, it suddenly was more than I could take.  It was the final thing, sent me over the top. Off the edge. My body shook. Tears wouldn't stop. Whatever energy reserve I had fizzled away, leaving me empty and depleted. Similar reactions had been happening in less dramatic versions the last few days, but yesterday was top notch meltdown. Eventually, I recovered, got my ducks in a row, so to speak, and moved on with other things. I took care of some less physically strenuous tractor/pasture work...

Even as 2024 taught me the power of prioritizing joy, so much so in fact that I have vowed to pursue this goal even deeper in 2025, there are still days where I feel life weighing upon my heart. This morning, as I enjoyed my morning ritual of coffee, word puzzles, and snuggles with Frankie in my little couch nest, a wave of melancholy washed over me.  I know it stems from grief.  I know it will always be with me, a lesson that solidified during my time with Becky Howell of Equine-led Holistic Success (formerly Meeting Place Equine). I stood in the barn aisle, listening to my body, asking my shoulder where and why the tension originated from. (Yes, I was initially rolling my eyes behind my closed lids...until I heard my body respond.) First, the word pain. I was stunned. Astonished. I'd truly only complied with Becky's directions, never expecting results from what I thought was a too hooey-hooey ask even for me!  And then, as I listened with a slightly more open mind, my s...

Oh, what a weekend! My heart is filled in ways that should not surprise me at this point in my life, yet here I am. Jammies on (it's only 4:45 p.m.). Hydrating. Reflecting on the Somatics Work 1 clinic that wrapped up here earlier this afternoon. Today, I did a demo for the group with my Mustangs. I brought both horses into the arena and haltered them, playing with them for a bit before everyone walked over. Becky Howell, the clinician and founder of Meeting Place Equine and I agreed that too many eyes focused on Cappy might be a bit much for him, so we decided to use Cinder for the 'observation' demo. I let Cappy back into the pasture.  Becky asked me to lead Cinder around while she pointed out different aspects on Cinder's body. Despite the windy gusts and crinkling of fall leaves spinning down (much more enrichments than a bubble machine!), I was tickled to hear comments about Cinder's symmetry, balance and connection. Moving close to the fence where the seven wo...