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Hi!!!  My name is Ellen White and welcome to Present Moments Equine Facilitated Learning.  We are based in Roberts Creek on the Sunshine Coast.  We moved from Bowen Island in May 2022 to our own equine facility. I am a certified ACC Life Coach under the International Coaching Federation, a certified Equine Life Coach through Equine Alchemy and I am also certifying under Equine Facilitated Wellness Canada.  I work with my team of five horses, who are my colleagues and mentors.

I have had horses in my life since the age of seven years old.  Always feeling more at home, on the ground, working on the relationship with the horse, rather than riding and dominating the horse, Equine Therapy matches my personality.   Each of my team of equines has come with their own stories, trauma, trust issues.  This work enables the horses not only to help heal humans, but for the humans to help heal the horse.  Tedx Talk. 

I had a hiatus from horses and in that time raised my family and worked in Business and Finance, owning a successful Bookkeeping Company, which I sold in order to work in Equine Therapy full time.  I sit on various non profit and charitable boards as treasurer, sharing my knowledge with others.  Continuing my education throughout my life, I have dedicated the last five years in completing my Diploma in Equine Studies with the University of Guelph, certifying with Equine Facilitated Wellness, who are a leader in Equine Therapy in Canada and completing her studies with Equine Alchemy as a life coach.  Having just been certified as an ACC Life Coach with ICF, the governing body of life coaches on an international level.  I live on the property with my long suffering, non horsey husband and teen girls.   I have worked with my herd for years, carefully choosing the herd members, ensuring they have good boundaries with time off, and the horses being well cared for.  

Let me introduce you to my little herd, who are my team members and I could not do this work without.

Henry, my five year old, he is one of the most playful horses I have ever known.  His most favourite thing to do is to play with his ball.  You can find him in his pasture, pushing his ball around and then jumping on top of it.  His little nose is always on the go, exploring his surroundings and his people.  Henry has proven to be a great horse in sessions, he is sensitive and intuitive to the clients.  Henry is on his own timeline when it comes to his training.  He went away for training last year, but he just was not ready.  He is going to be an amazing horse once he is backed, but he is not ready.  He will get there and I won't rush him.  Everyone learns at a different rate, this is true for horses as well as humans.  He is also an Appaloosa, they are a little spotty on the inside as well as the out!   

Cassie is a 18 year old Thoroughbred x Odenberg.  I have had Cassie since March 2021. She is one of the most sensitive horses I have ever had.  She feels everything, and strongly. I have written blog posts about Cassie's healing journey.  She is now stepping into sessions and turning up when she is needed.  There is just something that about this girl.  She has taught me so much.  Patience, not to give up and to just hold space for magic to happen.  I ask her permission for everything.  Everything is a discussion.  If she gives me a no and she knows how to let me know she is not comfortable or doesn't want to do something, I back off and wait until she is ready.  She has learned how to regulate herself, something she was incapable of doing when I first had her. I can see her processing the situation and looking to me for reassurance and then trusting that and working through it with big releases.  She has the most gentle soul and I just love her to bits.  

Clyde and Lightening are very bonded mini's.  Lightening is a palamino (golden), 20 year old gelding and Clyde is a grey, 30 year old gelding (this year).  These guys are not short on personality.  I call Clyde my little racoon, because he is always into something, generally somewhere he shouldn't be.  He wants to be close, but hates cuddles and kisses.  He has very clear boundaries and I think at 30 he has earned that for sure!!  Lightening is quiet and sensitive, he wants his little herd around him and is happiest when he is in the middle of everything.  These guys are amazing at working in my kids programs and a total asset to me.  

Ben, so, I swapped my little black beast, Bella for this guy.  His owner was looking for a semi retired place for Ben to settle, I was looking for a place where Bella could be the only (ish) horse on the property and be brought on riding wise and have some fun.  So, we have done a little swap!  Ben is a 15.3hh Thoroughbred, apparently the slowest race horse ever.  He is a sweetheart.  The energy of the herd has changed so much since he has joined us.  Henry and Ben play together.  He has already stepped up for therapy sessions and supports the horses by laying down and snoozing!  He is such a sweet guy to handle and I will be able to ride him once we have sorted a few muscle problems out.  He is a total cookie monster and is very clear when it is bedtime!  Bit like me actually!  He is a welcome addition to the herd and I am excited to see what he offers to our sessions. 

I am so lucky to have these five horses in my life and to have them as part of my team.  I could not do the work without them and love spending as much time with them as I possibly can.  They all teach me on a daily basis and make me want to learn and improve and do my best by them.  I am on my own journey with them guiding me.

Since I am a life and wellness coach and my philosophy is to work in the present and the future, the herd and I have decided that we do not need to be defined by our past.  We can't change the past, but we can travel a new path to our future.  As soon as each of these horses arrived with me, they had new futures and I meet them where they are on this day and we work to the future.  Cass had a lot of trauma and even though we worked through that because of her past, I refused to allow it to define her for her future.  We can change our stories, we do not have to be defined by what happened in our past.  If we are willing to put the work in and listen to what is in our heart and body, and not to those past stories in our head, we can do anything and be anyone we want.  Living in the present moment and appreciating all that encompasses, giving us time to breathe, we can feel more clearly in our body, which can lead us to be our more authentic self.  I hope that working with my herd, allowing them to be their authentic self enables them to show you how you can take that journey and embrace your own authenticity.   It is such a pleasure watching these beautiful equines become their very individual selves.  

Our Location

In May 2022, we bought our property on the Sunshine Coast, in Roberts Creek.  We are now all living on site together!! I am beyond excited!  Having lived her for little over six months now, I can't believe how lucky we are.  The property is full of mature trees, boasting a Sequoia, Maples, Cedars, Douglas Firs and Alders. The property has numerous gardens and is quintessentially English throughout. We have secret pockets of land with ponds, flower and herb gardens and veggie patches all offering little nooks of tranquility.  An orchard with apple, cherry and plum trees offer shade to the herd in the summer.  With the amazing natural environment of the property comes with resident animals (apart from the horses), we have bears pass through, ravens and bald headed eagles roosting in the trees.  A resident turtle and terrapin in the ponds and families of ducks pass through.  Chipmunks keep the minis on their toes tormenting them from high up in the trees.  In the evening, we are serenaded by owls, frogs and bats.  Our cottage which is our meeting place / classroom and will be our retreat centre is tucked away and private to the main house.  Bringing my love of nature, gardening, crafts, I hope our space is inviting to clients and guests.  If clients do not want to work with the horses, there is always a different option of things to do, having a classroom set up for crafting, or being able to have quiet reflection around the pond areas or in sitting in nature allows the clients to choose what they need at that time.