Equine Connection – Meet the Team

The Idea Story

At 40 years old my dream came true about living on an acreage and owning horses. Since I was 18 years I have always had goals and dreams. Wrote them out, studied them, had plans designed and created for my dream house. So for 22 years, two divorces, single mom with 3 babies ages 3 and under, meeting the man of my dreams, kept my dream alive that one day it could still happen.

I have always been an entrepreneur and goals were always evaluated and renewed each and every year plus studied throughout each new year to measure how close I was getting.

Well, with the man of my dreams (Sid), we bought, fixed up and sold houses and then we were going to build my dream home in the town of Strathmore where we were currently living. Sid is also a builder so we were designing my dream home to fit on a lot in the town but in the interim, prices of lots kept going up in price and Sid thought this is completely outrageous for a town lot. I had suggested the idea of an acreage numerous times but each time it was an absolutely no way, never wanted that kind of life and all the work etc etc

So the story goes is. I was hired to help out Humblehorse Ranch expand (I also had two of my horses boarding with them) and just down the road from them was a piece of property with a for sale sign on it. It was so cool because almost everyday I would drive by this most beautiful piece of land. The other thing I had always dreamt of was having a house built on a lake, well, it was so weird because not only was this piece of land gorgeous and out of the town but it also had a huge man made pond. So, what I started doing was climbing between the barbed wire fence and sitting on a rock by the pond and talk with God at how amazing this piece of land would be to own. Now, I also said to God, if Sid really doesn’t want this I would never force this on him as you see, I had never had a man in my life that treated me like he does. He let’s me be me, he supported my businesses, came into a ready made family with babies (he is 18 years older than myself and had already raised 3 young men), he is kind, caring, takes in the groceries, works on the yard, takes out garbage, builds anything I do and the list goes on. I would never jeopardize what I wanted for something I never believed I would ever have with this beautiful human being. So….as the story goes. Sid came home one night and said Kari I’ve been thinking, I really don’t want an acreage but it is making me so mad at the pricing of in town lots that may be we should take a look and of course I jumped all over this. He also said, one of my clients has an acreage for sale as they decided to build in town, we should go take a look. Well, when we drove down this road, to this particular stop you would never have believed what I was feeling. It was euphoric as how in the world is this possible??

I told Sid how I had been coming here and talking with God on the rocks. He too was shocked. We put in an offer, we got it!!!

My dream house that I had designed at 18 years was a two storey. But what I had learned over the years of owning houses, is there is not enough time for cleaning them and I did not want more house to clean and tons of stairs so we hired an architect to keep my ideas but design as a ranch house bungalow.

We built the house together and created everything on our acreage, brought in trees and started fencing the property so that I was able to bring my horses over from Humblehorse. From there, the dream because very focused on horses and what could I possibly do as a business.

You see, I am not a horse whisperer or trainer, I am just a gal who has always loved the spirit of the horse and how they made you feel. Everything I have ever got into in business I have always asked myself, what is my purpose? Purpose is huge to me as not only does it keep you humble, it allows you to help others and others is why we are here. I remember at the age of 39 years old I was completely lost in what I should be doing with my life. I am dying soon and what am I doing to make sure I am making a difference in life?? I volunteered and created a country fair for our local rodeo Heritage Days weekend event. We were actually a number 3 in all of Canada for top rodeo, we had WPCA Chuckwagons plus the famous “running with the bulls” but there wasn’t anything to do during all the other professional events, so that is why I created this family side. After my first year the Ag Society offered me a job in selling sponsorship, I thought, ok, I could try it plus still do my family side for Heritage Days. It was an incredible success and then the Ag Society offered me a position to run the “entire” what needs to be done for Heritage Days as with an event like that you need tons of committees and tons of volunteers so I thought ok, no problem, plus I can still do my family side, then after that year, the Ag Society offered me an assistant general manager position year round for the Agricultural Society. I thought again, this is great, it’s a beautiful event to be a part of and purpose is well very clear as it brings in team work, self accomplishment for all involved, great leadership in the areas and so on.

After the 5^th year of being with the Ag Society, I needed something more, I needed my purpose call again as of course I’m dying, so move it. I ran across an article in a magazine that was in the Ag Office and asked General Manager what he thought of the idea. It was called Equine Assisted Learning. It was getting certified to be able to help youth in a community while working with horses, no riding, working with horses on the ground and because it was something unique and good for the community the Ag Society wanted me to go take the program. I thought wow, this is the dream job of a lifetime and the Ag Society wanted it too! Win win!

We sent in the cheque and application. I could start by doing the program on-line. Well, that lasted not too long as I was not grasping really what this program was about so I asked if I could go out to literally see and engage in the program. Off I went to Prince Alberta, Saskatchewan to check it all out. I went, I saw, I got it and thought, there is no way I can do this. What I saw in changes with the youth that were taking the program was incredible! It was so real and right how these kids learned through the horse. How could I possibly do this when I am not a horse professional person?

Came back home and thought and prayed about EAL and if it was really for me. After weeks I went back to our General Manager and told him I had talked with the company that we had paid and they said we could get our money back as this really isn’t for me. My General Manager, Steve, said, no way, you are doing this! You can do this! This is great for the Ag Society and it would be great for this community. You get over your fear that you are not good enough in the horse world to do this. I called Cartier back and told them about what Steve had said and of course they totally agreed and also said that you would be the first to officially bring it to Alberta under our building block equine assisted learning program.

Since then I have never looked back. I went back to Prince Albert two more times and the passion just kept growing. Now I had to purchase more horses and horses that would actually work for this kind of program. The youth and adults that partake in these programs bring a lot of stimulus to the horse so the horse does have to be pretty stable minded plus have lots of life skills so they are not spooking and skittish. That took over a year to find 6 horses that would work for my program. The second challenge was were was I going to hold my programs? You definitely need shelter in Alberta weather, with snow, wind, wind, and wind plus rain. So there were two arena’s near by plus a place to be able to keep my horses as the horses needed to be by the arena as I sure wasn’t going to trailer all day long. I think the passion would dissipate quickly if I had to do that. I got pricing for both arenas with board and one was over $3000 and the other over $2500. This was a serious payment each month and the Ag Society nor myself could afford this. After much taking with Steve, we decided since I was putting in all the money to purchase horses and all the expenses to go with the horses I should take this out on my own. Again, now what am I going to do about this monthly payment? Sid then comes up with this amazing idea that we build a mini arena on our 3 acres. Why not build something here and put money back into our land instead of spending that kind of money each month and nothing come back. So at 44 years old I’ve invested the most amount of money I could have ever dreamt of doing into my new business with major support from my family. So, we just did it! The other issue was, land. We had 3 acres and through the county you are allowed 1 horse/3 acres, so off to my neighbours I go to ask if I could lease land from them to be able to do my program. That was not a problem at all, so all was well there.

As they would say, the rest is history.

The Survivor Story

My mom was my best friend, my soul mate, business partner and we were actually room mates for most of my life. My most precious mom got really sick in the first week of Dec/10. All of a sudden, she was frail and week. She was in and out of the hospital with stays to get her stronger, with times she fell when she was on her own and the paramedics took her back into the hospital and the last time she was admitted would be here last time as she passed away in the hospital So for close to six months, I was helping mom the best way I could, raising 3 teenagers, starting a business that had huge debt but most importantly knowing that I was going to start a new journey in life with out my most precious mom eventually.

Sunday May 30, We think I should take a break from the hospital and mow the lawn before I have to go back up to see mom. I am driving around the pond (I always think to myself of the mom who died in Strathmore mowing the golf course around the pond and the lawn tractor fell on top of her and she drown leaving two sons) and then I am a little stuck on an itsy little hill so I go to get off and I panic and put the gas on full blast and I drive into the pond with the lawn tractor and myself. That was enough to shack a girl up. Thank goodness Sid was there. I run up to the hospital and tell my mom about this horrible little accident I just had.

Sunday night I call the vet as I looked out and saw that Buddy doesn't look right. I go examine him and I know there is something seriously wrong. He has mud completely on the one side of him so the vet thinks may be he has fallen and to give him some butte.

Wed June 1, I go to get the horses for my program and I see Buddy lying there and I know in my heart he is dead (he was only 17). 15 minutes before my eal class is to arrive. I run to the phone to call the vet and they give me a number for the processors so they can come pick him up. My heart and head can not believe that this has happened. How am I going to be able to do my program. The school calls 5 mins before they are suppose to come and cancels, thank goodness and I go back up to the hospital to tell my mom my one last problem. She was really gone that day as her body was doing some pretty horrible things and I could hardly bare it but I do believe she heard my one last, need to tell my mom, my sad story.

Come back home to meet the processing truck. He tells me he can not go into my field to get him as there was so much rain, that he could sink. Went to neighbour to see if they could hook up Buddy to pull him to a place that the truck could get him at, no one was there. As I was driving back I asked myself if I had wanted to look at him all day/night. You know the answer, I did it….. The fellow from the processing truck hooked Buddy all up so I didn’t have to see him and then I had to drive the tractor towing buddy behind.

I went up to the hospital several times that day but can't handle seeing my mom like she was. That night at 7pm my beautiful mom passed away. Even when you know its going to happen, you are still not ready.

We hold her celebration of life on Friday June 3 and that day we are phoned as a friend of ours that we met through the hospital had also died. The bizarre part about this is mom and Arlene became friends in the hospital and their two grand-daughters became real great friends in supporting each other as we all knew death was coming to both. Arlene even moved out of the palliative care room so that mom was able to be in their for her very few days. 2 days later after Arlene was moved back to the palliative care room, she too passes away on mom’s celebration of life day.

Sunday June 5, I have to start clearing out mom's house as I am doing this mainly on my own but my brother is here for the celebration so we all work together to get as much as we possibility could get done as I will be doing this big job mainly on my own.

Monday June 6 my brother calls me to tell me our Uncle Macie had passed away. He was born on the same day as mom. (Completely bizarre) First thing I do after I hang up from Jim my brother, I go to call mom…then it hits me!

Tues June 7 is our friend’s, Arlene’s funeral which I did attend but really kind of lost it. I guess I should not have gone. I could hardly catch my breath.

Friday June 10 I discover that Charlie (my horse) has a nose bleed so I call the vets out immediately. He hasn't been acting the same. The vets come immediately as they definitely don’t want the same thing to happen. The vets assure me that this horse will not die and they are sure all is going to be fine.

Poppy my other horse becomes super lame. He started to go a little lame in the fall but I just thought all will heal over the winter. I have had 3 different vets, massages, chiro's, have done x-rays and nothing showed. Then I had 2 of the vets ask if he's had an internal, so they proceeded and discovered he has a fractured pelvis, which means, no more riding horse.

I had 4 riding horses last year for my kidlets and myself and was still able to use them in my eal programs.

Charlie is still not getting better. He now has puss-y, yellowy, snotty stuff coming out of his right nostril all the time. We have done the drugs, I have bought the herbs, I have had the vets out several times and then I get him x-rayed but still nothing. Then my vet suggests a scope to go up his nose, I figure what's another few hundred bucks I have gone this far and Charlie by far is my most incredible, beautiful, I love with all my heart horse.

Today, July 12, we take Charlie in to get scoped so we know exactly what we are dealing with. Charlie has a major fungal infection in his guttural sack on the right side. This is very serious. The vets say this is so rare and fluky they too don’t believe it. Surgery and medical would be well over $5000. So, I ask, what is now going to happen with Charlie. They tell me one morning you will wake up and he’ll be dead in a pool of blood. Something I definitely don’t want to see!

But life is moving fast and I am suppose to build my eal business so we have 8 programs a week vs 3 programs a week. I am over the $200,000 mark. What is happening I ask myself. I know I am a strong person but I can not take any more! Is this my sign, did I mistakenly believe I was suppose to do this business and now everything is hitting me flat in the face?

So, my oldest daughter has her riding horse and all I have now is a lot of beautiful and wonderful decrepitated horses.

July 23 is my mom’s burial of her ashes out in Springside Sask. I have asked to do the eulogy as I truly believe I knew her so well and wanted her eulogy to really mean something. I was so incredibly scared that I would break down and not be able to do it but I was strong, it truly was a great tribute to her. I think I was so strong as that morning the rain came and came and it didn't stop so we had to do a plan B (which my mom was always famous for the next plan as she was so flexible).

Today, July 26, we get back from my mom’s funeral and come back home to Charlie bleeding out this morning. I called the vets in to put him down. There was blood everywhere. My beautiful Charlie was bleeding to death. It took the vet 3 needles to put him down and right up to the end Charlie was still grazing the grass. The vet just couldn’t believe it and apologized that this was happening and said, she has never seen this in a horse before.

After I have my next break down with Charlie dying it hits me that the dogs are licking the blood. I call the vets immediately and they tell me to get the dogs away cause if they lick the blood where they put Charlie down they too will die. Oh, My, Gosh! I just can not believe this. I call the dogs in and go outside to pouring rain and hook up 3 hoses so they can reach where Charlie was put down so I can wash away all the blood so now my dogs won’t die. I am yelling, I am balling, I am screaming, why????????????? I do not understand!! Why? How much clearer does it need to be that I am not suppose to do this EAL business. God, are you truly telling me this?

Then the next day arrives and I think of all the amazing things that had happened to be able to just get to this point of my EAL business. This just does not make sense. All my life I have believed that you have tons of obstacle, challenges and solutions and with the grace of God if you are suppose to be going down a certain road things seem to move out of the way, so it is possible. All things were moving out of the way so why now, when I’ve lost the most precious person in my life and then these incredible horses. What am I suppose to be learning. Do I give up?? Not in my blood to do so especially when the road worked to get here. Why?

Then I have my program the next day and my youth arrive with flowers and hand drawn card of Charlie. They all give me hugs and I know how truly blessed I am.

I go to their graduation at the youth centre. These kids/youth admit themselves to the program, to help themselves, get off their addictions of solvents, drugs and alcohol. They stand up and tell everyone their thanks and their dreams and their hopes that they will be able to go in the world and do it with out addictions. They talk about how we have all been a family and that some of them don’t even have families to go to now that the program is over. I am overwhelmed with all these emotions for these most precious people. I can not stop crying, trying to catch my breath, I feel love, and I feel that yes, Kari, you are suppose to be helping with your EAL business. You have a purpose with your program to help as many youth/adults as you possibly can because it does work.

To give up will never be an option. I am here with my EAL horse program to deliver one of the most remarkable programs that affect people immediately. When you are looking for a change, the horse will give it to you each and every time!

The dream is still alive and we are all successfully moving forward with a new group of young and wonderful horses.