Equine Connection Coaching Services Ltd. Wendy Elrick

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Vernon, BC
Equine Connection Coaching Services Ltd. Wendy Elrick

Equine-assisted learning and therapy offers a compelling journey of clarity & understanding. Horses Horses can inspire our dreams and awaken our spirit.

The Equine Connection is located ten minutes from downtown Vernon, BC on eight acres in a peaceful rural setting and offers equine-assisted learning opportunities. Equine-assisted learning and therapy offers a compelling journey of clarity and understanding. Horses are powerful teachers who instantly respond to actions, body language and the energy of the participant. The focus of equine-assisted

learning is not riding, nor horsemanship. It takes place out of the saddle and on the ground. We offer custom self-development workshops for any group wanting to expand their self-awareness, team building for business or wellness weekends for individuals. Our services also include traditional counselling, as well as equine-assisted therapy for children, adults, families, and groups. Take the time to explore our website and discover the benefits of our services for you and your family. www.wendyelrick.com

Individual counselling is offered by Wendy Elrick. Groups are facilitated by both Wendy, and a co-facilitator. Wendy Elrick, MSc, CCC is a Canadian Certified Counsellor (www.ccpa-accp.ca), with a Masters degree in Human Services working as a counsellor for 19 years. Her experience includes working with children, adults, families and groups. Wendy’s experience includes trauma recovery, teaching assertiveness, and women’s empowerment.

03/31/2026

In 2025 we introduced Sound Baths with the Herd. They were a big hit!

Our first Sound Bath of 2026 is Saturday, April 25th at 2pm.

The lovely Tina Berlin is facilitating together with members of the Herd!

For anyone who has not experienced an outdoor Sound Bath with horses, let me give you an image.

Imagine sitting in a covered arena that still allows a view of nature.
There is a flat deck in the middle of the arena with all of Tina’s singing bowls and chimes and rattles and drums.
A few horses are loose in the arena and are both enjoying Tina’s sounds, as well as energetically supporting the human participants.
There are a couple of people keeping an eye on the horses and the general safety of everyone.
People are sitting all around the arena, cozy with blankets. Some have their eyes closed and are in a meditative state.

Tina begins with her sound magic…

If you would like to be nourished by Mother Nature, the Sounds of Tina and by the Herd, you can register by emailing Wendy at welrick@shaw.ca.

Cost is $60

03/19/2026

I just finished reading The Three Marriages by the poet David Whyte.

One of the marriages he speaks of is our marriage to ourselves, to Self.

He describes how meditation is a path to connecting to those unknown parts of self.

It is a way to hear what the Soul wants to tell you, as well as a way to connect to Source.

For anyone wanting a different meditation experience, we are offering three opportunities to enjoy a guided meditation in the presence of the Herd:

Saturday, March 21, April 18 and May 16, 2026

10am until 11am

$40 per person

To register, email Wendy at welrick@shaw.ca

03/17/2026

Last week, Zabrina and I enjoyed sharing our many years of experience with two lovely ladies, who attended Landor’s Learnings.

The week long training was a joy to facilitate.

On Friday, we were blessed with the presence of three of our regular volunteers who agreed to be participants for the students’ practice facilitation sessions.

It was a rich morning of learning due to the ladies’ willingness to be vulnerable. Thank you my friends!

In the afternoon, Tessa gave Trixie and Oreo massages. The mares, together with Tessa, were fabulous teachers of bodywork!

My soul was fed by remembering all the many aspects of being a part of an equine-assisted learning/therapy program.

I always love sharing the stories of the Herd, all their teachings, all I have learned from them.

A very satisfying week!

03/08/2026

Happy Women’s Day!

From our mostly female herd and Kaleb!

02/26/2026

Landor was a friendly herd member.

He helped raise Pie when she was a foal.
He played with her and he also sucked on her ears!
This has led to her being fine with people touching her ears – very helpful!

One of his best friends was Chunky, the very grounded miniature horse.
It always gave me joy to watch big Landor playing with small Chunky!

When Joey the pony arrived, he was quite dissociated.
To begin, Landor welcomed him, and an easy camaraderie blossomed.
Then, to my surprise, one day, Landor started chasing Joey.
He would not stop. I had to open the arena gate to let Joey out, so the pony could have a break.
That was the end of Joey’s dissociation.

Landor taught us how to use movement to stimulate a being to re-enter their body.
Through movement, he was reminding Joey he was still able to engage his life force, and be present.

Landor’s Learnings starts on Monday, March 9th and runs for the week.

If you are interested in some deep self-development, or you want to learn to facilitate equine-assisted learning, come join us.

To register, email Wendy at welrick@shaw.ca.

02/14/2026

When I first started to co-facilitate with the horses, I had to learn to trust the silent interaction between the horse and the human.
I worried that the person was not able to pick up the silent communication of the horse.
So, I did too much talking, attempting the explain what was going on.
One day, Landor gave me a sharp look.

His eyes were crystal clear in communicating to me that I needed to be quiet!
He said this with a silent, yet forceful, direct eye contact.

These days I am of the opinion that it is not even necessary for a person to be able to verbalize what has transpired between themselves and one of the Herd.

What is important, and what the horses are so good at role modeling, is being in the present, and being aware of what is happening in our own bodies.
The horses are sharing their heart energy, and we are the lucky recipients.
However, we need to be present and focused on this nourishing gift to truly grow and enjoy the horses’ love.

02/05/2026

One of my first and most impactful teachers was Landor.

He was a gentle giant, an 18.2 hand high Holsteiner. An angel in a horse’s body.

He was part of the original Herd who I began facilitating equine-assisted therapy with over 20 years ago.

He taught me about many, many aspects of the work.

One powerful experience happened during a group session.

During an interaction with the horses, aimed at learning the dynamics of energy transference, a woman was standing with Landor, and went completely white.

She shared that as soon as she focused on Landor, she got instant heartburn.

He gave her his heartburn.

Once she shared this, and I said I would give him some slippery elm powder, her experience of his heartburn left her. His energy around the heartburn retreated.

His teaching about energy transference was loud and clear. There was nothing subtle about it!

The five day facilitation training honouring his teachings, Landor’s Learnings, starts March 9th until the 13th.

Five full days of learning how to structure an equine-assisted learning program.

Most of the time will be spent with the Herd learning the various equine-assisted learning exercises.

Zabrina will teach a day of care for a therapeutic herd – skills like basic massage and herbalism.

Participants will receive a binder full of handouts and practical information.

A certificate will be provided at the close.

This is an opportunity for a small group, maximum of four students.

Come and learn from the wise Herd here at The Equine Connection Coaching Services Ltd.

Come and learn from two seasoned facilitators.

Come and learn skills, and at the same time, immerse yourself in healing experiences that deepen your own knowledge of Self.

01/14/2026

While the Herd is having a break from work, counselling sessions are, for the most part, held indoors in my office.
Nevertheless, I am thrilled to share that my clients and I still receive support from our non-human friends.

This week, a small spider slid down a silk thread, right into the middle of the conversation that was happening!
The spider stayed in the conversation for the duration of the session. (Afterwards it was no where to be found!)
When this happens, I ask myself what the visiting helper is sharing.
What energy is being gifted to us?

When I think of spiders, I think of creativity, and how they are often described as the totem of writers.
Cara is a fabulous writer, and is scared of spiders! I cannot figure that one out!

Another message that spider has for us is the experience of entanglement (like when a fly gets caught in the spider’s web).
We all know how complicated human relationships are and we have all found ourselves entangled in a relationship that is not nourishing us.

Apparently, spiders create two types of silk thread: one is sticky and one is not.
Spiders themselves only walk on the non-sticky threads of their beautiful web creations.
That feels like a message about boundaries.
A message about honouring your own uniqueness.
A message about allowing ourselves to enjoy our own personal creations.

Spiders are obviously wise counsellors!

01/10/2026

While the Herd is enjoying their rest, and the winter is inviting us all to turn inwards, to reflect, and talk to the Soul, we are setting dates for our 2026 offerings.

Here they are!

Landor’s Learnings: a facilitation training for aspiring healers

March 9 – 13

9am to 5pm

$1950.00

4 people maximum

This training is 30 hours in totality and provides you with a certificate that allows you to buy insurance for an equine-assisted learning business.

Four days of learning how to structure the business and practicing facilitation of the experiences with the horses.

One day of learning how to physically and emotionally support a therapeutic herd.

Vienna’s Light: meditation with the Horses

Saturdays – March 21, April 18 & May 16

10am – 11:30am

$40 per Saturday

We will be sitting in the arena with the horses, listening to a Joe Dispenza meditation.

Supported by the heart energy of the horses, let your soul be uplifted!

Energy Session with the Horses

Fridays - April 24 & May 29

10am – 11am

$100

Three people maximum

The massage tables will be set up in the arena with the Horses, calming music will be playing while Wendy and the Herd support the people on the tables to release tension and reset their nervous systems. A nourishing and powerful experience!

Rest in the Arms of Mother Nature & the Herd – a day of reflection & meditation with the Herd

June 12

9am – 4pm, includes lunch

$350

Six people maximum

This day long upgrade will be spent in meditation with the horses, as well as experiencing equine-assisted reflective experiences. A day to come back to yourself.

Individual sessions

Anyone wanting an individual session with Wendy and the Herd can text or email to set up the hour long session.

$160 for equine-assisted therapy

$175 for a Reiki session with Wendy and the Herd

To request further information, and to register for any of the offerings, email Wendy at welrick@shaw.ca or text 250-309-0351.

01/07/2026

The Herd opened 2026 with some unrest.

Kaleb and Pie were unsettled by the presence of a cougar in the lower part of their pasture.

They were on high alert the morning of January 1st, and had not eaten their hay from the previous evening.

Needless to say, the cougar has moved on, and the pasture mates have since made up for any lost meals!

Of course, I looked up the symbolism of ‘cougar’ in Animal Speak.

Ted Andrews describes the medicine of the cougar as supporting us to ‘come into our own power’.

“The cougar can teach you how to bring out your power and fill your heart with it in a manner that will enable you to take charge of your life.” (p. 260)

That sounds like a strong energy to take us into 2026!

12/30/2025

Wishing everyone a healthy, grounding and deeply satisfying 2026!

12/09/2025

The horses have entered their rest period.

I decided Oreo needed to be on a flat pasture because of her vulnerable feet and her body pain.
So, she is spending the winter with the lovely Trixie in the top pasture.
They are good together.
Oreo gets to be the boss.
Her nervous system gets to truly settle.
I feel her body pain is more visible now.
When her nervous system kept getting agitated, she either kept her muscles tight, or she dissociated.
Now she is more present, and even looks bigger!
This soothes me.

Aggie is back in her pasture with her cozy shelter that she loves.
Molly is with her.
They are getting along very well.
They do feel the hay rations could be larger.
However, Zabrina & Cara both assure me that it is in their best interests to keep their belly sizes reasonable, and not ballooning!
Lucky for the two cuties, they are gifted apples regularly.

Pie and Kaleb remain on the big hillside pasture.
They are content together.
They love to explore amongst the cottonwood trees, and always return from their adventures covered in burrs!
They are better at finding them than I am.
I have pulled bags, and bags of burrs.
Despite my efforts, Pie and Kaleb keep finding more!
Yikes!

The herd had a big year.
They worked hard, serving many 2-leggeds.
They grieved Bandit.
They welcomed Molly into the family.
They managed their own bodies and hearts too (with some help from us).

It is now time to rest.

Address

5641Malim Road
Vernon, BC
V1B3J8

Website

http://www.equinecoaching.ca/

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