True Nature Integrative Health

02/01/2026

Here she comes the glorious snow moon

02/01/2026

I’ve spent years in spaces where knowing more was valued over listening more—where bodies, horses, and even people were corrected rather than truly met. This piece explores what changes when we slow down, release rigid ideas of “right,” and begin listening to what’s already being communicated.

So often, we move past the present moment toward an agenda—saddling, mounting, getting on with the plan—without noticing what the current conditions are offering. A shift in weather. A new sound. Something out of place. For horses, these details matter.

When a horse needs extra time to orient, it isn’t them being difficult or trying to get away with something. More often, it’s because they are simply noticing more than we are. They are attuned to changes we haven’t yet registered, interpreting the environment in real time so safety can emerge.

This perspective comes directly from my therapy work, where I’ve learned that healing rarely happens through agendas or correction, but through attunement, safety, and relationship.

Sometimes all that’s needed is a pause—to allow movement, curiosity, and settling—before asking anything else.

Listening to Bodies, Horses, and What Lives Between Us Many years ago, I was drawn to psychoanalytic therapy because I believed that thinking deeply about human behavior would help me support people more effectively. I enrolled in an intensive training program with the hope that greater insight wou

01/29/2026

Winter has been teaching us that wellness isn’t about ease or sameness.
It’s about choice within real conditions.

The herd shows this quietly—
where to stand,
when to move,
how to conserve,
and how to stay in relationship without forcing comfort.

This coming month inside Echoes of the Herd, we explore winter care as somatic wisdom:
continuity, attunement, and wordless connection.

If this season has felt slow, heavy, or narrowed—
you’re not behind.
You’re responding.

3 Winter Somatic Tips

1. Let your body choose warmth, not toughness.
Notice where your body seeks shelter, layers, or stillness. Following that impulse is regulation—not avoidance.

2. Move slowly, on purpose.
In winter, gentler, deliberate movement supports steadiness more than pushing through. Let pace be information.

3. Practice wordless connection.
Spend a few minutes with a person, animal, or place without conversation. Shared presence can regulate more than explanation.

✨ Join us inside Echoes for February’s somatic practices, reflections, and herd wisdom.

Echoes is a monthly offering for those who listen with their bodies. If this feels nourishing try out our monthly subscription its packed with stories, somatic practices, intentions, and herd connection.
https://www.truenatureintegrativehealth.com/echoesoftheherd

01/28/2026

The winter storms have proven to be the worst we have seen in many years. The snow keeps piling up the temperatures keep plummeting and the wind keeps roaring on more days than not. It has slowed our prep and excitement for a March 1st transition. We are so grateful to have the support so far. We are still trying to race against the clock to find the funds for safe professional transport plus barn accommodations. We really want to make this transition as thoughtful and easeful as possible. Despite the common practice of shipping horses to new homes, we know that this is always stressful on horses, even in the best of circumstances. We may have to give it more time than we hoped depending on weather related issues and more time means more costs by the day. I truly can't wait for her to get here and will be so happy to introduce her to our community and you all! If you can please share and support every share, every dollar helps.

Choosing Repair in a Moment of Transition I’ve been given the opport… Jennifer Baker needs your support for Support a Safe Transition for a Therapy Horse

01/24/2026

The idea that it is perceived radical sentiment to question the use of excess force and hitting animals in the name of training exposes a massive problem in the industry.

The fact that it is considered radical to question the prevalence of isolating a highly social herd and keeping them in very confined areas exposes a lack of consideration for the species we are working with.

The funny thing is, a lot of the Horse industry perceives as radical is supported heavily by empirical evidence and decades worth of research.

The use of physical punishment is questioned in both efficacy and ethics across an abundance of species and has been for decades, even over the course of long scale studies.

The damages of isolation and confinement for horses are also well documented in research.

So, why is it radical to follow credible information and question what we are often taught to follow in belief without criticism?

Why is it radical to question a status quo that defies empirical evidence?

In this post, I reference the universal “you” because I too used to think a number of the views that I now hold were radical.

But that was because I was in denial.

It should not be considered radical to ultimately encourage a mindset that is more considerate of the individual beings that we are working with.

It should not be radical to be more considerate of the horse.

The fact that it feels that way is more of a statement of how often people have made decisions without the well-being of horses in mind.

When we grow used to acting with selfish motivations, the act of consideration can feel radical.

many of us grow up being introduced to horses in a way that systematically desensitizes us to what otherwise is often intuitive.

Had this not happened, most of us would not question the fact that a herd animal is social and belongs in a herd.

We wouldn’t question the fact that farm animals need space.

We wouldn’t question the notion that physically hitting animals in the name of training should not be a default solution.

The reason why we do is due to conditioning.

So, ask yourself: is it actually radical or have I just been conditioned away from this perspective?

01/23/2026

Alright friends, it’s been a rough week prepping in these snow storms and crazy temps and wind chills! Everyone is hunkered down for the coldest night of the year so far. Marie built the pigs a wooden box to nest in. We brought in a ton of straw for pigs to bury into and made tunnels and hay caves with heat pad for mama kitty.
I’m exhausted and dreaming of spring. Stay safe everyone!

01/17/2026

We are so grateful to have raised enough to cover some shelter prep and some of our hay needs. Unfortunately no one in our area has hay left to spare so I had to outsource to a larger hay shipper which meant higher prices. We are getting there though with your help! We still need to be able to pay for shipping her safely. Please share within your networks every share and every dollar helps. Thank you 😊

Choosing Repair in a Moment of Transition I’ve been given the opport… Jennifer Baker needs your support for Support a Safe Transition for a Therapy Horse

01/15/2026

What Horses Teach Us About Regulation, Trauma, and the Limits of Endurance In both mental health and equine spaces, there is a familiar refrain: Build more resilience. Increase capacity. Learn to stay calm. At first glance, these ideas sound supportive—empowering, even. But when we look m

01/14/2026

NEW BLOG: While my work is grounded in horses and therapy, it is ultimately about nervous systems, culture, relationships and conditions—and how all beings are shaped by the worlds they inhabit.

You can’t regulate your way out of systemic harm.

Resilience culture asks bodies to endure what should never be normalized.

When regulation becomes obedience, something has gone wrong.

What Horses Teach Us About Regulation, Trauma, and the Limits of Endurance In both mental health and equine spaces, there is a familiar refrain: Build more resilience. Increase capacity. Learn to stay calm. At first glance, these ideas sound supportive—empowering, even. But when we look m

01/13/2026

https://www.truenatureintegrativehealth.com/horse-and-human-relationship-coaching

01/12/2026

When the sun comes out—even in winter—my body responds before my thoughts do.

Warmth on my skin.
Breath naturally deepens.
There’s a subtle lift in energy and presence.

From a polyvagal perspective, this is my nervous system receiving cues of safety.
Light, warmth, and open space support a gentle shift toward ventral vagal—toward connection, curiosity, and aliveness.

The horses feel it too. They step into the pasture, move more freely, stretch, and engage with their environment.
No one is “regulating.”
Our nervous systems are simply responding to what supports them.

Somatic awareness isn’t about forcing calm.
It’s about noticing what helps your system feel safe enough to come alive.

What cues of safety does your body recognize today?

01/12/2026

I’ve been graciously given the opportunity to take in a horse during a winter transition and offer her a steady, supported path forward. Her upcoming transition from her current space has been deeply tender for a dear friend and horsewoman, and bringing her here allows an already established relationship to continue — and for collaboration to grow 🥰

I’m fundraising to cover winter hay, preparing a safe transition space, and professional transport. This support also allows her to become part of our work at True Nature and The Language Between, where she will join us as a relational partner and living teacher in practices rooted in reciprocity, consent, and attuned connection.

If this resonates, the GoFundMe link is below. Sharing is welcome, with no pressure at all.

🤍

Choosing Repair in a Moment of Transition I’ve been given the opport… Jennifer Baker needs your support for Support a Safe Transition for a Therapy Horse