One Neigh at a Time

One Neigh at a Time Kathy Slagter, Master Gestaltist through dual certification in the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method. Now, I am honored to help others reclaim their lives.

Horses have ignited a deep passion within me, and I want to share that excitement with others who are ready to do more than just survive their recovery—I want to help them truly thrive. Together, we can empower and support one another on this journey. My addiction once kept me from living a passionate and authentic life. But through the healing power of horses and the Gestalt approach to recovery, I have found my way back. You don’t have to live another day with a substance controlling you. You deserve to be fully present—for yourself, your family, your friends, and your animals—with a clear mind and a healthy body. "Take the reins of your life in your own hands—be ready for the ride of your life." I’m Kathy Slagter, Founder and CEO of One Neigh at a Time™, a nonprofit organization established in 2025. I am a dual graduate of the Touched by a Horse program, certified in both the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method (EGCM) and the Gestalt Coaching Method (GCM). Additionally, I am a Certified Recovery Coach and hold a certification in Emotional Crisis Prevention & Recovery through the CCAR program. As the author of the Neighdoodle Adult Meditation Coloring Book and Journal and co-author of Touched by a Horse™ Anthology III and IV, I am dedicated to advocating for addiction recovery and personal transformation. Whether through coaching, writing, speaking, or blogging, my mission is to inspire others to embrace life—one day at a time, One Neigh at a Time™.

It’s Spring… 🌱Welcome to the mud stage at Peace of Serenity RanchI get to choose—I can focus on the mess, the muck, the ...
03/20/2026

It’s Spring… 🌱
Welcome to the mud stage at Peace of Serenity Ranch
I get to choose—
I can focus on the mess, the muck, the in-between…
or I can step into it,
laugh a little,
and play in the mud.
Today, I choose to play. 🐴💛
One Day at a Time ~ One Neigh at a Time

Walking Toward the LightWhen the world around you is grumbling, look for the kindness.Start your day with a gratitude li...
03/13/2026

Walking Toward the Light

When the world around you is grumbling, look for the kindness.

Start your day with a gratitude list, a prayer, thankfulness, and an intention for the day ahead. When we do this, we begin our day walking in kindness, walking in peace and serenity.

Chaos will still be thrown at us. Life doesn’t stop doing that. But when we ground ourselves first, that chaos can roll off our shoulders as we keep moving forward.

When we absorb the negativity and the grumbling around us, it becomes heavy energy. When we carry it long enough, it can weigh us down and lead to sadness, depression, and the quiet voice that says:

I’m not good enough.
I want something different.
But I don’t know how to get there.

Before we know it, we’re walking a path that feels unhealthy and hopeless. A path where the end is not visible. A path where we look into the forest and only see darkness.

That is a scary place to walk through alone.

So catch yourself if you can.

And if you can catch even the tiniest whisper of light—grab it. Hold onto it. Pray, reflect, breathe… whatever helps you take one small step toward that light.

Turn around if you need to. Do your work. Reach out to a friend. Find someone who loves you and will walk beside you in the woods.

Creating a new life is work. Not just for people in recovery—but for anyone who wants something more.

Create your path so you can stride with purpose.

Every step toward the light matters. Even the small ones.

NEIGH for the Day🐴“We learn by looking backwards, yet live by walking forwards, forgiveness allows us to enjoy our journ...
03/12/2026

NEIGH for the Day🐴
“We learn by looking backwards, yet live by walking forwards, forgiveness allows us to enjoy our journey.”

Someday she’s broken some days she’s a warrior…💜
03/12/2026

Someday she’s broken some days she’s a warrior…💜

03/11/2026

No excuses. 👊🏼

NEIGH for the Day🐴“The blame game keeps you a victim.Self-examination sets you free.”
03/11/2026

NEIGH for the Day🐴

“The blame game keeps you a victim.
Self-examination sets you free.”

Blame GameYou can’t be a victim and be empowered at the same time.The blame game—throwing each other’s past in one anoth...
03/11/2026

Blame Game
You can’t be a victim and be empowered at the same time.

The blame game—throwing each other’s past in one another’s faces—is simply a way to divert attention away from ourselves and place it on someone else.

“If only you wouldn’t do this, then I wouldn’t do that.”

When we play this game, everyone loses.
The name of that game is insanity.

If we don’t look inward, we will never be able to move forward.

It’s very easy to get caught up in discussions that revolve around pointing fingers. I love the saying that when you point a finger at someone else, there are three more pointing back at you. In the Bible it also reminds us to take care of the log in our own eye before worrying about the splinter in someone else’s.

Looking inward—truly examining ourselves—is one of the hardest things we will ever do. But it is necessary. Because if we don’t, we will remain the victim in every story.

If you are waiting for someone else to change so that you can feel better, you will always be in waiting mode.

Real empowerment begins when we ask ourselves:

What is my fighting style?

Do I play the blame game so I can temporarily feel better about myself?

Or do I do the harder work—looking inward, examining my part, identifying the real issue, and discovering what the prescription is for my own growth?

Self-examination is not about shame or blame.
It is about freedom.

Because when we change what is happening within, we change what becomes possible around us.

NEIGH for the Day“You are not responsible for your first thought.You are responsible for your next action.”
02/27/2026

NEIGH for the Day

“You are not responsible for your first thought.
You are responsible for your next action.”

NEIGH for the DayIf you want to be happy, you must first get yourself off your mind.”
02/25/2026

NEIGH for the Day

If you want to be happy, you must first get yourself off your mind.”

When I first started giving my horses treats, something shifted.The moment I walked into the pasture, their focus wasn’t...
02/25/2026

When I first started giving my horses treats, something shifted.

The moment I walked into the pasture, their focus wasn’t on connection anymore.

It was on the treat.

They started searching my pockets.
Invading my space.
Following me everywhere.

Their minds weren’t present.
They were thinking:

“When is she going to give it to me?”
“How do I get it?”

And I realized…

This is us.

Whether it’s sugar.
Alcohol.
Gambling.
Overworking.
Scrolling.
Even certain unhealthy behaviors.

The “treat” becomes the focus.

It’s no longer about connection, peace, or presence.
It becomes about the next hit.
The next taste.
The next rush.

And just like my horses, we can start organizing our entire thinking around it.

So I stopped giving treats.

Not because treats are evil.
But because I could see how quickly it became their obsession.

At first, they still searched for it.
Their brains expected it.
Their bodies anticipated it.

But over time…

Something changed.

When I walked into the pasture, they stopped looking at my hands.

They looked at me.

They returned to presence.

That’s how habits work.

When we remove the unhealthy “treat,” there is a season of craving.
A season where the old pathway still fires.
Where the mind still says, “Where is it?”

But if we stay consistent long enough,
the brain rewires.
The focus shifts.
A new habit forms.

The first thought that once ruled us
loses its power.

Horses show us what behavior looks like — without shame, without story.

And they remind us:

What we feed grows.
What we stop feeding slowly fades.

Connection over consumption.
Presence over pursuit.

And eventually… peace.
-Kathy Slagter
📷 by Samantha Dawn - Equine Photography of
SD Taking Care of Business when in training with KD Performance Horses

Neigh for the Day 🐴✨Fearing the challenge makes the challenge larger. Reacting keeps the lesson hidden. Both the probl...
02/22/2026

Neigh for the Day 🐴✨

Fearing the challenge makes the challenge larger.
Reacting keeps the lesson hidden.
Both the problem and the solution are part of the path.

— One Neigh at a Time 🙌

We live in the present, yet we learn from our past.
10/08/2025

We live in the present, yet we learn from our past.

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Hastings, MI
49058

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Tuesday 11am - 4pm
Wednesday 11am - 4pm
Thursday 11am - 4pm
Friday 11am - 4pm

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Coach Kathy Slagter

Horses have awakened a passion inside of me, and I want to share that excitement with women who are also eager to do more than just survive in their life. I want women to go beyond their recovery. Let’s find the woman who has been hiding inside, begging to be free from the hold her addiction, PTSD, pain, etc, has had on you.” Come to my barn and hear what my horses have to NEIGH to you.

Isn't it time you too, Trust the horse ~ Trust the process.

My addiction took me away from living a passionate, authentic life, and I am now excited and honored, with my horse's help and the gestalt way of recovery, to have found my way. I don’t want you to live one more day with a substance running your life. Be fully present for your family and friends every day, with a clear mind and a healthy body.

"Take the reins to your life in your own hands, be you ready for a great ride."