Wellness and Equine Supported Coaching

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• Certified Transformational Presence Coach
• ICF Accredited Associate Coach
• Registered Nurse
• Author - Pony’s Girl Parables, Pony’s Girl Parables Coloring Journal, and Aligning – Partnering with Soul
• Advanced Eponaquest Facilitator
• Power of the Herd Instructor
• Sand Play Practitioner

Wellness coaching and equine supported coaching philosophy centers around the concept that the power within us lights the way to realize our purpose and potential. We are the medicine.

 After leaving a 30-year nursing career in 2006, my husband, Steve, and I, left the USA for an adventure in Costa Rica. We transformed a 26-acre dairy farm into a well-loved resort and retreat center at the base of the Arenal Volcano. In 2020 we moved back to the USA and sold the retreat center.

I've facilitated retreats since 2007 and had the opportunity to work with hundreds of individuals and many soulful horses over the years. 

My passion for teaching has compelled me to present at numerous conferences as a registered nurse and as an equine practitioner. Most recently, in Ireland at The Federation of Horses in Education and Therapy International (HETI) conference. I’ve co-instructed the Eponaquest apprenticeship program in New Zealand, Australia, the USA, and Costa Rica; and led workshops in Denmark, Costa Rica, the USA, and Canada.   

 When we listen, sometimes it’s not what we want to hear, but when we do, we end up where we are meant to be. 

In March 2020, we made the difficult decision to move back to the USA from Costa Rica due to the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic. In addition to leaving our retreat center, our Costa Rican community, I was leaving my twenty-five horse soulmates. Succumbed by grief, I wasn’t sure if or when I’d ever have horses again.

We went to Alabama to care for Steve’s elderly father and stepmother. One day in the thick of the pandemic, Steve said, “Debbie, you need to get a few horses; they’ll help you get through this transition.” I said no, I wasn’t ready. Steve took it upon himself (mind you, he is not a ‘horse’ person) to find a couple of horses for me anyway. That got me to stick my head up out of my grief. I surely did not want him to pick a horse out for me! It was time.

Halsey and Cowboy came to us through a ‘horse trader’ type of character in Mississippi. I was naive to the horse business in the States, just as I was in the early days in Costa Rica. However, this proved to be fortunate for me

(again), as I ended up with the right horses. 

The Birmingham police department needed to find a home for a miniature horse they found tied up on the side of the road. This is how Reggie came to be with us. 

After moving to Virginia, we added Dapper, another mini, to the herd. He has been an integral part of Reggie’s healing process.

In April 2021, a friend from South Florida decided to close the equine portion of her psychotherapy practice. We had plenty of room and offered to take her horses. That is how Tango and Comanche came to be here.

 These six equines allow insights to come through them, insights into what wants to happen for us, to learn, to experience, to understand, and how to live in our truth. I have enormous gratitude for every spirit being carried by the body of a horse. Thank you.

Eponicity's home base is located about an hour southwest of Richmond, VA. We are in the ongoing process of restoring the old farmhouse that was built in 1869 and the surrounding 25 acres of land.

After equine supported coaching sessions, clients enjoy the peace and privacy of our rural setting. Whether meandering through the forest, lounging in a hammock strung in an ancient black walnut tree, helping in the garden, or gathering fresh eggs, it is a comforting place to connect to Earth and her gifts. 

Testimonial – "This experience was life-changing in that Deborah and her amazing horses gave me my life back. My 22-year-old son was killed in 2016. When that happened, I lost a part of myself, a part of my heart and soul, that I thought was gone forever, and I had resigned myself to being heartbroken for the rest of my life, but I had reached a point where I knew I could not go on like that any longer. I was desperate for change. I had no idea what it was, but I knew I had depleted all the resources I knew of. I had been to counseling, grief counseling, therapy, got on antidepressants, took a leave from work. I was withdrawing from people, and it was extremely painful to interact with anyone. I no longer wanted to be a part of society. I could no longer pretend everything was okay when inside, I felt like I was losing my mind…

Somehow, through divine intervention, the universe took me to Deborah and her gentle husband, their little dog, their peaceful farm, and their spectacular horses. With Deborah's loving guidance and wisdom and encouragement and with the absolute help of the horses, I am better! I am healed. I am healthy. I am happy again. I am back to being me. There are no words to express my gratitude. My family is amazed. My husband is so grateful to Eponicity to have his wife back. I will never forget this experience.

If you, or anyone you care about, is struggling with how hard life can be at times, I strongly encourage you to contact Deborah and her horses. She will enable you find your heart and soul again, like she did me. You do not need to suffer alone. There is help. I was at the bottom and now I am at the top!"