Welcome to my world with my Herd!

Horses and Healing

I first encountered the divine nature of horses at the age of 7 when I connected with one of my father’s Polo Ponies, Lorretta. She had taught me how to ride a few years earlier and, in a moment of stillness, showed me her grace and healing power simply by us standing in presence together. When I needed her emotionally, she was there in a way only horses can be. A deep sense woke up in me and I saw how horses are here to help us remember how to live in our hearts and return to the present moment.

From this place, we re-connect with the divine within them which is also within us.

From Saddle to Soul

I was a rider through and through from childhood to my mid-twenties. Riding was a way for me to connect with horses, to feel bonded, and to feel that wild sense of freedom only being on the back of a horse can bring (as many horse-people know). I worked as a Polo groom on and off from the age of 7 (for my Dad at that time). I never wanted to play Polo, even as a child I could see how hard the sport is on the horses. More than anything, I wanted to be near the horses as much as possible. Working as a groom allowed me to be productive and to access all of the nitty gritty aspects of ‘preparing’ them to play.

In 2010 I started travelling to work abroad, first to New Zealand and then Argentina.

The herd grazing together in the morning light

“Horses are here to help us remember how to live in our hearts and return to the present moment.”

Enter Florenzo

Florenzo, my Soul horse, and I met in Argentina in 2011. Florenzo was 5 years old and had been in training for around 2 years but had not been ‘finished’ in Polo terms. My partner at the time had seen him and wanted to buy him. His plan never materialised so the idea popped into my head that I could buy him instead. This was the first time I considered having a horse of my own. The idea came in like a flash of light and before I knew it, I was making the suggestion. I flew out to Argentina to meet him and the moment our eyes met something shifted in me. He was tied to a tree at the back of the corrals, had a green rug on (made out of grain sacks which they used then) and as he turned his head to look at me my body paused, the world went quiet, and I felt his presence in my Soul stirring something to life. Today, I understand we were always destined to be together. At that time, I was simply following the threads I felt guiding me toward him. What I have learned is that everyone has a Soul horse. A horse which changes their life, waking them up to themselves. After hearing similar stories from many people I’ve come to realise the lengths that Horses will go to ensure we are connected to ourselves first.

Our journey

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Learning to listen

I went over to meet him properly and immediately knew we were meant to be in each other’s lives. I couldn’t explain it then, I just knew. Just like I know today where he is on the land we live on, what he’s feeling when I am away from him, and what he needs and has to say at any given moment.

Back then, my perspective of myself as a rider was pretty over the top. Because the majority of horses responded well to my energy, I thought I was invincible and could ride any horse any time anywhere. Florenzo had to show me otherwise. Riding him was one of the most unenjoyable experiences for me. His strategy for being a relaxed horse was to check out of his body. Which meant, as soon as I was on his back he seemed to disappear energetically, which led to a serious lack of connection between us because I expected him to ‘do what I was asking!’ and just ‘get on with it.’ He began teaching me to listen from day one and the consequence of me not listening was serious.

The moment that changed us

One day in early January 2012 Florenzo and I went out for a morning ride. My partner was riding with us on a chestnut mare he was looking after at the time. As I went to ask Florenzo to canter, he erupted, something in me just…stopped. I remember having the thought that I couldn’t sit through this, my body went loose, I was thrown into the air, flipped over (apparently), and landed flat on my back. There was a moment between landing and coming to that I felt total darkness. That pause returned, a momentary message of stillness. A message I needed to truly hear this time. I’d had many falls before, but this one really opened me up to change.

I’d broken 4 ribs, my pubic bone, and damaged my right SI (Sacro-iliac) joint to the point where I couldn’t put weight on my right leg. I went to hospital, got x-rayed, and eventually went back home to where Florenzo was. I remember saying to those around me, as I looked at him looking at me from across the garden, ‘What am I going to do with him?’. As I asked the question out loud an answer from within me came through clear as day:

“Stay together”

The healing process from the fall that day, to his journey from Argentina to England, to falling multiple times again, to me discovering Equine CranioSacral, to me making the decision to stop riding completely in 2015, to claiming my own voice as a writer, healer, channel, has many arcs to it. Those arcs all centre around the one question ‘What needs to be heard right now?’

One truth is clear to me above all: I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without Florenzo’s guiding light, his voice and Soul’s energy, and his strength and wisdom seeing me through all of the different layers of self-discovery and healing. The rest of the Herd joined Florenzo and I in a beautiful unfolding of union which is destined to be what it is today, a collaboration and partnership helping people connect with the collective horse wisdom and their own inner truth.

Our Divine Nature

I believe we all have a divine source which guides us throughout our lives, and which is asking for our attention to reclaim its purpose in our day to day experience of who we are. Horses are incredible allies when it comes to our remembrance. Their infinite wisdom, presence, intelligence, and giving nature have supported humans through generations of development. Now is the time for us to stand alongside them while they share their voice and heart with us in a new way. That new way is up to us to surrender to, up to us to open to and to be aware of.

My work is offered alongside my Herd’s incredible wisdom. We have been living together for 13 years and I have been receiving their voice for over half of that time. The Herd are a family unit, they are a collective healing herd which means their messages and purpose are for the greater collective of humans and horses on this planet.

Meet the Herd

Writing and Creativity

Alongside horses, I am passionate about healing, personal development, connection, and creativity. These are my pillars. I’ve been writing since I was a child, always turning to the written word as a source of connection and expansion. My intuitive and psychic channel opens up when I put pen to paper, especially with the horses.

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Music

I’ve loved music for as long as I can remember. When I was a child, I would sit in front of my Mother’s CD player listening to Beethoven. I would also sit underneath her piano as she played it. I started playing the piano myself when I was 9, drums and guitar when I was 11. When I found drumming my world took an internal tilt. Life as a child had its challenges, those challenges all seemed to melt away when I was either with horses or playing a musical instrument. My mind would quiet, and my body would feel calm and centred. The same is true today.

When I am drumming, I feel at ease, and connected to a much larger energetic experience of life within me. In 2007 when I left school at 18, I worked in the music industry for 2 years, running my own club night and eventually managing bands for a year as well. I loved it and found the overall lifestyle to be intense. Moving away from the music industry I found my love for horses again and the rest is history! One of my passions is to drum with the Herd. Their response to music always surprises me and brings a taste of magic into our time together which I appreciate and value.

Work with Dilara

It is my honour to offer their voice to you and to share what they have to say through our words and intention.

Work with Dilara

Credentials

I have travelled through multiple pathways of human and equine study. Predominantly Equine CranioSacral Therapy (2013 with Maureen Rogers), Animal Communication (2012 with James French), Advanced Animal Healing (2017 with Margrit Coates), NLP, Hypnosis, Timeline Therapy, Human CranioSacral Therapy (2014 with Hugh Milne), and Reiki. As well as my own fascination and lived experience with the Human and Horse Bond.