“I tell people to think of me as a life coach for horse people,” explains Robin Heckle, an Equine Relationship Coach in San Diego County. “My work addresses the emotional side of riding. People have a variety of issues that can limit them: fear, anxiety and negative self talk are just a few. These problems all connect to your ride. Address these issues and your riding immediately changes. It’s like when your trainer points out an external change, such as telling you to adjust your position; you make the physical adjustment and can feel the difference immediately. Making internal changes can be just as powerful. When you change on the inside, emotionally or perceptually, that same sort of instantaneous alignment will occur and improve your ride.”



Robin spent years as a corporate coach, using her intuition and problem solving skills to help others resolve problems and succeed. Last year Robin decided to combine her life coaching skills with riding, which has been a lifelong passion.
It all started when a close friend asked Robin to help her work through a problem with her horse. The friend was riding a large Warmblood and the pair were doing well at the walk and trot, but cantering was a challenge. She could only get him to canter for a few strides before breaking back into the trot.
After watching her friend ride and speaking with her about the experience, they discovered the root of the problem: fear. She had taken a fall on the horse several months prior, and was afraid of cantering again. He was a big, powerful horse and she knew he could sense her apprehension.
“She was giving him unconscious cues that said ‘drop out.’ By directly addressing her fear and instead focusing on the positive, we worked out what was really causing the problem. After that, her ride completely changed. She wasn’t emotional in the saddle. She was able to relax and feel more confident, and the horse responded by holding his canter.”
Since then, Robin says the transition from corporate life coach to equine life coach has naturally fallen into place. “At that point it was a no-brainer that I could take something I really love to do, my life coaching, and apply that to my passion, horses. The two fit together perfectly.”
To understand how and why a problem is occurring, Robin spends time getting to know her clients. At the first session, which usually lasts an hour and a half, Robin observes her clients’ whole experience with their horse: from greeting the horse, to haltering, grooming, tacking up and riding. Robin then discusses what problems are occurring and why.
“I immediately get a strong intuitive sense of what’s happening between the horse and the rider. And I ask the rider, ‘why do you think that happened?’ We’ll discuss it, then typically I will ask the client to try a few adjustments. It’s important for people to see a positive change, something they can be immediately successful with,” explains Robin.
After the session is over Robin will provide detailed “session notes” to give the rider feedback so they have something they can physically review. She suggests that they keep a journal of their time at the barn, detailing how each ride goes, any problems they encounter and what they felt about it. It takes three weeks to make or break a habit, so Robin schedules a follow-up session a few weeks later.
“I believe in setting people up to succeed and giving them the tools they need to do that. I have had the chance to ride with some very good trainers and ride some very nice horses, and I’ve gained a strong skill set in the process. But my own riding didn’t reach its full potential until I addressed the emotional aspect and dealt with what was going on inside. To help others in this way is my passion. It is a privilege to share my passion and gift with others, to help solve their problems and bring more harmony into their relationship with their horse.”
For more information on Robin Heckle visit www.equinerelationshipcoach.com, email robin@equinerelationshipcoach.com or call 760-310-5717.