SHE DANCES with HORSES
Stina Herberg’s inspiring journey with a herd of rescues on St Vincent Island.
I believe
horses are on this planet to help us find our own way back to ‘Source’ (or however one
prefers to call the place where nothing but love exists).
With remarkable patience for humankind, these incredible animals invite us constantly to join them in a
state of oneness and pure connection.
In their majestic presence, our hearts synchronize rhythms with theirs and slow down, so we can fully surrender
to the moment.
All that horses ask of us is to stay open to who they are; to partner with them while respecting their deep
need for freedom; to understand that, when treated as equals and seen for their immense sensitivity, they are
so very willing to come our way and never leave our side. Then the dance can begin.
A few years back I was guided to
learn about Stina’s amazing story with
a herd of abandoned-turned-feral
horses and, as it often happens in my
life, I just knew I had to meet her. And
I finally did: this past January I traveled
to the lush and scenic St Vincent island.
Stina’s experience with this herd, unfolding
over a period of more than 10
years, is not easy to describe in a few
paragraphs…like any personal journey,
it is a complex story of patience, constant
search and learning, resilience,
openness of the heart and of course,
the transformative power of love.
Stina’s journey with horses began at the
age of ten when she fell in love with her
first equine friend. Over the years she
worked with Icelandics, trained trotters
for race, took dressage and Western
lessons and rode in India, Morocco and
Mozambique.
Originally from Norway, Stina was
brought to St Vincent in 2007 by a job
opportunity: to lead the ‘Richmond
Vale Academy’, which is an educational
institution.
Soon after her arrival on St Vincent,
Stina encountered a herd of feral
horses. Brought over to the island 8-10
yrs prior and originally meant for trail
rides, the horses were abandoned
by their owners and left to survive the
hard way. The original herd had sixteen
members, but nine had already died.
The last seven survivors were brought
to Richmond Vale. And the journey
began.
“When I came to St. Vincent I
thought I knew quite a bit about horses
but...when I rescued the wild herd, I
realized I had to start over”, explains
Stina.
Once at Richmond Vale, the horses
were allowed to live together in a big
pasture with a long road leading to
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their water source, so their hooves
would trim naturally.
“The horses were dewormed, we got
the ticks off, and slowly they gained
weight. We started to use their manure
in the organic vegetable garden and
many local people found the horses
very interesting as there are not many
of them around”, explained Stina.
But the horses were still distant,
seemed frightened and even showed
signs of aggression at times. Faced
with behaviour she had not previously
encountered, Stina had to reconstruct
her approach and find new ways to
connect.
For weeks to come, Stina had spent
time observing the herd dynamics
without interference and began to get
insight into the horses’ language.
“I did not want to use force. I intended
to find a way to communicate with the
horses. I wanted to help them relax and
enjoy my company and the reason-
Meeting Stina Herberg:
A dream come true
Stina’s Story
Rehabilitation and
Natural Horse Management
Building the connection
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