Erin Whalin
Horse Owner, Trainer, Veterinarian, USA

How long have you been a member of Equitopia?

3 years.

Why did you join Equitopia?

I wanted to learn how I could better help my aged mare stay in shape and feeling great for as long as possible. (She only has to live forever!)

What do you enjoy most about Equitopia?

I love the online courses that I can do at my own pace and allow me to dive deep into a subject.

What do you love most about horsemanship?

It’s all about the relationship and mutually improving each other’s quality of life.

How do you define success in horsemanship?

Connection – when current events cause me grief and anxiety, the connection I share with my horses helps me to live in the moment with them.

Who inspires you – and why?

I have been fortunate to meet so many true horsewomen and men – Dr. Bob Bowker, Terra Bortels, Leah Astrup, Meggie Andrews, Dani Clark, Brent Graef, Patrick King and David Lichman, to name a few. Anyone who honors the horses and can hold space for our human imperfections is a hero in my book.

If you could choose anyone as a mentor, who would you choose?

The horse. If I can still my mind enough, I always learn the next right thing in my journey with my horses.

What’s one thing – either horse-related or not – you learned in the last month?

The importance of doing the simple things with extreme awareness. How we master the basics is how we do everything.

What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?

I’m a pretty good shot despite my lack of practice and dedication!

What’s your favorite book?

The Alchemist.

What’s your favorite movie of all time?

Little Miss Sunshine.

If you had to eat one meal every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Tacos

If you were told you could say 1 thing that the entire horse world would act on, what would that be?

When you start to do things for the horse instead of to the horse, everything changes for the good!