Rachel Hackett-Dickinson

I’ve been horse crazy as long as I can remember, and have been teaching riding and horsemanship my entire adult life. As a kid, I went to the barn because it was where I felt safe. Horses gave me so much that I spent years learning how to support them: the biomechanics of the ridden horse and in-hand work with Jillian Kreinbring, MS, Connected Riding™ with Peggy Cummings, TTouch®, equine acupressure. Each taught me something, and none of it was quite the thing I was reaching for.

It wasn’t until I found Horse Speak® that I understood what was missing; the reciprocal relationship. Through that community I encountered polyvagal theory, and slowly it came together: horses offer safety and connection naturally, and we can learn to offer it back, once we understand how our nervous systems shape everything between us.

Now I teach Somatic Horsemanship and Equine Assisted Learning at my home, Little Bug Farm, in Colrain, guiding people through experiential sessions with my small herd. I also travel around New England to work with individual horse owners and their horses. The focus isn’t on goals or performance. It’s on relationship, congruence, and what becomes possible when we can communicate clearly with ourselves and our horses.

Certifications: MA Licensed Riding Instructor

Education: Bachelor of Arts, Smith College - Apprenticeship with Jillian Kreinbring, MS - Connected Riding™ with Peggy Cummings - Horse Speak® online course, 'Everything Means Something'

Geographic Area Serviced: Massachusetts, Southern Vermont

Area of Expertise: Equine-assisted learning · nervous system regulation · somatic horsemanship · polyvagal theory · Horse Speak® · equine body language · experiential learning · clinics · private sessions · problem horses · horse boarding

Types of Horses: All