← The Centaur
The Centaur
Awakening with Equines (and to love)
00:58:28
Kate Neligan is an equine-partnered coach and facilitator. She found her calling to awaken the world through the power of the human-animal bond. She partners with horses and goats to help people become more present and connected so they can shine...
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- [00:08]
A
Oh, God.
- [00:15]
B
Welcome to the Centaur Podcast. I'm Cameron Adibi and together we'll explore the fascinating world of horse human communication and the extraordinary connections that can develop between our species. In each episode, I interview individuals who share a genuine love for horses and a willingness to spread the love to others. This podcast is for anyone interested in discovering the incredible possibilities these animals have to offer. I had a lovely conversation with Kate Nelligan, who is an equine partnered coach and facilitator. She found her calling to awaken the world through the power of the human animal bond. She partners with horses and goats to help people become more present and connected so they can shine brighter and and achieve their dreams. She offers in person and zoom sessions and she is based in California. And if you like this podcast, please subscribe. Benefits include ad free listening, additional episodes, and early access to new episodes. I'd like to dedicate this show to Hunter, Romeo, Pixie and Fluff. They've been such great partners and they've taught me so much and sad to say, I'm not going to be working with them, but they're always in my heart. Please sit back and enjoy this show. Hey, Kate, this is so, so cool to be able to talk to you from central coast California right now.
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A
Yes.
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B
Yeah. All right, well, coast to coast, we speak on these interwebs. So it's so great to be introduced. Thanks to Kim. And so I just, I got to just jump right in because you are my. The first person I've got to interview who's a coach. But not just a coach. You are an equine partnered facilitator who has a horse or multiple horses maybe, I don't know that people come to you and I mean, very elementary question, but why would somebody maybe choose you as an equine partnered facilitator versus, quote, unquote, a life coach?
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A
Yeah, I think it's because similar to therapy, you are working with someone in an office or on the phone and a lot of it is that sort of mental processing. It's that headspace that we get into when we're sharing verbally, whereas when you are outside in nature, you're in the kinesthetic felt sense of that environment besides an office or a zoom. And also then with the horses, you have all of the somatic elements. So the touch of what happens happens when you're with a horse. The breath, the regulation from heart to heart, you have the grounding, you have to stay present to keep yourself safe with horses. And there's just so much More magic when you add them in as co facilitators versus it just being this human to human thing. I think, you know, so many of our challenges come from human relationships. So it makes sense to me that you would receive coaching or advice from someone outside of just the human world and in nature. And with horses is they have systems that work. So I feel like they are great role models and that's what I look to is how are they role modeling ways of being that we can learn from as humans. So I kind of think of them as greater teachers than just traditional human to human interaction. Whether it's in therapy or coaching or education, any field really. It goes to the next level when you have a horse present. As you know, you.
- [03:47]
B
Well said. Yeah, thank you for that description. I've, you know, I've witnessed it and I've seen people, I know some people that do this kind of work that you do. But yeah, it's, I mean I have tried talk therapy and that was not for me. You know, I'm sure it works for a lot of people. And then now we got what the telehealth zoom therapy. I'm like that sounds so painful, but that's just me. But yeah, so I mean you're doing something that's very unique, very niche and you know, it is very reliant right on with the horse. So I saw on your website, I love this, I'm going to quote, horses are also great, great mediators and they show up as ways of being that we can role model and practice so our lives flow better and we stay present, calm and connected. So can you explain that a little bit and how have you witnessed the horses as mediators?
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A
Yeah, well, so I think of them as, as meditation experts but they're, they can be mediators as well. It's interesting that I think I meant that word as meditation.
- [04:57]
B
I was so wondering that because it says mediators. Right, I did say that correctly.
- [05:01]
A
So I. Meditators. I think of them as meditators but they are media. They can serve as mediators in that sense that they illuminate things that going on with people. So for example, if you have parents that are fighting and you have, they come with a kid and they drive up and all of a sudden the horses start to fight and they get out of the car and you're like, wow, what's this? And then the kid goes well that's what my parents are doing. That's what my parents look like. So they immediately mediating the field of information to illuminate and reflect stuff that's going on sometimes very hidden, subconscious, unconscious. So they actually are great mediators. And it's funny, I've had clients tell me that I'm good at mediation because I usually can hear both sides, especially between like a mom and a kid. I can always see both sides. I don't love doing couples therapy that are couples coaching, I should say, because it's just not my jam. But I do get a lot of mother and child and I do like actually mediating their conversations and coming up with solutions for them. And I think that's the difference obviously between coaching in therapy is we're looking as coaches more for the solutions, right? For the strengths, for the, the action plan moving forward. But I don't even really resonate fully with the word coach anymore because I've been in this transition this year of like doing priestess training and seeing myself as a healer and stepping more into that space. But ultimately horses. And what I meant, I guess on my website was they're meditators.
- [06:34]
B
Maybe I read that wrong. I'm sorry, but it's so funny we're having this conversation because that's how I. My thoughts brain was like. I think of them as meditators, but yeah, they are really. You're. This is interesting because they really do both.
- [06:47]
A
They do do both. I would agree. I think it's both, but I meant it as like meditation because they live in the space of regulation, nervous system regulation most of the time, you know, they know how to go back to grazing after some sort of fight flight or fight instinct. And they know how to reset pretty quickly. They need to for their own health. Right there. I always say this to. Especially to kids and like that are stressed and also to adults. How do you work, you know, to return yourself to calm based on what the horses are doing? Because they know how to switch from that fear response to their back to their calm centered response because they have to for their guts. Right. So they don't get sick and they don't colic. And so we talk about that. We talk about different ways that we can self soothe that are healthy. And I do think of them as meditation experts.
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B
That's for, for me definitely. For foremost, they're meditators for sure. But that's okay. This is interesting already. Or you know, kind of. I probably read it wrong, be honest with you. But.
- [07:50]
A
So I might have spelled it right, I don't know.
- [07:52]
B
You know, who knows? But we obviously had. Because my brain was thinking meditator. But there's Something we had to discuss here because. Yeah, I mean, I work mostly with kids, you know, and I've worked with kids that are on the spectrum, some, you know, you know, non verbal, but that. I haven't worked with anybody who's epileptic. Epileptic. But you know, there's documentation where the horses will pick that up before the, the seizure. And so that, you know, that is a mediation role that they play. There's no question. I've seen that over and over. The horses will change their behavior for that. For some of these people. I've worked with people that are 100% blind, you know, I've done a lot of different kind of stuff, but it's. So they do have a, they do have that intuition and they do shift their. Oh yeah, so we've seen that too. Right. So this is like I've seen them.
- [08:54]
A
Know when a woman is pregnant. I've seen them know where, yeah, I've seen them know where cancer is in a body. Like they'll go right to the spot before I know it and then I'll ask so and so is that where your cancer is? Yeah. Is that. Or like how do they know like that I'm, you know, three months pregnant or like so they know often things that we have no idea how they know. But they're reading so much that, you know, we don't have enough science to explain what they're, how much they're reading, you know. But I do believe that they can feel. We know they can feel the heartbeat. We know that they are. They've had to read us to keep themselves safe for so long. They've co evolved with us. So my sense is they're constantly reading us really for their own sense of safety. You know, if you are forgetful or out of it or not not present, you might forget to feed them. They know that, right? If you, you meaning anyone is angry, they end up sad and really violent. You could hit them. They know this. They've co evolved with, you know, every type of human for a very long time now. And so they, they know how to read us for their own safety. But I also believe that they have intuitive abilities that we're just not even fully aware of. I mean we do as humans, we have a lot more abilities than we're even aware of, right?
- [10:14]
B
Yeah, absolutely. I think this is, this is part of why I even started this podcast. I think this is, you know, the journey we're on here is that these horses, their hand, their ancestors have been around longer than us. You know, they've seen. They've been with us from the start of our existence and they've seen us all through these transitions and they've been there right by our side, just patiently observing. But so, yeah, the meditation part, that's what. That's the part I've just tapped into. I don't know, maybe about a year, year and a half ago when I started working with this older gelding. Hunter. Hunter. Oh, my God. Hey, Hunter. I'm still thinking of you. I haven't been able to see him for a while, so don't give me a. Get a little emotional here, but he is a master meditator and he meditates. He teaches the other horses how to meditate. I believe that's how I witnessed it at least. But this, I mean, he really goes into this deep like theta brainwave state. I mean, I've seen it, I've documented it too. But so it's like they, they have these gifts and you're tapping into this and you're bringing what, one or multiple horses into a space for a client to. Can you kind of just like, what does it look like to have a session?
- [11:33]
A
Yeah, a lot of people ask that. Yeah, I have multiple now, so I actually usually start with the goats because I find them to be great heart openers. So I have two baby goats and four regular sized right now. And they're great heart openers. People get closer down to the ground with them, they kind of go into more of that inner child space, more into that curiosity space. And then it's easier for the horses to really work their magic when you go in with them. But we're on the ground mostly and there's only a couple mounted things I do, and people are just connecting to them eye to eye in that space of, you know, breath, touch, witnessing reflection. And so it doesn't look like a lot's going on. I'm not. I was trained in modalities where you use a lot of obstacles and exercises, but most of the stuff I do is mindfulness based. So you're actually really learning. You know, a lot of emotions just come up very naturally being around them. And a lot of what people need, at least that come from for me, is stress reduction and working through different emotional challenges and upsets, things that they feel blocked on in their life. So it's a great place. You know, there are certain, certain exercises I will do where it's like, let's put out two options with on cones and let's see which one feels more Congruent or more aligned with you versus the other one. And we can talk through it in real time and see what the horses are reflecting as well. Because again, they're sort of always going back to what's authentic. Where is their true connection? Where are we leading with love? Where are we in emotional intelligence? Where are we in that space of congruence? Because that's what safety is to them versus, you know, it being this space of like, sure, I feel fine, but inside we're really, you know, upset. They want us to see that upset and to work with it and to heal it. So it's really, in some ways having great conversation with them present. But then I like to bring the animal communication training I have as well and pull in their wisdom. So I'll ask people to either ask the horse for a message or I will share what I'm getting, essentially as though they're having a conversation directly with the client as well, and. And bringing in guidance. So that's really fun as well.
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B
That's super cool. So, yeah, I saw that on your website. You have the goats. So these are. I have the minis. So these are your minis. And my, my. When you said goats. But so it's a little, what. It's probably what, a little less intimidating for some people, right, having. If they're not familiar with horses. And so, yeah, this, this is fascinating. So you, you, you are actively using this kind of interspecies communication. I want to just ask you because, you know, a lot of people get, oh, so you must be a psychic. But I mean, there's something. Do you find that there's a difference when you. Versus the psychic communication versus the interspecies communication that you do, or there's an overlap. Do you sting with this?
- [14:33]
A
Yeah, it's so interesting. I saw someone talk about this the other day and she said that there's difference between animal communicators and animal psychics. And I think at some point we just get into this language conversation, which we fall short in often with language. But ultimately, I guess she was saying there's a difference between. This is a body worker I was listening to, and she's saying animal psychics are talking to animals on the other side and animal communicators are talking in that interspecies space. I think all of life is communicating all the time. It's just, are we listening? So it's not necessarily that I'm even doing animal communication. I'm just listening. I'm in just a process where I'm open to hearing. And it takes a minute to get our speciesism out of the way where we're like, okay, wait, of course the tree is a sentient being. Why wouldn't the tree be communicating? Can I actually get quiet enough, get out of my own mental processing to actually listen and see if I receive something? And I may receive a felt sense, I may receive words. It's all different based on the way our intuition works, based on the Claires that we each have developed. Mine's clear audience. So I can hear words. I always have been able to. So I just turned it off for a while. But the psychic thing I look at is more as like future, like looking at the future. Mediumship I look at is looking at the other side speaking to the other side. So I would call that animal mediumship. Communication is often this, like, back and forth conversation and then the difference in the nuance and kind of how I work is I channel. So I'm more in the space of like actually allowing the animal to speak through me or allowing, you know, whoever I'm communicating with to like, come in through me. So it may not even be a two way back and forth conversation. I'm just speaking on behalf of whatever I'm talking to, if that makes sense.
- [16:28]
B
No, it does. I, I appreciate you putting that into words because it is, I think it helps, you know, to, to, to put it into language. Even though I agree with you, it's, it's all, it's all interconnected. But I mean, it was just like thinking about, you know, your, your work, your. This animal. These animals are right there, right with you. And you know, like, for example, a horse, you know, just throws his, throws their head up, you know, instantly, you know, that's a, there's something being said. Right. You know, so for people that are like, you know, I live in New England, so, you know, still facing this, I live in Salem, Massachusetts, where the witch trials are. Okay. So, you know, we're still stuck over here a little bit. But so, because I do just want to. I try to make it very easy for people would understand that, you know, the animals are always communicating. Right? We know that they communicate. Yeah, they're. They're communicating without even, you know, being separate, being physically distant from each other. So can you just like. So anyway, there's, there's. Their body language is, there's so much being said. And that's why I was wondering if you had a distinction there, because that's what kind of what I'm trying to work with the Kids like let's. What's going on? What are they telling us? What, what's the motions, what's come, what. But so it's. You're. I'd say you're on the front, you're on the front edge here, but you're out in the west coast. So a little bit maybe more people doing what you're. Well, you know, in this space. But so I gotta ask what, I mean, what are some of the common challenges that you help your clients overcome in their relationships and, and in. In. In their life journey?
- [18:11]
A
Yeah, I think a lot of it people find me during transitions and I think that's common in the equine coaching space is that a lot of people are now navigating a form of a transition. So for instance, a divorce, a loss, a job change, a move, you know, different challenges that they're going through in a relationship and they need guidance, they need to be able to talk it out, process their decision, what decisions to make. And my role in that is really helping people with their own intuition so that they can hear their higher self, their path that's best for them. And they're not just making decisions based on old shoulds or have to's or societal or parent programming, which exists quite significantly in our world. Right. And then working with the modality of the horse, which is how are we being through these process, right. Are we being kind to ourselves? Are we trusting ourselves? Are we leading from that heart space? And so a lot of it is navigating these different emotional intelligence qualities which I have in the awakening with equines card deck of really what the horses teach. Right. Of what they role model, how they are in the world. And so we can bring more compassion to when we're going through a big change and we can reduce the stress. And, and I like to work with emotion codes. I'm TR in that as well as access consciousness. And so these are different like healing modalities that where we get stuck emotions on certain things like we feel lack of control. And so we clear that in real time with the horses. And essentially we're working on getting back to that kind of original blueprint where we do trust our intuition, we do have ultimate clarity, we do have.