June 2, 2018.

 

I’ll never forget this day as long as I live.

 

By then, Cara Blanchard Training, Inc. had already been in business for 13 years. I was accustomed to working myself to the bone with no days off. Rainy days were both a treat and a cause for panic. I was just making enough money to pay the bills and feed the horses [that I have for everyone else to ride.] Those horses were also “gifts” left to me when the owners didn’t want them after training (insert economy crash of 2008 or so.) I was completely burnt out with no hope in sight and somehow I just kept mustering up the energy to run on that hamster wheel, nonstop.

 

I thought that day in June would be it. It was going to be the big change that I needed, only it wasn’t, at least not at first.

 

For 20 years and training 3 horses to the international levels, suffering death and injury, I had been working for this one ride. I had hopes it would earn me the last score that I needed for my United States Dressage Federation Gold Medal.

 

I had been so hard on myself that I was determined to get the score on my stallion’s first go at the most difficult level of dressage.

 

I put the entries for the show in the mailbox 2 weeks prior and backpedalled twice before I had the courage to just leave them in the box.

 

I spent two weeks reminding myself to breathe, inhaling lavender that I carried in my pocket at all times to calm my nerves and trying not to toss my cookies.

 

My moment in time came and it went as well as I could’ve hoped. Of course, not before a few trips to the restroom and Googling if I could just drink the lavender. Steele and I earned a score a few points higher than I needed! He is quite the unicorn.

 

I was elated! I felt like I was having an out of body experience. I had FINALLY earned my mythical USDF Gold Medal.

 

But that’s when everything and nothing changed.

 

I went into a deep depression. I actually got to go on vacation soon after and slept through most of it, so much so that I still have the sunburn scars to prove it!

 

I expected my business and my happiness to change instantly when the Gold was mine, but neither happened.

 

My current clients said things to me like, “I guess your prices are going up now.”

 

I attracted new clients who used my new achievement as their bragging rights, but behind the scenes treated me like complete garbage. They would haggle on my already too cheap prices, stand me up for lessons or get furious with me when someone else already had the lesson time they wanted. Talk about not feeling like you’re good enough – I had found a new low.

 

I needed to pay the bills, so I thought I had to put up with the extreme disrespect.

 

A year later, everything changed when I got pregnant with my son.

 

I didn’t want my child to know how badly I let people disrespect me, my business and my other clients. What would that teach him?

 

So I cut the cord and I quit my hamster wheel business as I knew it.

 

I kept a handful clients who aligned with my morals and goals and want to grow as horsewomen. I kept my tribe.

 

But then I didn’t know what to do. I was making a fraction of the money, my horses need to retire soon and I needed a supplemental income.

 

I floundered for a while, with a newborn and a full barn. It was rough. I started a few different businesses that interested me, but my heart just wasn’t in them. I wasted a lot of time and money.

 Deep down, I knew all along that there was another piece to my puzzle that goes right along with Stable Yoga. I just didn’t believe in myself until I learned how to change my mindset. I had let limiting beliefs take over and I was stuck in the “I’m not good enough” frame of mind. I had what I thought were “silly” day dreams about helping other people who felt stuck in all the ways that I did. I also wanted to become a certified life coach – which I am currently in school to achieve. 

 

I have always been an amateur inspirational writer, but I secretly wanted to make something of it. I want to give people motivation with my writing and courage with my coaching to be and do whatever it is their heart desires. I have climbed the mountain and now I’m reaching my hand down to help you up.

 

I hope you’ll join me. I’m here to help you change your life for the better!

 

Happy riding!

Cara