My name is Betsy Bilhorn, the founder of Spirit Hoof. I started Spirit Hoof to help others discover the benefits of Equine Facilitated Experiential Learning (EFEL).

My journey to EFEL was not a straight path. I wasn’t even looking for it - it found me right at the time that I needed it most. 

I’ve spent the last 25 years in tech as an engineer, consultant, executive, and founder. Even though I was successful from all outward indicators, I always felt “off” and unfulfilled. I felt like I was throwing away pieces of myself and acting like someone else to “make it”.

I spent a lot of time, money, and effort on trying to figure out how to keep “ the real Betsy” and progress in my career. While programs and books seemed to work sometimes, I wasn’t feeling like I was making any kind of lasting change. I wondered if I was even doing my “personal development” right! 

Things came to a head for me in 2019. I was burnt out, unhappy in my job, my relationships were strained. I had a vacation booked to go to a week-long horse clinic with a “personal coaching” bit via EFEL. It was my dream to meet and learn from these world famous clinicians. I badly needed the time off and change of scenery. I didn’t think much more about the EFEL part of the clinic.

The week was fantastic. But the actual life changing part was the EFEL with Barbara Smith. What I experienced that week was so profound that I carry those lessons with me today. It started my journey to go deeper into EFEL to train formally and certify with Barbara in 2020.

EFEL has helped make a significant difference in how I live life and approach daily challenges personally and professionally. I’ve found it beneficial for better recognizing what I’m feeling in the moment, listening to the information I’m getting, and being able to interact with others more productively. It helped me be a better partner, friend, co-worker, and executive. 

For more detail on my journey and that life-changing trip, here’s a podcast I did with Barbara.