Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Hendershot Roth.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Horses have been in my heart since I was tiny. Posters of flowing manes and thundering hooves covered my bedroom walls. My grade school projects were full of all things “horse”. And, you can’t imagine my devastation when my parents had to explain that our backyard was not zoned for ponies. I remember being so jealous of my best friend as her mom drove her to horseback riding lessons. Riding lessons were well outside of my family’s budget. So, my other friend and I became pretty creative in our quest for “pony time”. I remember, when we were about 10 years old, trekking several miles each way just to see a local horseshow. Turns out, we couldn’t actually watch the show without tickets, so we got our “horsie fix” by meandering through the backstage maze of horses and trailers. With bright-eyed visions of perhaps riding a horse, we lugged five gallons of sloshing water across the entire back field for a contestant. I don’t think the woman even let us pet her horse, let alone ride her. LOL! But, we were able gaze at the mare in wonder and take in her wonderful horsie smell. I dreamed of more, but it was not meant to be.
Little did I know, that NOT having riding lessons would be the greatest gift in the end. I never learned the “proper” way to ride. I wasn’t indoctrinated into “traditional” horsemanship –thus, I could see things a little differently. It wasn’t much at first. But, over the last 30 years my understanding has grown. I’m learning to tune into the world from the horse’s perspective. Their worldview of trust and collaboration is so foreign to our western way of thinking. The horse’s commitment to always working for the benefit of all informs all that they do. I have never really experienced this level of kinship and connection anywhere in the human world. It’s such an incredible experience to immerse oneself in their worldview and to learn to navigate life’s adventures with their mindset. All of my teachings are grounded in this perspective. I feel so deeply called to share their wisdom with the world.
And, best of all, I finally have a horse in my backyard!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Of course, no great journey occurs without obstacles. For me the challenges came both externally and internally. Externally, our culture is continually bombarding us with messages to conform and to “stay small”. I have often yielded to the pressure and beliefs of those I viewed as the authority on a subject. Historically, many of the beliefs and teachings about horses were founded in dominance and hierarchy. We were taught that humans are the pinnacle of all creation and the “beasts” are here to serve us. I disagree. I have found that we are all equal. Unfortunately, the incredible gifts and wisdom that horses can offer to us, are often squashed beneath a “might equals right” mindset. Because equines don’t inhabit a framework that venerates individual success; they are willing to submit. Sadly, humans often mistake this as a proof that we know best. My challenge, therefore, has been to not bend to cultural pressure and instead advocate for my horses’ agency in making choices.
Internally, I bought into all the messages from our society that I am “not good enough”. It took four years of daily living with my herd to even start to break free from this thinking. Learning to believe in my own inner knowing, has been one of the most difficult lessons in my life. As I tell my students, “No matter what, if it doesn’t feel right to you, it isn’t right for you and your horse. If I ask you to do something that feels wrong in your heart, tell me, we can always get there another way.” Trusting in my knowing, that there is a different way to be with equines, has been huge.
As you know, we’re big fans of Bridles and Breath, LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I help horses and their humans to co-create their life together without dominance or hierarchy. It sounds great when you first decide to be with your equine as equals. But, then what? What could that really look like? If you don’t want to MAKE your horse do something, how can you get them involved in your idea? What does that nostril flare mean? How can you politely invite them to follow you? How can you request movement with just thought and energy? These are the questions that we play with. Though, I am not currently teaching one-on-one lessons, there are several ways that we can help folks with their own journey.
• We have founded a new group named Our Freedom Circle. We meet on the third Friday of each month on zoom and offer each other new ideas and tasks that you can explore with your horse. You can find details about joining us on our website.
• Our YouTube channel and website are great sources for helpful vlogs and blogs. The majority of the videos are 2-3 minutes long, so you can quickly look up a topic and gather fresh ideas.
• There are several helpful, and inexpensive, home-study courses with detailed information on: equine body language, asking for movement through thought and energy, preparing yourself to communicate in these new ways, and more.
• I am also a certified Equestrian Tai Chi instructor – This is a fascinating way to connect with your horse on energetic levels.
Helping humans and horses connect through Inspiration and Information is my life’s calling. I have the best job in the world!
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Wow, this is such a powerful question! I have never been a risk taker. I was the one staying on the bunny trails while snow skiing and studying hard to make sure I had a “solid” GPA. I used to joke, “I’ve never met a rule I didn’t like”. When we had our two daughters, I told my husband “You need to teach them how to break the rules, because I don’t know how”.
But, a few years back, I did the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I stood up for my horse’s personal rights, in a world that doesn’t necessarily agree that they should have free agency.
It was awful. I lost friends and associates that I cared a lot about.
And, it was the best thing that I ever did. It set me free. I would highly suggest that everyone face their biggest fear. It is the doorway to freedom and self-empowerment.
Pricing:
- Our Freedom Circle is offered on a sliding scale from FREE to $15 a month. Details are on our website.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Bridlesandbreath.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BridlesandBreath
- Youtube: https://Youtube.com/@bridlesandbreath
