Meet Our Team Of Specialists!

Specialists in this industry and why we are different is because the foundation of this certification is about the 'Welfare of the Horse'! Our team of experts are passionate about horses and want to help you learn to hear them in their culture and their language. This well-established Certification began in 2009. We have made it our mission to "partner" with horses versus "using" them as tools. You will learn to hear the horses in their world. It's an unparalleled student experience.

Mission Statement

Connecting people and horses - empowering both to live their best lives through life-changing, skill-development exercises that will move them forward to a life with purpose!

 

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The Equine Connection Theme Song - Written by Equine Connection Certified Facilitator, Armond Duck Chief, a Juno Award nominee for Aboriginal Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2016 for his album The One.

Our Story

How did Equine Connection get to where they are today?
Why are we different?

It truly is a story of guts and loss, passion and perseverance. Kari trained in 2008 at a company that is no longer in existence when there was a six-person partnership, including the program designer (Kari still works with the designer to this day). Kari was the only instructor in the world certifying in the BuildingBlock™ course for one year, as the original organization had dissolved their business.

Equine Connection had a hard go to start out. Three years of feeling frustrated and like they weren't moving forward. But through all of this, they designed a course that will help people to avoid the trials and tribulations they went through, to get them on a fast track to success.

Connection through our stories help us humans to feel inspired to move forward in this short little life. If you've wondered who these crazy (yet loveable) women are that are Equine Connection, here is their story. Take a listen.

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Kari Fulmek Founder & Master Instructor
Entrepreneur To The Core

Master Instructor for Equine Assisted Learning with Business Training, Entrepreneur and Specialist in Facilitating Women's Development Skills to Move Forward and Published Author

Founder/Certified Master Equine Assisted Learning Instructor/Co-Creator of 'Outside of the Box Business Package'/Author

Watch Kari's Story "The Year From Hell"

Equine Veterinary Bemer Distributor

Horse Certification Course | Equine Connection | Horse Business | Kari Fulmek

Kari is the founder and one of the world's leading instructors in the Equine-Assisted Learning Living Certification Course PLUS Business Training. She helps others become competent to run their own successful Equine Assisted Learning business and reap the benefits of establishing their own successful horse businesses to make a living and, most importantly, find their purpose in this very short life.

Kari started Equine Connection Inc. in January 2009 as a response to her passion for horses and people, driven by God. She has always been passionate about helping others reach their dreams and goals to fulfill their earthly destiny.

As a Million Dollar Weekenders sales manager, she helped women empower themselves to find their voice and courage to create the life they wanted. As a motivational speaker, I encouraged people to maintain a great attitude every day! People forget that they have a short time on earth, so we have to live it now and not down the road. And as a manager at the Strathmore Stampede, the third-largest rodeo in Canada, she led and managed a team of over 700 volunteers!

Kari's love for horses and people has brought this certification to life, helps participants create lasting change in themselves and take the learning from the horse into their own lives. She is a horsewoman who believes in the connection between horses and humans and the power of these magnificent creatures to help us humans in this hard life. She started out her career working with horses in their language instead of the human language, which has changed how she interacts with them. Horses are prey animals, and they need to feel safe in order to trust humans. She understands this and seeks continuous learning and training to understand horses through this connection better. Kari believes in this investment to continue her journey and development of the horse world because she knows it is crucial for horses and people alike.

Kari lives just outside of Carseland, AB with a view of the Rocky Mountains just outside of the Calgary, AB area. Her better half and wonderful man is Sid Chadwick who has helped build and support her through this purposeful career since 1998. She has three daughters whom she has always said has been her greatest joy, and accomplishment in this short little life!

Kari’s philosophy for everyone who trains with her that she is not successful until you are! Her motto is "If It's Not Hard It's Not Your Dream."

She written a book called 'Two Weeks to Empowerment,' which features an intensive online course to help women to be empowered. She also has her book called 'If It's Not Hard It's Not Your Dream,' a biography of triumph over adversity and so much loss that she went through in her own journey of creating her dream career.

Specialties:

  • Entrepreneur and running successful businesses since she was 20 years old
  • Hearing and seeing how horses communicate to people
  • Interpersonal Communication Skills Development
  • Internationally and Nationally Recognized Equine Assisted Certification Program
  • Objectively driven programs with guaranteed outcomes
  • Training and Development for Skills in the workforce
  • Learn the difference between facilitating vs teaching
  • Problem Solving for Teams
  • Executive Leadership Skill Development
  • The ability to make up odd and endearing phrases

We believe you have a calling - a purpose here on Earth. It's not just about making money--it goes beyond that! It’s about what fills your soul, and what brings out the best of you in this life-changing course with horses. We train you to find your true self through our Global Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) Certification and Business Training Course™, which will lead you towards a fulfilling future as an entrepreneur who is empowered by what brings meaning into every aspect of your life. Having a career you love with horses...and finding happiness along the way helping humans through horses. We’re here for the long haul, for the life of your career! It's Not Just A Course...It's a Career!

Horse Certification Course | Equine Connection | Horse Business

Carolyn Charles Senior Instructor & Facilitator/Director of Sales and Marketing
Analytical Skeptic With A PR Degree

General Manager of the Spiritual Equine Connection Society, Leadership Development Facilitator, EAL Facilitator, Website Dabbler, and Social Media Master

Certified Equine Assisted Learning Instructor/Co-Creator of 'Outside of the Box Business Package'

Carolyn was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, and although her background lies in communications, her true passion lies in people. After attending the Public Relations program at Mt. Royal College, I began my career with the Calgary Police Service in the Public Affairs and Media Relations Unit and it was her positive attitude and sense of humour that allowed her to see the best in people - even in the worst of circumstances.

After a brief stint in graphic design and at a law firm, I found a home at the Strathmore Heritage Days in 2007, where I met Kari. It was there she learned about the importance of community and how it can be strengthened by coming together to celebrate history, culture and traditions.

She then moved onto the Equine Connection, where she has discovered the true magic of the horse - and being a city kid, it was something I had never understood before.

Her passion for horses grows every day as she sees the noticeable changes in the Equine Connection participants. Carolyn’s unique assortment of opportunities has allowed her to recognize and work with many different leadership and communication styles, which has enabled her to adapt to each client's specific needs.

Through her experiences, she realized there are three key components necessary to cultivate successful people. Knowledge, Skills and Experience. Something that can be applied to corporate teams, youth, adults, and at-risk or addictions groups alike. She has been with the Equine Connection since the beginning and whole heartedly believes that although this is never where she thought she would end up - this is exactly where she is meant to be. Helping people through the power of the horse.

She is also the General Manager of the Spiritual Equine Connection Society which provides youth, men, and women at-risk programs for people in the Equine Connection's arena.


Specialties:

  • Marketing/Public Relations
  • Social Media
  • Website management
  • Communication techniques expert
  • Analyzing behavioral styles
  • A self professed computer geek
  • Well developed interpersonal skills, working with employees to assemble effective teams and accomplish tasks within the organization
  • Taking sarcasm to a new and lovable level

Jane Hemingway-Mohr Instructor & Senior Facilitator/Entrepreneur

Instructor for Equine Assisted Learning with Business Training, Founder of Leading Edge Professional Development, Specialist in Facilitating Development Skills with People to Move Forward

Certified Equine Assisted Learning Instructor/Certified Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator

Horse Certification Course | Equine Connection | Horse Business | Jane Hemingway-Mohr

Jane is an expert in authentic leadership development, combining her lifelong passion for, understanding of and extensive training in everything horses with her long history of corporate experience both in Australia and internationally. Over the past several years, Jane has immersed herself in the world of equine assisted learning and all that she can learn from horses about herself and others.

After establishing her own performance horse boarding, training and coaching facility in 2011, Jane soon realized that there was much more to being with her equine partners than riding and ribbons. Keen to share this special insight with a broader range of people, she qualified as an Equine Assisted Learning facilitator with Equine Connection Inc – The Academy of Equine Assisted Learning, and established Leading Edge Life Skills in March 2015. In January 2017, Jane undertook further training to become the only certified instructor in the southern hemisphere for Equine Connection. Together Jane and her team – both human and horse – have hosted personal and professional development programs and workshops for literally hundreds of individuals.

Jane believes that horses are the ultimate life coaches, as they provide honest, immediate and unbiased responses to individual and group energy, intention, actions and body language. She says, “Quite simply, horses help people become better humans.”

Jane is an accredited riding coach and competitive show jumping rider. She is married, has four children, three dogs, three cats and too many horses!


Specialties:

  • National and International Marketing and Public Relations experience
  • Strong Marketing Communication skills, especially in writing and brand development
  • Establishing and running small businesses
  • Social Media
  • Website management
  • Speaks German and French
  • Riding Instructor
  • Passionate about animals and being everyone’s mum – our home is always full of people and animals - no one goes hungry or feels lonely

Alice Osborn Facilitator, Assistant Instructor Leading Edge

Certified Equine Assisted Learning Instructor / Equine Assisted Learning Instructor, Specialist Leadership and Team Development Facilitator/Coach

Horse Certification Course | Equine Connection | Horse Business | Alice Osborn

Alice’s expertise lies in Corporate Human Resources with a focus on Learning & Development and Leadership. She completed the Equine Connection Facilitator course in June 2017, enabling her to combine her past business experience with her lifelong passion for horses. Shortly after, Alice joined the Leading Edge team as the Director of Business Development. In 2018 she undertook further training to fulfill the role of Assistant Instructor with the Equine Connection Sydney campus.

Working across all our programs, Alice is passionate about ensuring our clients achieve genuine and sustainable growth opportunities through our experiential learning-based curriculum. She brings a wealth of experience in skill development having supported clients through the design and facilitation of programs to build skills such as Leadership, Management, Communication Negotiation and Team Building.

Prior to joining the team, Alice was Vice President, Human Resources at the Macquarie Group in New York and Sydney. Through her career she has held a number of HR Business Partner and HR Specialist roles for leading Investment Banks including UBS and Barclays. She started her career in Australia, before spending over 10 years based in the US, UK and Middle East.

Alice is an accredited NCAS riding Coach and when not in the office she enjoys riding and spending time with the horses.


Specialties:

  • National and International Human Resources experience
  • Leadership and Management coaching
  • Project management and organizational skills
  • Performance Management and strategy
  • Building team cohesion, communication and effectiveness
  • Small business management
  • Horse Riding / Horse Management Instructor
  • The ability to look a minimum of ten years younger than she actually is.
Horse Certification Course | Equine Connection | Horse Business

Keri Drennan Hands-On Training Instructor in Woodstock ON, CAN

My journey started as far back as 20 years ago, and halfway through my journey, I found my first horse, and my healing started coming together. As I noticed the change in myself I needed answers. And with these revelations, I began my journey of researching how I could help humans with horses, the same way they had helped me. Once I found the right fit, I immediately got certified and opened up Partners For Success.

I learned the skills to implement into my own life, something I’d been trying to do with my therapist for years. The opportunity to work with a horse and have instant results that I could apply to my life, allowed me to become more aware of my choices and how I truly felt about myself. And without a doubt, I saw results that reflected my choices and thoughts.

With every experience, I’ve had the results. And so have my clients. As a facilitator, I have seen clients work through the beautiful process with their horses and come up with authentic answers. Their choices and epiphanies are never short of amazing.

Meet The Teachers

Our horses guarantee; when I teach you, I will never judge you! I will never lie to you!! I am a teller of truth as that is ONLY what I can do because of my brain! I will bring love and healing to your heart! I will offer you a way to smile, to giggle, and to have FUN!! This learning, I promise to you, doesn't just stay in the arena; this is learning you will transfer into your own life!

Sophie Birthday: May 15/07
Colour: Sorrel/Appaloosa
Gender: Female

Sophie is a straight-haired Curly Horse & when she was 3 years old, she was spooked by a herd of minis & was cut-up by barbed wire. While getting fixed up, they discovered she was pregnant! She was a wonderful mom to 4 more babies & even fed other babies in the herd!

Pregnancy may not have been for her. When pregnant, she would lay down by a feeder, fence, or in the pasture & make a little snow bed that would melt & form around her, which was comfortable until she tried to get up, then couldn't get her legs under her. The indent on her side is from when her owners had to get a tractor to get her up! This only happened when she was pregnant.

Sophie is a true mama and always knows the line of respect!

"I will show you the line of respect - for yourself and others, and nurture you as a mother would on your journey"
- Sophie

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Buddy Birthday: June 7/06
Colour: Chestnut
Gender: Male

This is Buddy - THE MOVIE STAR on the hit TV show, Heartland! But he isn't all diva! His heart is huge and he truly wants to help all of his humans! He has a sweet and kind disposition but he also needs things to be super clear!

Buddy wants his team to be strong and communicate with each other. He needs that piece to feel safe. When his whole team is on the same page, that's when he will move forward with you as a part of his herd.

"I will show you that with clarity comes success!"
- Buddy

Kokanee Birthday: June 25/99
Colour: Black
Gender: Male

Kokanee is a loving teacher but will push you to step into your own! He was abandoned as a baby and he held onto that feeling of abandonment for a very long time. He was trained in dressage, but as a result of his trauma, he just wasn't cut out for it.

He is totally cut out to be an Equine Assisted Learning teacher though. Kokanee has been through hell and fought his way back to being the strong and independent teacher you'll see today. He won't allow you to just sit back, he will demand you to step into the true and authentic leader that you are!

"I will show you how truly powerful you are. If you can work with me, you can do anything"
- Kokanee

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Brandon Birthday: July 15/06
Colour: Red Dun
Gender: Gelding

Brandon is the herd leader - meaning that he has a big responsibility. But he also knows that with that responsibility role on his shoulders, he still has to be able to have a little bit of fun! To work with this leader, you must pull out your inner-leader, otherwise, he snaps right back into his position as head of the herd! When his team is going strong, he loves to be able to hang his head nice and low and take a break from his responsibilities, as he knows that he is in good hands.

Brandon has had to overcome a lot, including people riding him far too early and being mistreated as a colt, but he persevered through it all! His friendly personality makes him incredibly fun to be around, as there is never a dull moment. If you are ever in need of a good laugh, Brandon's the man knocking at the back door ready to get the job done!

"I will show you that learning can be fun, all while discovering your true leadership!"
- Brandon

Faye Birthday: June 15/07
Colour: Bay/Black
Gender: Mare

Faye came to us after beating the odds against death! When she was only 2 ½ years old a horse shelter collapsed on Faye, opened her back right up and left a large wound on her back. Her owners must have seen what a beautiful soul she is, and after months of recovery, Faye's back healed leaving a scar she will have for life. But you would never know she ever had gone through such an incident.

Faye's strong spirit and love of life helped her overcome her trauma and injury and has turned her into teacher who develops boundaries and strength.

"I have survived trauma. We all have scars, but not all of us are victims."
- Faye

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Disco Birthday: May 21/02
Colour: Sorrel
Gender: Gelding

Disco is such a strong teacher since he literally will not move until he knows it is right. He has been described as stubborn, but with the right leader, he will follow you to the ends of the earth. Disco is the man who will show you to go with your gut. To step into the person you are and believe in yourself. He is a chatty guy, and at times will flap his lips all over you to help you out. He wants you to believe in yourself, in your gut, and to have confidence in your direction.

"I will show you that when you know yourself and your capabilities, there is nothing that can stop you."
- Disco

OUR HORSES WHO WE LOVED AND LOST

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Comet, March 29, 2023

Comet was the former leader of the herd. A true powerhouse as a teacher. He was a true teacher of confidence as he would bring people to a new place of leadership in their lives. He would bring you to a whole new level and yet still let you know that you were strong, powerful and you could do anything in this world. He truly changed the lives of so many.

Thank you Comet. From the bottom of our hearts and all the hearts of those you have helped over the years.

Song Credit: You'll Be In My Heart - Phil Collins

Pass, March 29, 2023


Pass was the balancer of our herd. He was our funny Passey Wassey and was such a phenomenal teacher. He helped so many to find the confidence and to be mindful in their lives. He helped people to stand up for themselves, to move forward, to be in the moment and to realize their true potential in this world.


Thank you Pass. From the bottom of our hearts and all the hearts of those you have helped over the years.




Song Credit: When I Get Where I'm Going - Brad Paisley (Featuring Dolly Parton)

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Roxy, November25, 2022

We recently lost our beautiful teacher, Roxy. Roxy was a fan favourite with our guys groups, the women's retreats - well, really anyone she taught. She was a teacher of self-reflection and helped hundreds of humans during her time with us. Roxy was a phenomenal teacher.

Rest easy, beautiful girl.

From all of us who you have helped to feel loved, move forward, re-balance, heal and reflect, thank you Roxy.

You have forever touched our lives and will live on everyday in our hearts. We love you.

Song Credit: Beam Me Up - P!nk

Jordy - October 5th, 2021

Today we had to say goodbye to the big man, the dude, the grounder, the heart… our Jordy. [????] [????]
Jords, we can't never thank you enough for helping so many people. For being so grounding and being what so many humans needed, on so many days.
There are no words for how hard today was. Energy never dies, this we know, but for now our hearts break as we miss you so much already.
We love you Jordy. You will be with us always. [❤️]

Song credit: There You'll Be - Faith Hill

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JR - July 20, 2021

On July 20th, we lost our beloved JR. But something we realized about her after her spirit left us, is that JR wasn't just our horse. This felt like such a profound loss because she became so many peoples horse during her time as a teacher. We can't say we have "lost" JR, because of all that she left, not only with us, but everyone she every helped over the years. Being the 
"Mama horse" that she was, she created a safe space for people to learn, heal and release.

How does one go about thanking such a beautiful living being for such a giving service. JR came to Kari in 2009 as a donation horse. She taught Kari, Carolyn, Karsyn and hundreds of people over the course of her time with us. How blessed are each of us who are gifted to hear the horse as a horse and true teacher. We were blessed to be in her presence as she impacted so many lives. So many people over the course of these years said, "JR saved my life."

One of the hardest things all of us have to do in owning these magnificent creatures is making the call for their next journey as we know in the wild, they would have been picked off and we never want our horses to have to suffer beyond what we can help them with. It was JR's time, but we have not lost her. She will live on forever within our hearts and the hearts of 100's of others.
Thank you, JR. From the bottom of our hearts, for all you have given.

Music Credit: Thank You© 2007 Johnny Reid

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