Merry Christmas, friends! May the Holidays bless you with good times, loads of love, and gratitude for life and all that it has to offer you. Even in the bleakest of times, we can find joy, comfort, and blessings.

With Love,

Jenn

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We got these maternity photos for my stepdaughter done, just in the nick of time! The baby came a few days after we did these.

And because I’m years behind in updating over here – the baby is now 15 months old! Good GRAVY how time flies.

Despite the time lapse, the images are still beautiful. Kelsey is the best mama, and Monte, her husband, is definitely winning dad of the year! I’m blessed to have this little family in my life. They set a great example for the world, and their little one when it comes to life and parenting! Enjoy the photos!

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Howdy y’all, it’s your favorite South Dakota Cowgirl, Jenn Zeller here, and I’m here to talk about one of my favorite seasons: Winter. Now, I know what you might be thinking. “Jenn, winter is cold and dreary. How could you possibly enjoy it?” But hear me out, folks. Winter is a time of beauty, reflection, and yes, even fun. I know we are officially in Spring, but the snow storm that hit Tuesday has me reflecting…

South Dakota, will teach a person to appreciate all the seasons, including Winter. As a cowgirl, winter presents its own set of challenges, but with those challenges come moments of pure magic. There’s something special about waking up to a fresh blanket of snow covering the prairie. The silence that comes with it, and the realization that you’re surrounded by a winter wonderland make me slow down. And as my yoga instructor would say, “take time to pause”. She’s not wrong.

Winter offers that chance for reflection. It’s a perfect time to slow down. It’s a time to set goals, make plans, and dream about the future. I’m behind in sharing these thoughts, I know. Since we are heading into a busy season, this is the ideal time to pause if you haven’t already.

My favorite thing about winter is the way it brings people together. Whether it’s huddling together for warmth, having family game nights on the ranch, or simply sharing a smile and a wave, winter has a way of fostering a sense of community and togetherness. It is also a time to catch up on the indoor projects!

As, we leave the cold and dreary days of winter behind us, I encourage you to take a step back, slow down, and appreciate the beauty and magic that the season offers. I know firsthand that winter can be a wonderful and rewarding time of year. So take a minute, take a breath, soak in the last few days of cold we’ll have until Fall, and revel in the peace.

Happy Friday, Friends!

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I’m almost 3 years late, but I’m still here! To share with you with ONE of the coolest thing that’s happened to me in my life! There’s more coming, but you’ll have to wait…

Western Horseman in 2020, (yes, that Western Horseman), decided I had a feature worthy story! How and why I’ll never know, but here we are, in 2023 and I’m finally sharing. I was selected to be featured as a Women of the West. How cool is this?

I hope this piece will inspire all of you to become the best version of yourself! If you need a little help along the way, I’m always here to lend an ear.

As a quick little aside, I feel guilty having abandoned this little piece of the internet. If I’m being honest, it wasn’t intentional. I’ve just been living out life goals; riding my horses, building out a horsemanship course, and starting a streaming service for glimpses into my world of horse training.

I’m working hard to learn to balance all these endeavors that mean so much to me; and I’m grateful you’ve come along for the ride. My 2023 goal is to post here at least once a month! I’ve missed you all and I hope the feeling is mutual.

Stay tuned for more!

Much love –

Your SDC

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May your Christmas be filled with love, joy, laughter, while you’re surrounded by those you love. Don’t forget that He is the reason for the CHRISTmas season, even if we did over on the solistice holiday!

I sort of ignored this little spot of mine this year, but I’ve reworked some things and hope to be back at it in 2023, sharing lots of images, and updates on our lives here at The DX Ranch. I appreciate all your love and support through the years – it means more than you’ll ever know. There’ll should be plenty of foals for baby fodder in 2023, as well as updates from the rodeo road.

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Better late than never to share some branding photos, right?

And in case anyone has been wondering — yes I’m alive. I’ve ignored this little space. Not because I’ve wanted to necessarily, but because I’ve gone back to riding horses full time! AND I’ve spent the last couple months developing an online horseback riding course! I’d love for you to join my community and let me share my knowledge with you!

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By

Stephen Bitsoli

Sunshine Behavioral Health

Editor|Author|Content Writer 

Humans have been bonding with horses for centuries. While the earliest horseback riders likely used horses primarily for transportation and food-gathering purposes, the concept of horses providing people with health benefits is nothing new. As far back as Classical Greece, physician and Father of Medicine Hippocrates (460–370 BC) touted the physical benefits of horseback riding.

Now, the world’s understanding of the benefits of the human-horse relationship has expanded to include how this unique pairing impacts our mental and emotional health. One 2003 study showed that adults with psychiatric illnesses who participated in a 10-week equine-assisted therapy program reported an enhanced sense of self-efficacy and self-esteem.

Whether you’re interested in participating in formal therapy sessions or just want to hop on a horse and ride for a few hours, here are some of the potential mental health benefits of equine therapy.

Gain Greater Control Over Your Emotions

One of the first things that you’ll learn about spending time with horses is that it’s important to stay calm and project confidence around them. Horses are emotional creatures that use visual and audio cues to pick up on the emotions of humans and other animals around them.

Research and the personal experiences of avid equestrians show that horses who are exposed to loud, angry voices demonstrate signs of stress such as an elevated heart rate and stiff posture. Those same horses returned to a relaxed state after experiencing humans’ happy emotions.

Although you might occasionally get frustrated while learning to ride horses, the thought that you could upset your horse helps you to keep your emotions in check. This regulation of your emotions translates to other non-riding experiences, such as projecting confidence during public speaking.

Step Away From Your Daily Stress

Although stress affects some people more than others, everyone experiences daily stressors. Horseback riding is fun, exciting, and a welcome break from your daily drudgery, but it also puts you in a more relaxed frame of mind.

There is physical evidence of these mental benefits. In one study of children with autism, participants had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their saliva after they rode a horse. Their bodies weren’t stuck in the fight-or-flight mode that’s a common reaction to stress.

While no one is exactly sure why this happens, it could be linked to several factors that accompany horseback riding, such as being outdoors in the sunshine and bonding with the horse.

Get Out of Your Head

Horseback riding involves far more than hopping on the back of your favorite horse. You’ll also spend time grooming the animal and making sure that it has clean living quarters. As you care for your horse, your attention shifts away from yourself and to their needs.

Breaking the cycle of rumination with the distractions that come with caring for a horse can ease the symptoms of depression and anxiety by distracting you so you don’t unhealthily obsess (a process called rumination) about your depressive symptoms and their possible consequences.

Practice grounding techniques to increase these benefits and get away from your stressful thoughts for a while, such as focusing on:

• The different sensations you experience as you brush and pet your horse.
• Your horse’s responses to your cues.
• The natural beauty of your surroundings.
• These positive experiences give you a respite from depressing thoughts or worries.

Develop a Trusting Relationship

Horses are non-judgmental and inquisitive creatures that can help you to strengthen your ability to bond with another living being. In addition to feeling a deep friendship with your horse, you can also use the emotional depth that you achieve during your bonding sessions to help you in other ways that boost your mental health.

Combining horseback riding with professional counseling could help you to further strengthen your relationships with other humans. A 2020 study showed that when horses are added to therapy sessions, participants may form a stronger attachment to their therapist.

The trusted bond with your horse may make you more comfortable talking with your spouse or best friend about challenging topics.

Reduce the Symptoms of Mental Health Disorders

Poor mental health often involves much more than being in a temporary bad mood. Finding strategies that can improve your mental health symptoms can help you to avoid more serious conditions such as an alcohol use disorder.

Horseback riding already helps to elevate your mood when you are depressed, but it can also play an even more beneficial role for people with severe mental health conditions. A horse can be a safe companion for working through emotional trauma.

Veterans and other people who are exposed to trauma may find it hard to trust other people or situations that trigger their symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as:

• Insomnia
• Anxiety
• Life-disrupting flashbacks.

While PTSD is difficult to treat, veterans who participated in equine therapy were shown to have an 87.5% likelihood of reduced symptoms after six weeks.

Riding a horse for the first time is a thrilling adventure that may leave you feeling amazed at how good you feel afterward. When you love horses, your riding time becomes a sacred place where you can improve your mental health while enjoying your favorite hobby. As you gain practice with horseback riding, you’ll also begin to feel a greater sense of self-confidence along with a deeper, life-enhancing bond.

Sources
academic.oup.com – The Life-Changing Power of the Horse: Equine-assisted activities and therapies in the U.S.
thehorse.com – Researcher: Horses Are Emotional Sponges
sru.edu – SRU study shows therapeutic riding reduces stress levels of adolescents with autism
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – The influence of rumination and distraction on depressed and anxious mood: A prospective examination of the Response Styles Theory in children and adolescents
scholarworks.waldenu.edu – The Relationship Between Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy and Client-Therapist Attachment on Symptom Reduction
sunshinebehavioralhealth.com – Alcohol Rehab in Colorado Springs, CO
mmrjournal.biomedcentral.com – Effects of therapeutic horseback riding on post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans

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It’s been a hot minute since I’ve hung out in this little corner of my world, and I have so much to catch all of you up on! To kick off the new year, I want to start by sharing the prettiest pair of Boots by Lane Boots! I’ve searched high and low for black boots and when I got the chance to own these beauties, I took it! They’re sassy and stylish and comfortable. All important traits in a boot if you ask me! This post is sponsored by Lane boots and the link above is an affiliate link — and when you shop it you support my barrel racing habit – just sayin’.

Just in time to go to the NFR, Lane gifted me the prettiest pair of black boots you ever did see! If you follow along on my instagram, you’ll know we had a fun trip to Vegas – we shopped, ate and saw a performance at the NFR. I however failed to get a photo of myself wearing these gorgeous beauties in Vegas. I wore them to the NFR one night! I’m fairly certain that I had too much fun to take a photo of me in them. At least that’s what I’ll blame it on. I did get a photo of my friend wearing them to supper one night — they looked amazing with her Seven for All Mankind sparkly dress.

Then, in January, I got the chance to go to Art of the Cowgirl. I knew I had to sport these pretties for the VIP Cocktail Party, so I went in search of the perfect black dress. Now, all I need is a perfect concho belt and I’m set for life!

The Perfect Boot

Does the perfect boot exist? I don’t know. But, these are pretty close. For years I’ve shopped for for a black dress boot and just couldn’t find anything that tickled my fancy. What drew me to these boots is that they’re gorgeously simple and I love the stud detailing. I’m also a tiny snob when it comes to boots that don’t have a leather sole, and you can count on that from Lane Boots. They’re all handmade by artisans in Mexico, so each pair may vary slightly. I’d much prefer a boot made in Mexico to one made in say, China. The quality and craftsmanship is amazing, and the price point for these boots is SPOT ON!

These boots are made for walking, and talking, and dancing, and dresses, and slim fit jeans, and could be styled in any way you could possibly imagine! Please stay tuned to see more of these beauties in my instagram feed, and stories. I have some fun things planned for these beauties!

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Fall work is my favorite time of year!

The calves are big. The air is crisp.

The sun will warm your back. The grass turns to gold — to ready itself for a Winters slumber. Neighbors are keen to visit and help. Getting the calves ready to sell, makes for a fun day. There’s a good ride to help make a good horse.

What’s your favorite time of year?

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