Faith and Confidence

I had the opportunity to be a part of the Equine Professional Apprentice program at Warm Beach Horsemanship in Stanwood, WA, last summer (2024). It was such a great opportunity to work with a variety of horses and people, learn how a barn runs, and see Jesus be present throughout!

God really used this time to teach me more about His heart. He gave me experiences to grow my faith and confidence. The beautiful thing about being an equestrian and a Christian is that the Lord is able to teach us a lot about our relationship with Him through our relationship with the horse. The horse trusts the rider. Plain and simple. The horse trusts that their rider won’t put them in harm’s way, trusting them to lead and protect. It isn’t a blind trust. The horse is present with the rider; it doesn’t just watch from a distance. This is so much like our relationship with God. He asks us to trust Him as He leads us. His plans for our life are good. We can’t always see the whole plan, but we can trust that He does. We can have confidence in Him. Psalm 23:3 says “He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.” Just like the rider leads his horse along the right path, our Father leads us down the right path!

I had the opportunity to work with a new horse, Cowboy. Over time, we developed this type of trust and confidence in each other. I trusted that he was going to keep me safe as we rode, and he trusted me the same way. There was one point when we went on a trail ride, and he began to get skittish around a tarp. We had taken this trail many times before, so I encouraged him forward. I could feel his fear under me, but he trusted me as we walked on. That was one of those moments where I felt the Lord reminding me that I could trust Him in the midst of fear, just like Cowboy. My confidence didn’t need to come from my own strength. Instead, it could come from my faith that the Lord sees the bigger picture and has good plans.

I firmly believe that confidence never comes from our own strength. I am graduating this year (2025) and planning to go into the horse industry. My goal is to double major in Equine Assisted Services and Psychology, hoping that after college I can work to provide a space for the Lord to increase this type of faith and confidence in others. While there is a sense of nervousness from the unknown, there is also a peace from the trust that I have in Jesus. I don’t have to be confident in my own strength and abilities because my faith is in Jesus and HIS strength and abilities. The only reason I am able to stand here today with my skills and desire for more knowledge is because of Him. I’m excited to see where He takes me and I can’t wait to share this faith and confidence with others.

– Danielle MacPherson
Equine Professional Apprentice at Warm Beach Horsemanship

The Warm Beach Horsemanship Equire Professional Program is designed for the aspiring equine professional looking to gain experience, professional skills and spiritual mentorship in a Christ-centered equestrian program. Apprentices develop skills desirable in all fields of the professional horse world. They grow in their horse handling, training, and management skills as well as in their understanding of industry standards in horse care, safety, and education. Days are spent working alongside horsemanship staff and mentors to gain real world experience and build a strong resume. To learn more about the Equine Professional Apprentice Program, click here!