Hello!
I care a lot about the messaging behind my brand so I thought it would be a good idea to post a more in depth explanation of Beau and I. Some of the details are the same, but if you're looking for more information, here it is!
The backstory behind this business starts in December of 2018. I had recently started riding at a new horse barn and was looking for a horse to take me into the higher levels of the horse jumping competition circuit. There happened to be a horse for sale named Beau. Beau and I instantly connected and a couple months later the papers were signed to officially make him my horse. We competed in the A-Circuit of the Hunter/Jumper industry for 3 years, before Beau started to show signs of something being wrong. Months went by in which we had different professionals look at him and every time the results were inconclusive. Something wasn’t right, but we couldn’t see the bigger picture.
In September of 2021 Beau was trailed to one of the best veterinary clinics in my area for full body x-rays and a very in depth examination. The results came back a week later: arthritis throughout his neck, nerve damage in the base of his neck, and the possibility for becoming neurologic. Without going too much deeper I’ll just say it really wasn’t good news and it also meant his jumping career was over. Now at this point I was a junior in high school with 2 years left to compete as a junior where my primary goals were to compete in the big ring classes, but these goals were now completely out of reach.
A month later my family and I had Beau moved to a small boarding facility closer to home so he could be retired. I wasn’t willing to give him away or give up on him; our connection was too strong. Instead I found a way to give him a new job and keep him intellectually stimulated despite not being ridden at all. I began doing lots of massage, grooming, and desensitizing/groundwork activities. I eventually got the clear to begin riding him again, but recreationally and not hard core, but Beau refused to let me on him.
Eventually I got in contact with an animal communicator to help me understand more of what Beau felt comfortable doing and what he needed to be happy. He was nervous about hurting me, told me he needed chiropractic adjustments, and asked if I could walk him around the arena to show him around before getting on him. 6 months post retirement I got on him. We walked around slowly for 10 minutes as I let him go where he wanted to. After this I slowly began to ride him a little more often, asking him to go faster here and there, but always listening to what he was trying to communicate with me in terms of how his body was feeling that particular day because Beau lives with chronic arthritis.
A few months after my first ride back, my family and I moved Beau home. He loves this type of retirement life the best. He loves being home and having an extended family with 2 other horses and more horse people to take care of him because he lives on a neighbor’s property. Fast forward to today and Beau is stronger and happier than ever. He has gained muscle, mobility, and confidence through the work that he and I have done together. Our partnership has reached levels I had previously never imagined. He looks amazing and is always happy to be ridden or go for walks around the neighborhood. Speaking of those walks, the neighbors love him and he loves getting to meet new people. Just this summer he has helped his fellow horse friends gain confidence riding around our neighborhood!
Beau’s story inspired me to found Callebaut Yoga. Callebaut, is Beau’s show name. The name that is placed above his stall door. His name represents that growth is always possible. Your road may look very different than the general population, but that’s what makes it magical. Beau is a special case, many retired horses go on to live out in a field with minimal attention from humans or worse are sold or euthanized because they no longer serve their original purpose. I knew that was never an option I was going to make; Beau would stay with me and under my care until he passed away of natural causes. His soul deserved better.
Whatever hardship you are facing, my hope is that Callebaut Yoga gives you a path forward. A pathway that leads to a glowing life. A life better than you could have ever imagined. Yoga changed my life. It changed how I viewed myself. It gave me a more wholesome path forward. Just as Beau thrives more than I could have ever imagined in his retired life, I thrive in my daily life because of the path that practicing yoga has put me on.
This hope for a more successful and wonderful day to day life is what vision Callebaut Yoga was founded upon.
I hope you enjoyed today's blog post and more to come soon. Have a great day!