From a very young age, Alana has been surrounded by animals with horses playing a huge role in her becoming who she is. Horses have taught her so many wonderful lessons and shared their gifts and wisdom, with the expectation that she would share these gifts to those willing to receive them. Connection to nature, horse wisdom, a lifetime of learning new skills, and combining wellness, wildness and joy, inspired her to offer space for others to experience unique possibilities at Crystal Beach Adventures.
Alana started to train at a very young age. Throughout the intervening time, she developed her own skills while always adding tools from other programs. She competed in a variety of disciplines and with many different breeds.
A close friend once said to Alana “just when I think I have you figured out, you show up wearing weird shoes”, some of the words used to describe her have been hippy, redneck, pixie (apparently we trace back to Pictish folk), gypsy, coach. She is all of that and none of that at the same time. Growing up on a farm, she was a bit Ellie May Clampet, always rescuing a sick or injured animal. She has always gravitated to nature/energy based learning and finds joy in simple smiles. Many times in her own healing she has expressed the wish that more people would benefit from the experiences she sees daily. As we share our joy, it multiples.
As a foundation to horse relationships, the horse Alana won her first trophy at age 4 (16 and under equitation) was Tango. He was given to her mom by her dad and was the offspring of her dad’s favourite mare Lady, and Neil Robbin’ fancy Quarter horse stallion. Tango was super kind to children (her mom would often send Alana to catch him which she did by wrapping her arms around his front legs), less than kind to men (often playing with a bone jarring standardbred trot instead of a floating canter), he was always a halter puller, an amazing cow horse, and a brilliant teacher to generations of people. He was beautiful and big (both in spirit and height). Alana could get on him by herself by age 4 but it was a bit unconventional. After she had moved away to train at a very high end dressage barn, Alana came home for a weekend. Tango was showing his age and Alana wanted to get a last ride with him. Being that she was an “experienced” trainer now, with skills that she didn’t have as a kid, Alana was planning to share these skills with Tango. He tolerated and humoured her for a bit but was soon fed up, and ran away with Alana at a bone jarring trot! Humbled and ego now in check, she apologized, laughed and thanked him for one last lesson from a great horse teacher. Alana appreciates his energy to this day.
Alana doesn’t rest in her current knowledge, believing that there is always more to notice and integrate. She feels privileged to be able to exist in the space of Crystal Beach Adventures with horses and nature mingling and expressing themselves, and always changing to move into each new understanding of the energies within the space.