About this speaker

Dr. Susan Fay
Sacred SpacesDr. Susan (Susie) Fay is an Internationally recognized equine expert, consultant, and author of the Amazon best-selling book, Sacred Spaces.
DR. SUSAN FAY'S STORY
Like many horse-crazy girls, I spent most of my youth pretending to be a horse, reading about horses, watching horse movies, wishing I could ride one, and hoping desperately that one day I would have a horse of my own. My dream came true at nine years old when my parents bought me a horse named Sox. He was old and had only two speeds left, slow and slower. Although they indulged me in my passion, my parents made sure I understood that a profession involving horses was not a realistic option. Therefore, I became an environmental scientist, a respectable and responsible career path. I tried to make it work and even got a master's degree in it, but I was completely miserable.
In my late 20's, I married a man who agreed to let me pursue my horse passion full-time. We bought a ranch in northwestern Colorado and raised Morgan horses and Scottish Highland cattle. I spent my days doing ranch chores, starting young horses, refining my groundwork, and honing my western and dressage riding skills. I also spent a great deal of time observing how horses interact with each other in the herd.
During my time on the ranch, I attended horse clinics and began showing my horses in dressage, carriage driving, and various western disciplines. I quickly realized that even though I achieved great results at home with my horses, shows were a totally different story. My inability to control my emotional state led to many disappointing outcomes in the show ring. I realized I was the problem, but there were few people or resources I could find that would help me gain control over my show nerves.
On my own, I began to explore spiritual practices and psychological techniques to improve my mental ability to handle stressful situations. I began to see enormous changes in both myself and my horses, even winning regional, national, and world championships. On Tank, my Morgan horse, I got my first real taste of riding in the Sacred Space.
The feeling of riding in the Sacred Space had such a profound impact on me that I decided to jump back into academia to pursue a Ph.D. in psychology. I wanted to find a scientific explanation for my experience with Tank. I knew that science would give me a credible foundation and a partial explanation, but I also knew that there were aspects of the Sacred Space experience that science couldn't explain. This realization led me to explore whether spirituality and quantum physics could fill in some missing pieces. After this intense learning phase of my life, I now have certifications in hypnosis, mental training, and several energy healing modalities.
My journey to find the Sacred Space and teach it to others has not been easy. I have encountered rejections, frustration, and outright hostility. I have kept going because I know what is possible when you take this journey. When we improve ourselves, our horses reward us beyond our wildest dreams.