June 4, 2025 • 7 mins
My cousin, Melissa Williams, 10X World Champion with different breeds and different divisions, shares her experience growing up with horses and the many things she learned from them in this short clip from a longer interview.
If you want more info about anything related to horses, leadership retreats, equine therapy, trainings, Captivate the Crowd or Casa BlancaVentures, please see the earlier full episode with Melissa and Elaine.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hi, I'm Melissa Williams and Ihave accomplished some world and
national titles in differentdisciplines.
I was always fascinated withhorses.
I knew I liked horses, but Ididn't really realize how much
they can connect with us and howmuch that bond can be healing
(00:22):
and.
A source of comfort.
There are people who are afraidand forces and rightly I always
say the smart people have somefear.
And it's a large animal and youhave to be respectful of that.
But once you connect with themit's really fascinating to watch
how people can blossom.
(00:44):
It's wow, I did this.
I communicated with this animalthat's so much bigger than me
and has so much power and somuch beauty.
And we connected and it listenedto what I asked it to do.
It's a real rush.
It really is.
They're very therapeutic.
And for people who might be tooafraid to actually get on their
(01:06):
back and ride it's even just,Petting them when they're
standing still and just enteringtheir space and talking to them
and being close with them isvery soothing to most people.
And, I have a other a friend ofmine, she's a neighbor and she's
always been afraid.
And when she finally went nextto one of the, big Friesian
(01:30):
stallions she put her hand onhis neck and he was accepting of
it.
And then they kissed.
Then he put his head down andshe was almost crying.
She says, Oh my gosh, I can'tbelieve this.
It's a very powerful.
Transformational.
Absolutely.
I I had such a passion forwriting and then a passion for
competing with them and unlike alot of other sports you're
(01:54):
dealing with another, live beingand they have good days.
They have bad days.
The one thing that they do teachyou as far as discipline and
controlling yourself, andteaches you a lot of lessons.
That really are applicable indaily life and in the business
world.
I would say that with horses howcan that help me in my job it's
(02:17):
the same thing when you're in awork environment is, it's if
you're having a bad day nobodycares.
You need to bring your A gameand you need to show up and you
need to be ready to do your job.
And same thing with horses.
It's like you're having a badday.
You've got to suck it up and beready to go.
(02:37):
There's lifelong lessons to belearned for sure.
I continue learning them everyday.
These horses teach me somethingnew and they, have this way of,
just like people, some of thembond with you and that's your
safe place and others are achallenge.
Just like coworkers.
Sometimes there's that coworkerthat you're like, I just can't
(03:00):
get on the same page with thisperson.
I can't vibe with them.
I can't mesh with them.
I just, they drive me crazy.
And animals are no different.
Sometimes the ones that are themost difficult to actually
understand are the ones that welearn the most from.
That's true of people too.
(03:21):
The horses are very, empatheticand they're a prey animal and
we're a predator animal, so thefact that they allow us into
their world, like they often dois really fantastic and they
won't let you in if they don'ttrust you.
And so you have to adjust yourenergy and your intention so
(03:44):
that They know, okay, this isfine.
As far as.
sensitivity, they're milesbeyond us and they can adjust
their heart rate.
I think it's within three feet.
They can actually adjust theirheart rate and cause us to
(04:04):
unknowingly adjust Our heartrate.
And that's phenomenal when youthink of that, that just that
they, they have that ability toreach out to us., I have a
couple that I can guarantee youthey don't make my heart rate
slow.
The ones that I don't get alongwith as well they're a challenge
for sure.
(04:25):
But I learn all the time.
And it's great lessons that candirectly relate to life in
general.
And you were just being able toconnect with this beautiful
horse with just your voice andhand gestures, right?
What would it be like forsomebody if they were afraid of
horses and then all of a suddenthey got to have this
(04:46):
experience?
Has that happened for otherpeople?
I know for me, it was really acool experience I do like to try
to work my horses, what theycall at liberty, which is no
saddle, no bridle.
Just a halter and nothing isconnecting me to the horse
except my voice and myintention.
And it's a little scary becausethey can do technically, they
(05:09):
can do whatever they want.
But it's also very empoweringWhen you realize that you can be
standing in the middle of around pen and be whatever, maybe
eight feet from from this biganimal.
And if you say, whoa, they stopand you say trot and they trot
(05:34):
and you say, Come step my, Iusually do this for step
forward.
Once I asked him to, whoa, theyknow that means stop.
And then this is step forward.
And then I'll get into, once youget into their space, then they
know, okay, I'm not going to beasked to go do anything right
now.
This is our time to get, I'mgoing to get petted whatever.
(05:55):
And I usually ask them to backup and scratch them a little
bit, give them a little bit of atreat.
So they associate me with notalways demanding them to do
something, but also, let's havea moment together and I'll pet
you and be your friend.
But it's very empowering andit's amazing what they can
(06:16):
learn.
And that they don't have to doit.
Okay.
They absolutely don't have to doit.
It's far easier for them.
And I've had, it happens all thetime.
They look at you and go, yeah,not going to, I'm going to do
what I want.
But it, it's really fascinatingwhen you've worked with them
enough that they actually, theylook for you, they look, okay,
(06:37):
what are you asking me to donow?
What do you want me to do now?
And it's a thrill.
It's really, it's exhilaratingand and very it's just a real
rush.
It really is.
It's very, and it's a littleemotional for me, honestly.
I, I have one in particular thatI connect really, I've connected
very strongly with her.
(06:57):
Since she was born and we'veworked together a lot at Liberty
and we just have a connectionand it's just a beautiful, I
love it.
I absolutely love it.
It's different.
Writing has its own magic.
Hi, I'm Melissa Williams and Ihave accomplished some world and
national titles in differentdisciplines.
I was always fascinated withhorses.
I knew I liked horses, but Ididn't really realize how much
they can connect with us and howmuch that bond can be healing
(00:22):
and.
A source of comfort.
There are people who are afraidand forces and rightly I always
say the smart people have somefear.
And it's a large animal and youhave to be respectful of that.
But once you connect with themit's really fascinating to watch
how people can blossom.
(00:44):
It's wow, I did this.
I communicated with this animalthat's so much bigger than me
and has so much power and somuch beauty.
And we connected and it listenedto what I asked it to do.
It's a real rush.
It really is.
They're very therapeutic.
And for people who might be tooafraid to actually get on their
(01:06):
back and ride it's even just,Petting them when they're
standing still and just enteringtheir space and talking to them
and being close with them isvery soothing to most people.
And, I have a other a friend ofmine, she's a neighbor and she's
always been afraid.
And when she finally went nextto one of the, big Friesian
(01:30):
stallions she put her hand onhis neck and he was accepting of
it.
And then they kissed.
Then he put his head down andshe was almost crying.
She says, Oh my gosh, I can'tbelieve this.
It's a very powerful.
Transformational.
Absolutely.
I I had such a passion forwriting and then a passion for
competing with them and unlike alot of other sports you're
(01:54):
dealing with another, live beingand they have good days.
They have bad days.
The one thing that they do teachyou as far as discipline and
controlling yourself, andteaches you a lot of lessons.
That really are applicable indaily life and in the business
world.
I would say that with horses howcan that help me in my job it's
(02:17):
the same thing when you're in awork environment is, it's if
you're having a bad day nobodycares.
You need to bring your A gameand you need to show up and you
need to be ready to do your job.
And same thing with horses.
It's like you're having a badday.
You've got to suck it up and beready to go.
(02:37):
There's lifelong lessons to belearned for sure.
I continue learning them everyday.
These horses teach me somethingnew and they, have this way of,
just like people, some of thembond with you and that's your
safe place and others are achallenge.
Just like coworkers.
Sometimes there's that coworkerthat you're like, I just can't
(03:00):
get on the same page with thisperson.
I can't vibe with them.
I can't mesh with them.
I just, they drive me crazy.
And animals are no different.
Sometimes the ones that are themost difficult to actually
understand are the ones that welearn the most from.
That's true of people too.
(03:21):
The horses are very, empatheticand they're a prey animal and
we're a predator animal, so thefact that they allow us into
their world, like they often dois really fantastic and they
won't let you in if they don'ttrust you.
And so you have to adjust yourenergy and your intention so
(03:44):
that They know, okay, this isfine.
As far as.
sensitivity, they're milesbeyond us and they can adjust
their heart rate.
I think it's within three feet.
They can actually adjust theirheart rate and cause us to
(04:04):
unknowingly adjust Our heartrate.
And that's phenomenal when youthink of that, that just that
they, they have that ability toreach out to us., I have a
couple that I can guarantee youthey don't make my heart rate
slow.
The ones that I don't get alongwith as well they're a challenge
for sure.
(04:25):
But I learn all the time.
And it's great lessons that candirectly relate to life in
general.
And you were just being able toconnect with this beautiful
horse with just your voice andhand gestures, right?
What would it be like forsomebody if they were afraid of
horses and then all of a suddenthey got to have this
(04:46):
experience?
Has that happened for otherpeople?
I know for me, it was really acool experience I do like to try
to work my horses, what theycall at liberty, which is no
saddle, no bridle.
Just a halter and nothing isconnecting me to the horse
except my voice and myintention.
And it's a little scary becausethey can do technically, they
(05:09):
can do whatever they want.
But it's also very empoweringWhen you realize that you can be
standing in the middle of around pen and be whatever, maybe
eight feet from from this biganimal.
And if you say, whoa, they stopand you say trot and they trot
(05:34):
and you say, Come step my, Iusually do this for step
forward.
Once I asked him to, whoa, theyknow that means stop.
And then this is step forward.
And then I'll get into, once youget into their space, then they
know, okay, I'm not going to beasked to go do anything right
now.
This is our time to get, I'mgoing to get petted whatever.
(05:55):
And I usually ask them to backup and scratch them a little
bit, give them a little bit of atreat.
So they associate me with notalways demanding them to do
something, but also, let's havea moment together and I'll pet
you and be your friend.
But it's very empowering andit's amazing what they can
(06:16):
learn.
And that they don't have to doit.
Okay.
They absolutely don't have to doit.
It's far easier for them.
And I've had, it happens all thetime.
They look at you and go, yeah,not going to, I'm going to do
what I want.
But it, it's really fascinatingwhen you've worked with them
enough that they actually, theylook for you, they look, okay,
(06:37):
what are you asking me to donow?
What do you want me to do now?
And it's a thrill.
It's really, it's exhilaratingand and very it's just a real
rush.
It really is.
It's very, and it's a littleemotional for me, honestly.
I, I have one in particular thatI connect really, I've connected
very strongly with her.
(06:57):
Since she was born and we'veworked together a lot at Liberty
and we just have a connectionand it's just a beautiful, I
love it.
I absolutely love it.
It's different.
Writing has its own magic.
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