Meg Brauch
Meg Brauch is the Trainer, Owner and Manager of Narnia Stables, a small boarding facility located in Ashford, CT, USA. Meg has been working with horses since she was 8 years old and graduated from the University of Connecticut with a BS with Honors in Equine Science. She is experienced in working with a diverse array of breeds and with students with a background from all disciplines of riding. Meg grew up riding dressage as well as spending much of her youth exploring the trails and woods around her home on her rescue horse Sierra, a Tennessee Walker cross. As she began to pursue working with horses professionally Meg found that the contemporary approach to dressage, with its focus on show ring preparation, was not providing her with the necessary resources to make the connection with her more challenging equine students. She sought a classical approach to riding along with a method for developing and honing her skills in groundwork, lunging, work-in-hand, and liberty work. Meg enrolled in the Straightness Training® program where she became the first licensed instructor in the United States in 2016, but then resigned at the end of 2018. She continues to further her own education by studying under other trainers that inspire her. Meg is deeply drawn to the Academic Art of Riding. In 2022 she passed her Groundwork and Longe Test and then in February of 2023 she passed her ridden Squire test and became a member of the Knighthood of the Academic Art of Riding, making her the first person in the Americas to be a part of this wonderful and talented group of trainers. Meg proudly represents this work and also studies the work of many trainers, bodyworkers and educators from around the globe.
A little on Meg’s philosophy . . .
I have a passion for teaching and sharing my knowledge with my students while helping them to deepen their relationship and understanding of their equine partners. In recent years I have explored a better understanding of healthy movement and biomechanics of horse and rider in addition to different training techniques. I have a deep love for healing and rehabilitation and I have come to realize that every horse that comes into my stable or that I have the honor to work with has some sort of physical challenge in the body due to injury, incorrect training or sometimes just an unfortunate conformation or asymmetries within the body. Regardless of the cause I seek to develop comfort in both the physical body and the mind of the horses I work with as many also have mental or emotional trauma that must be addressed. As humans we all also have our own mental and physical challenges that we have accrued through our lifetime so I strive to work with the horse and human in front me in the present moment to help them find love and enjoyment in their work. I view correct movement as therapy to both the horse and rider and strive to teach body awareness to help both find relaxation and communication in their work. The dialogue that unfolds when both horse and human open up to the learning process is rewarding and healing. Because the mind and body are deeply intertwined the connection that unfolds becomes a unique and shared meditation.
Luther Brauch
Luther Brauch has a diverse array of talents and job history from veterinary technician, construction and excavation, mechanical, plumbing and electrical, project management, crop production, and computer systems expertise. He allowed the vision of Narnia Stables to become a reality through his design and building of the stables here. He is involved in much of the daily operations and maintenance on the farm. Luther does all of the hay production on the 46 acres of grass land that are part of Paradise Farm. He helps to manage website design, online communications, and event planning at Narnia. In addition he works full time for the Town of Mansfield Department of Public Works as a Crew Leader for their Roads Department.