Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dale Rudin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Dale, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
It all started with my own love of horses. People get involved with them for an wide range of reasons. I suspect a good many of them are drawn in by their size, expressive eyes, athletic power, and ability to carry us on their backs. They literally give us wings to fly over tall fences, the ability to run with amazing speed, and explore natural settings. They give us so much. It’s easy to fall in love with them.
My purpose stems from a serious and pervasive problem in the horse industry. It generally promotes the horse as existing purely for our enjoyment and entertainment. The horse’s welfare is secondary to our needs. That puts horses in an difficult position, one in which their “job” is to comply with our desires. Many horses are ridden, cared for, and competed with in ways that are convenient for us and make us feel good without providing their fundamental needs or having their best interests at heart. It’s common for horses to be pushed beyond their limits and be faced with unreasonable expectations. Becoming angry, aggressive, punitive, coercive, and employing tactics to force a “stubborn, resistant, stupid, non-cooperative” horse to be compliant is sadly normalized. When a horse says, “No,” it’s usually because they are trying to avoid physical pain or emotional distress. Punishing them is both abusive and counter-productive. It creates an every expanding cycle of pain and trauma. Horses often experience this because it’s what their owners, and even professional trainers, believe is the only way to handle them, make them perform, or “keep them under control.” Of course that’s not true. Horses that have been physically and emotionally harmed are often passed along from owner to owner and put into even more damaging situation in an effort to “fix” them. We need better education for owners to prevent these horses from being injured and then discarded through no fault of their own.
I have been on both sides of the equine welfare issue. I was part of the problem for many years. I knew on a visceral level that I was doing wrong by the horses in my care, but I was as demanding as I was sympathetic. I did my best to give the horses the best lives I could, but that abillity was limited because it was based on what I knew at the time. I also believed punitive meansures needed to be taken in some circumstances. The fact is they work, but they come at a price. Not only do they not help the horse learn, feel safe, or build confidence, they create fear, anxiety, and often cause physical harm. The horses were stuck between a rock and a hard place because I was trying to be “successful” and keep my paying clients happy. The internal conflict between getting the job done and having compassion for the horses was a source of deep emotional strife for me. I’m not proud of that time in my life, however it did teach me a lot about the horses I worked with and myself. It was also what motivated me to seek knowledge about what horses truly need to live happy fulfilling lives so I could be a bettter trainer, caregiver, and educated advocate for equine welfare.
Now my focus is 100% on helping horses live better lives. I created a not-for-profit sanctuary for horses who have suffered trauma and abuse at the hands of people who probably had no idea they were doing harm. I teach and rampently share information to spread the word about healthy welfare-centered horse training and care.
Horses are sensitive, highly intellegent beings that I deeply love. They are a gift that truly leaves me at a loss for words to describe them with the honor they deserve. To be accepted in their space. To know the feel of their breath. To be in the presence their gentleness, power, and friendship. I think it’s too easy to think of horses as different than us, but they are actually very similar. Horses want the same things we do, to feel safe, comfortable, have interesting experiences, and enjoy life as much as possible. They are capable of so much and deserve the best life we can offer.
Despite our history of treating horses in an insanely oppressive manner and causing so much suffering, people are starting to become aware of the impact we can have, positive or negative. They are coming to realize, because of recent scientific study and I believe what they feel in their own hearts, that horses are deep feelers and thinkers. They experience pain, grief, joy, psychological breakdowns, a complex social network, care for each other, protect each other, and make friends for life. More research is being done now than ever before to better understand horses and how to improve their lives. Some organizations, even those who have been the worst offenders of equine exploitation, are beginning to at least discuss alternative practices or adopt policies that give horses more protection. There’s more global outrage against the use of damaging practices against horses, too. We are slowly, but surely, making the world a better place for horses. I believe that is better for our hearts and lives as well.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I can tell you the most important thing about myself in relation to my work with horses. I experienced high levels of continuous stress and lived in an unpredictable environment when I was young. I have great empathy for what horses experience. However, my behavior wasn’t always in alignment with what the horses needed. I was too broken to get out of my own head long enough to allow them the space to do and be who they needed to be. My focus was on getting the results my clients were looking for – well behaved horses they could handle easily and ride safely. When I look back at my methods back in the day, I see the mistakes and errors in judgement I made. I also acknowledge it was the best I could do at the time. My heart was in the right place, but my head was not.
I know this is why I am drawn to horses who have been hurt and abused. I have done a lot of work to become a better version of myself. That’s why I am certain it’s possible for any being to heal given the right environment, support, and tools.
To that end, I have educated myself in equine physiology, nutrition, horse and rider biomechanics, saddle fitting, hoof balancing, as well as applied behavioral science. I am a Certified Horsemanship Association Certified Riding Instructor. I am a Certified Equine Nutritionist. Now I resolve issues horses have by healing their mind, body, and spirit. I also teach their human caretakers to have a clearer understanding of what their horse’s needs are so they can be safe and cooperative companions.
As a caretaker for physically and emotionally traumatized horses, making sure they have everything they need to live lives worth living is a daily priority. Their housing and handling is designed to both reduce stress and provide therapeutic benefits.
No matter how diligent we are, they still get wounds, thrush in their feet, and are magnets for biting flies and other irritating insects. There are a lot of lotions and potions available that are supposed to manage these situations, but they aren’t all safe or as effective as they claim to be. I won’t even mention the cost! Additionally, I won’t use anything on a horse that I wouldn’t use on myself. It has to be pure, non-toxic, environmentally sound, and 100% natural. As you may have guessed, it’s not easy to find products that meet my impossibly high standards, so…I decided to create what I wanted myself.
These Pure Joy Equine Wellness products are Magic Fly Relief spray, Magic Hoof Mudd, Magic Skin Mudd, and Magic Mane and Tail Elixer (available soon!). Every one is made from human-grade ingredients and have been tested extensively and ethically, of course, for efficacy and gentleness. I use them every day at the sanctuary to care for the equine residents. Additionally, and something I am very proud of, the proceeds of every sale go directly our our non-profit, Pure Joy Horse Haven.
Another product I developed reduces inflammation in the horse’s body and improves hoof health, areas where many horses can use help. It’s called Kombat Kleer and I created it in collaboration with Kombat Boots, LLC, a company who I am super proud to work with. You can find these and our other great products in our web store at PureJoyHorsemanship.com. You can also check out our local and virtual equine wellness and training services there. We can help with saddle fitting, healthy-riding instruction, nutrition consulting, emotional and physical rehabilitation from trauma, healthy hoof consulting, and behavioral assessments. We also teach compassionate communication techniques based on research in areas of behavioral and neurological science such as positive reinforcement and clicker training.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I think the quality that has served me the most is my incessant desire to learn. I wish I had more time to devote to it! I would probably be one of those people who goes to school for decades.
The challenge when it comes to learning about horse health and care is there is SO much misinformation out there It can even come from professionals and experts. I have a pretty fine tuned radar and knowledge base that helps me wade through and find the most trustworthy information, but if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s easy to go down a rabbit hole that won’t serve you or your horse. Fortunately, there’s a lot more scientific research in equine behavior and physiology being done and it’s far more accessible than ever before.
I definitely have to acknowledge another skill as the significant span of time I’ve been doing this! Experience is an excellent teacher. After 40 years I have a solid library of information, both good and bad, crammed into my head that serves me very well.
I love the opportunity to be innovative too! There are always new challenges and problems that don’t have readily available answers. It’s my nature to reinvent the wheel whenever I have the opportunity, so that aspect of horse husbandry is very inspirting. I constantly ask myself, how can I better help these horses? The answer might be a change in their diet I also most certainly ask myself, how do I make MY life easier!!! We all deserve as much ease in our lives as we can get, right?
My biggest most very important advice I can give anyone is to think for themselves. You are your horse’s guardian, the person he or she relies on for everything related to their wellbeing. Just because someone says they are an “expert” or “professional” doesn’t mean they are right or know what the heck they are talking about. Do your own research. Ask questions. Above all, go with your gut. If you’re getting a funny feeling that something is off, it probably is.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
We are ALWAYS looking for people to volunteer their time at Pure Joy Horse Haven. It’s a great way to get away from it all and enjoy the peace and he tranquility of the country. We love sharing each horse’s story. Being in their presence is so grounding and inspiring. Please visit us anytime!
We are also grateful to those who would like to contribute in other ways such as services, supplies, or monetary donations. Visit our non-profit’s website, PureJoyHorseHaven.org for information about supporting us and our mission to improve the lives of horses and humans.
We are looking to expand our reach to the community and have plans in the works to offer equine assisted life coaching and psychotherapy. If anyone out there would be interested in collaborating on expanding or manufacturing our product line so we can get it out into the world, we would love to talk with you.
Contact Info:
- Website: PureJoyHorseHaven.org and PureJoyHorsemanship.com
- Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/PureJoyHorseHavenEquineSanctuary, https://www.facebook.com/PureJoyHorsemanship/
- Facebook: Pure Joy Horse Haven and Pure Joy Horsemanship
- Youtube: Pure Joy Horsemanship @purjoyhorsemanship@5080
Image Credits
Shand Photography
