celestial hooves: a tale of bond, breath & becoming

a true story of rescue, devotion, and the horse who shaped my life’s calling

my equestrian journey began long before i ever understood its meaning.

growing up in a home marked by turmoil, i sought refuge in the steadiness of animals — quiet beings who asked for nothing and offered everything. but it wasn’t until the day i met a retired thoroughbred named play-boy that my path truly revealed itself.

he was fifteen.
a flame still burning in a worn body.
a legend at the racetrack — known for his speed, his fire, his will.

and now discarded, destined for euthanasia like so many horses who outlive their “usefulness.”

the moment i saw him, something ancient moved in me.

there was no doubt, no hesitation.
i knew i had to save him.

or perhaps… he saved me.

the horse who ran on spirit alone

play-boy arrived with the momentum of a lifetime spent in full flight. his instinct was to run — fast, fierce, uncontained. in the riding ring, he moved twice as quickly as any show jumper, circling the perimeter with such fervor that spectators often fell silent. judges, sensing the magnificence beneath the chaos, would award him ribbons simply for his heart.

he wasn’t built for show classes.
he wasn’t trained for precision.
he was born for freedom.

cross-country became his sanctuary — galloping tirelessly over fields and fences, ears forward, lungs open, spirit blazing.

yet behind that velocity was a tenderness few ever saw.

with patience, presence, and time, he began to soften.
to trust.
to meet me in the quiet places where horse and human become something more than partners.

a bond that became a language

we grew together — two beings learning a new form of communication, one breath at a time.

play-boy taught me what no textbook ever could:

• how the nervous system speaks long before the reins
• how a horse reads the human body with microscopic accuracy
• how mutual trust is built through consistency, not control
• how love can rewire survival patterns
• how horses heal the parts of us that words cannot reach

he became my confidant, my teacher, my great companion —
not an animal i owned, but a soul i walked beside.

his legacy lives in my work

play-boy lived to the remarkable age of 26 — a long, full life for a thoroughbred. the day he passed, something opened inside me rather than closed.

his spirit didn’t leave.
it expanded.

and from that expansion came the clearest knowing of my life:

my mission is to serve the bond between horse and rider.
to help humans regulate, soften, listen, and attune —
so the horse can finally feel safe enough to meet them there.

everything i do now as a somatic breathwork facilitator is rooted in the lessons play-boy gave me:

• nervous-system regulation
• trauma resolution
• breath-based trust
• attuned partnership
• and the sacred intelligence of the horse–human relationship

his memory is woven into every session, every barn visit, every rider i support.

a lineage written long before i realized

my grandfather’s love for secretariat played a role too — his awe, his reverence, the way he watched those races on our black-and-white tv as if witnessing something divine. he traveled to saratoga springs to see secretariat in person, moved by the thunder of hooves, the poetry of power, the spirit of greatness.

i didn’t know it then, but a lineage was forming:
a profound, unspoken devotion to the horse.

and i am now the one carrying it forward.

honoring play-boy through every rider i serve

today, my purpose is clear:

to honor play-boy’s legacy by elevating equestrian wellness —
helping riders connect more deeply with their horses
through breath, presence, and nervous-system mastery.

his spirit lives in my work.
his teaching lives in my heart.
and his journey lives in every rider who learns
to breathe in harmony with their horse.

this is my offering to the equestrian world.
this is the gift he left me.
this is the path i now walk —
with gratitude, devotion, and a love that never fades.

in presence and partnership,
— michelle l ouimet