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meet "rocknhorse" | the golo profile

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This week we learn a little more about GOLO member, Rocknhorse. She's best known for her monumental house project and fondness for horses. I caught up with Rocknhorse on the phone last week while she was out feeding her horses. Here's what she had to say:  

Angela: Well if it isn’t Rocknhorse herself.

Rocknhorse: Hello there.

Angela: I know you train horses, and you’ve said you understand them. How so?

Rocknhorse: You have to understand what they are. They are a prey animal. They’re used to being eaten by predators. If you were a prey animal how would you perceive your exposure? When you can understand what they’re seeing you can understand how they react.

Angela: How does that help you relate to people?

Rocknhorse: I try to incorporate that when I’m working with people. Everyone has incidents in their lives that make them the way they are. If you see the world from their eyes you may understand them.

Angela: Tell me more, about horses.

Rocknhorse: In the wild, they’re with the herd but their instinct is flight or fight. They’re herbivores and prey animals for predators. That’s how they view the world. When you understand that you understand that small places take away their ability to flee.

I had a situation when my horse would not load. Someone said “get the whip “and I said: “something is bothering him” and when we investigated there was a hornet’s nest.

That’s why he wouldn’t load. Once I saw it from his perspective, I understood. We removed it and he got in without any problem.

Angela: Why is that so hard for people, to see other perspectives?  

Rocknhorse: That’s a good question.

Angela: You seem to relate to everyone.

Rocknhorse: I’ve moved around a lot and I’ve seen lots of cultures, and that makes it easier to relate to people.

Angela: So what’s it really like to literally move your house from one place to another?

Rocknhorse: For me, home is where my family is, it’s not a building that you visit.

Restoring something that has been in the family for so long means a lot to us. I’m excited to be doing it. It’s a great learning experience.

Angela: What are you learning?  

Rocknhorse: I’m learning how to work with power tools that I’ve never used before.

Sometimes I think I’m the biggest idiot in the world for doing this, and other times the luckiest person in the world. It’s an adventure. My kids are enjoying it.

Angela: Why do you enjoy GOLO?

Rocknhorse: I like to discuss topics. Controversial, friendly…I just like to talk and share ideas and see what other people think.

Angela: What do you think of all the feedback you’ve received from GOLO members?

Rocknhorse: There’s a group of people who have been following it (the house move) from day one and they are very supportive. I blog when I’m frustrated. And sometimes someone asks me what’s going on, out of the blue, and that makes me feel good.

Angela: If you weren’t a horse trainer, what would you be?

Rocknhorse: I have not decided what I want to be when I grow up. I’ve always wanted to be around horses. I train my horses, I would never train others. I have so much to learn…

Angela: But if you couldn’t train horses, what would you do?

Rocknhorse: (Pauses to think…) I went to school to be a teacher. I love working with kids. I would be involved in the school system somewhere.

Angela: Speaking of schools, Teacher Appreciation Day is coming up. Is there a teacher with a special place in your heart?

Rocknhorse: Yes, my principal at my school in Rhode Island had served at Camp LeJeune. When I made the mistake of saying “yes ma’am,” to my teacher, she thought I was being sassy and told me not to say it again. So how did I respond? I said “yes ma’am.”

Angela: Oh no!

Rocknhorse: Oh yeah, I was sent to the principal. He had to go back to the teacher and tell her that based on my upbringing I was being respectful, not sassy. That started a friendship.

Angela: You said earlier you moved around a lot. Why?

Rocknhorse: My dad was an engineer and once he finished a contract they wouldn’t need him and he would be laid off and need to find another job.

Angela: How did that affect you?

Rocknhorse: Life was tough. I had a large family and money was scarce. But love wasn’t scarce and that has a lot to do with how I see the world. I want to be comfortable but money is secondary to my family.

Angela: Tell me about a risk you’ve taken.

Rocknhorse: When my husband wanted to quit work when I was 8- months- pregnant with our second child, we began thinking about branching out on our own.

Angela: How did it end?  

Rocknhorse: I told him to do it. The worse thing that could happen is it wouldn’t succeed but we had our education to fall back on. Risks are important.

I don’t want to wake up at 50 wondering “what if”. I’d rather take the risk now knowing that we could recover.

Angela: What DO you want to wake up doing at 50?

Rocknhorse: Loving my family. I hope to not be worried about when the next check is coming in. But as long as the kids are happy and have what they need, I will consider my life successful and blessed.

Angela: How do you deal with negative people?

Rocknhorse: I try to point out the positive. There are certain people that are negative and it’s hard to be around them sometime but I always look for positive. There’s a positive somewhere. 

Angela: Tell me something shocking about you!

Rocknhorse: I’m very shy.

When I walk into a room I sit in the back and watch. My husband is the life of the party. I’m the wallflower.

Angela: A horse-training wall flower?  

Rocknhorse: Yeah, with a crazy house project.

Angela: What comes to mind when you think about that horrible wreck you were involved in?

Rocknhorse: Humor.

I was able to get out of the hospital right before Christmas and had all of my shopping done except for my son. I went shopping in a wheelchair with my feet stuck out in front of me. I couldn’t let my feet touch the floor for four months.

Angela: But you went shopping?

Rocknhorse: Yes. I was a great shopping cart. I still wear a brace on my left ankle.

Angela: Do you feel you cheated death?

Rocknhorse: Absolutely. There is no way I should be here right now.

Angela: And why do you think you are?

Rocknhorse: I have no idea. I hope one day I find out. Maybe it was because my son still needed me. I was told I’d never have any more children.

Angela: And here you are two kids later, raising horses.

Rocknhorse: Yep. I may not be the most graceful and I may not look the prettiest out there moving around, but I do have fun….

Angela: And you have been a pleasure to talk to.

Rocknhorse: You too.