MAVIS SAYS: LEAVE IT AT THE GATE

First start with a breath…

Take a deep breath.

Breathe in the fresh air.

Breathe out the frustration, stress, and exhaustion.

Welcome to The Pasture.

Mavis — Grounding Correspondent
Lead mare. Keeping everybody’s feet—and feelings—on the ground.

AT THE GATE

Sometimes the Farm Moms come home after a rough day.

There are things that didn't get done. People who got on our nerves. Traffic. Bills. A phone that wouldn't stop ringing. Maybe there's a conversation we're still having in our heads even though the other person left hours ago.

But then it's time to feed the horses.

Before we walk through the pasture gate carrying all of that with us, Mavis would like a word.

WHAT WE'RE DOING: GROUNDING AFTER A STRESSFUL DAY

Grounding means bringing your attention away from everything racing through your head and back to your body and what's happening right now.

Before you walk into the pasture—or the house, classroom, meeting, or your next difficult conversation—give yourself a minute to come back to the present.

TRY THIS: THE COUNTING RESET

Stop and count slowly.

1. Drop your shoulders.
2. Unclench your jaw.
3. Loosen your hands.
4. Take a slow breath.
5. Slow your movements.
6. Lower your voice.
7. Look at what's actually happening right now.
8. Remind yourself: frustration isn't an emergency.
9. Decide what you need to do next.

Now respond.

This isn't about pretending you aren't frustrated. It's about making sure the next animal—or person—you encounter doesn't have to carry frustration that didn't belong to them in the first place.

WHERE DOES THIS COME FROM?

“Count to ten” has been passed down for generations as a simple way to put a pause between feeling angry and reacting to that anger.

We're giving it a pasture twist.

Instead of just counting, use each number to notice and change something your body is doing. Relax your muscles. Slow your breathing. Lower your voice. Pay attention to what's actually happening instead of immediately reacting to what you're feeling.

By the time you reach nine, hopefully you've left a little more of your rough day outside the gate.

FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH

Mavis is the lead mare in our pasture, so she knows something about keeping everybody grounded.

Horses are prey animals. They're built to notice possible danger and, when necessary, get away from it quickly. They also pay close attention to what's happening around the rest of the herd.

That means the Farm Moms don't need to march into the pasture angry, rushing, waving our arms around, and then wonder why everybody suddenly seems a little more on edge.

Mavis's first rule of the pasture is:

Ground yourself before you ask anyone else to be calm.

We've been told this technique also works when dealing with humans.

We can't independently confirm that.

We mostly deal with animals.

THE PASTURE

Ground with Mavis. Pamper with Sugar. Relax with Harley.

#ThePasture #GroundWithMavis #RainbowConnectionFarm