Practicing connection with horses & humans
Growing Edge Equine*imity
All young people deserve to feel unconditionally loved and valued, to grow up with their dignity fully intact, and to have the freedom to discover their passions and determine their own life paths.
At Growing Edge Equine*imity, we believe relationships with young people should be grounded in joy, trust, and a deep mutual respect.
Our Vision
I am a lifelong radical unschooler and natural horsewoman, as well as being a highly sensitive empath. I hold a BA from Goddard College with a concentration in Equine Psychology & Partnership-Based Horse Training, and an MA in Equine-Assisted Learning & Business Design from Prescott College. Both schools are renowned for being rooted in progressive, learner-centered education. My unconventional education and lifestyle have provided me with a deep inner knowing, as well as an understanding of the value of trust and autonomy in the learning process.
These days, I combine my passion for horses with a strong desire to empower adults with the skills necessary to support and guide young people as they grow into thriving and conscientious members of a global community. I believe this requires a reimagining of the traditional adult/youth power paradigm, shifting us towards relationships that are grounded in mutual trust and respect, while cultivating a deep appreciation and responsibility for the world around us.
Hello! My name is Halie Barrick, M.A.
About Us
I am a dedicated life-long learner holding an M.Ed. from UNC Chapel Hill. I am proud to be Halie’s mother, co-facilitator, and a lifelong advocate for peaceful parenting and self-directed learning. My background is in early childhood education and family mental health, and I bring over three decades of lived experience to my work. I am passionate about supporting parents and educators as they deepen and grow their relationships with children.
I nurture my inner social scientist with never-ending research into all things early childhood family mental health, developmental trauma, resilience, and physical- and mental- health & wellbeing.
Nearly 20 years ago, I changed my last name to “Maitri” (meaning “Loving-Kindness”) and “Mudita” (meaning “Universal Joy”) as a pathway forward into living and parenting consciously. My name, as well as the license plate on our pink VW Bug, reminds me daily to “Cre8Joy”!
Welcome! I'm Michelle Maitri-Mudita, M.Ed.
Meet the rest of the family on the "about us" page!
- Vermont State University Early Childhood Educators Institute, July 2025, Institute Strand & Keynote Address (Michelle and Halie)
- Vermont State University Early Childhood Educators Institute, July-November 2025, 3 credit undergraduate/graduate course (Michelle and Halie)
- Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO) International Youth Conference, January 2026 (Halie)
- The Unschooling Summit March 20th-22nd 2026 (Halie)
- University of Wisconsin-Stout Early Childhood Education Conference, April 2026 (Michelle and Halie)
- The Unschooling Summit, Sunday Session, May 31 (Halie)
- Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO) Conference, June 11-13th 2026, Manchester, NH (Halie and Michelle)
- Connecticut Association for the Education of Young Children (CTAEYC) Conference, September 24-26 2026 (Michelle and Halie)
- Community training at Return to Roots Learning Community
- Maine Association for the Education of Young Children Conference, October 23-24 2026 (Michelle and Halie) (Upcoming)
- Podcast interview on the Living Joyfully Network, out now! (Halie)
- Podcast interview on The Unschool Space, airing in October (Halie)
- Chapter contribution “The Most Un-Schoolly College There Was” In Press (Halie)
Places we have presented:
Trainings we have attended:
- Harry Whitney 7 day horsemanship clinic, 2022, 2023, 2024 (Halie)
- Libby Lyman 3 day horsemanship clinic, 2024 (Halie)
- Susan Fay 3 day horsemanship clinic, 2024 (Halie)
- Polyvagal Equine Institute (PVEI) 2 day personal and professional development workshop, 2023 (Halie and Michelle)
- Eponaquest 4 day leadership training, 2024 (Halie and Michelle)
- Natural Lifemanship: Know Yourself, Know Your Horse 16 week online course, 2026 (Halie)
- Natural Lifemanship: The Practice of Secure Attachment 21 week online course, 2026 (Halie)
- Natural Lifemanship: Young Children and Parents 16 week online course, 2026 (Halie)
- Natural Lifemanship ongoing classes and webinars, 2025, 2026 (Halie)
Growing Edge Equine*imity is an equine-assisted personal and professional development business offering workshops and coaching for parents, educators, and organizations. We are a mother/daughter team who focus on inner healing and growth to support healthy communication and relationship building. Our emphasis is on consent-based and collaborative adult/youth relationships, particularly in support of intrinsically motivated, autonomy preserving, and community engaged Self-Directed Education.
We support parents and educators who feel called to shift from control to connection and embrace a “power with” approach that honors young people’s dignity, freedom, and ownership over their learning. Our work is rooted in peaceful and attachment parenting, unschooling, and Self-Directed Education, and is informed by research in Attachment Theory and Polyvagal Theory. Trauma-informed and restorative practices are deeply integrated into everything we do.
Blending neuroscience with our love for horses, we offer mindful, ground-based activities that create space for reflection, co-regulation, and embodied learning. Each session includes time to integrate your experiences, ask questions, and explore real-life scenarios together.
Our Approach
* Live fully in the present moment
* Are honest, authentic, and congruent
* Communicate primarily non-verbally
* Are highly attuned to energy and their environment
* Provide immediate, objective & non-judgmental feedback through their responses to us
* Require us to be present, honest, grounded, and clear in our interactions
* Can hold space while pushing us to grow ourselves
*Are sentient beings with their own experience, history, and emotions
why horses?
Horses are Excellent guides because they:
horses teach us:
* Self-awareness
* Self-regulation
* Co-regulation
* Presence & emotional congruence
* Clear and compassionate communication
* Communication through body language and energy
* Clarity, goal setting, and follow-through
* Healthy boundaries
* Reflection and problem solving
* Creative thinking
* Self confidence
a few Parallels between horses & Children:
* Both horses and young humans have a heightened attunement to the emotional and energetic state of those around them, particularly their primary caregivers
* Both horses and young humans experience the world with more present moment awareness; their systems are less cluttered with concerns for the future or past than an adult's
Come visit us in the woods of Northern Vermont for hands-on, trauma-informed workshops and retreats with our herd of horses and mini donkeys. These gatherings explore:
- reflection and inner healing
~ social emotional learning
- interpersonal neurobiology
- nervous system regulation
- compassionate communication
- conflict resolution
~ leadership and team building
- attachment and peaceful parenting
- unschooling + Self-Directed Education
Whether you're a parent, educator, or community leader, this is space to practice connection—without judgment or forced outcomes.
In-Person Workshops + Retreats
Our Offerings
Are you looking for a like-minded community? Do you have a burning question for someone who has already traveled the path of Self-Directed Education?
Join us for our free monthly virtual chats, two hours of informal space to connect and engage in thoughtful discussions on what it means to truly understand and trust our children, and ourselves!
Settle into this cozy space with a special mug & your favorite tea!
The third Saturday of every month, 7:00 to 9:00 pm eastern time.
Contact us for details.
Free Monthly Communi-Tea Chats
Want to go deeper? We offer personalized coaching for parents and educators. This is a space for reflection, guidance, and resourcing—especially for folks supporting youth who are highly sensitive, empathic, neurodivergent, or who possess a high need for autonomy.
If you are ready to explore a new way of being with children, join us! Together we can untangle big questions and help you stay grounded, while strengthening your relationships with the young people in your life.
Virtual consulting: private or group settings
Intrigued but want a vibe check? Let’s talk!
I offer free one hour long connection calls via Zoom.
This is a space for us to get to know each other and see if working together would be a good fit.
Click the button below to send me an email with your name, general location in the world, and a sentence or two about your family and your goals (seriously, no pressure on this. I know introductions can feel scary, and I’m truly happy to hear whatever you feel like sharing. I’m an empath with anxiety, I just want to know you’re a real person.) 🤗
I will reply within 72 hours to schedule your call.
Free One Hour connection calls with Halie
Virtual or in-person presentations and training for your organization or community. We can come to you, or present on Zoom. Our horses do not travel with us, but we will share stories and videos of the animals as engaging examples!
We offer both one-time presentations and a series of classes on a variety of topics, such as: self-care, communication, leadership, peaceful parenting, and Self-Directed Education.
We are happy to work with you to design a training tailored to the specific needs and goals of your community.
Speaking engagements & Specialized Programs
Do you ever find yourself advocating for your child in a world that is not always responsive to their needs? This course will equip you with the knowledge to advocate with confidence, clearly articulate what your child needs and why, and stay grounded in the trust that your intuition is backed by evidence, and needs no further justification.
This is a six week live zoom series offering an hour of presentation style content delivery, followed by a half hour of conversation and integration. Recordings, slides and further resources will be available following each class meeting.
The science behind your Instincts
Gain Comfort, Clarity, And Confidence Supporting Your Child Outside Of Traditional Paradigms
~Sue, workshop participant, early educator, childcare director.
"Learning that I can direct or affect a horse with my energy has broadened my respect for horses and also visually showed me how my attitude and regulated state affects others. My take-away is life changing”
Kind words from our community
Mounted archery, swords, and a fantasy photographer with a vision! With help from Garnet, Chantilly, and Jack (our endlessly patient horse crew), we embodied Halie’s inner fantasies with a medieval photoshoot in the forest! Stay tuned for more photos—they’re epic.
All photo credits go to Amy Lynn Imaging. If you are in New England, please check out her work. She is incredible! Kind, patient, creative, enthusiastic, and delightful to work with!
Recently things got delightfully weird:
Finding the Fun, a Farm Highlight
Recently Halie Was Interviewed On The Living Joyfully Network's Exploring Unschooling Podcast! Check it out now on YouTube or on their website!
From their show notes:
"For this new Growing Up Unschooling episode, Pam, Anna, and Erika were joined by 26-year-old Halie Barrick, who has always been unschooled. Halie shared about her experiences growing up, her journey through college and grad school, the business she created with her mom, and her advice to newer unschooling parents. She also reflected on the connections between what interested her as a child and what she’s passionate about today. It was a beautiful conversation with so many deep insights. We hope that you enjoy listening to Halie’s thoughts as much as we did!"
EU415: Growing Up Unschooling with Halie Barrick
Podcast interview out now!
Parenting:
- Ross Greene
- Robyn Gobbel
- Alfie Kohn
- Daniel Siegel
- Mona Delahooke
- Attachment Parenting
- La Leche League
- The Consciously Parenting Project
- Beyond Consequences Institute
- The Natural Child Project
- The Evolved Nest
- Alliance for Self-Directed Education (ASDE)
- Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO)
- John Holt: Growing Without Schooling
- Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning (JUAL)
- Edward Deci and Richard Ryan
- The Living Joyfully Network
- Radical Learning
- All books by John Taylor Gatto
Leadership and communication:
Personal healing and growth:
A few of our favorite resources:
