empowered by horses & friends
Grew out of a heart-felt desire to connect with and live in harmony with animals and the natural world
From a young age, I felt a deep connection to all animals, which led me to become a vegetarian at six. Despite being shy, I stood firm in my beliefs about the sanctity of animal life, a conviction that remains strong five decades later. Nature and my horse Chunky provided comfort and support after my father’s death when I was 14. This bond laid the foundation for Empowered By Horses (EBH&F).
After high school, I moved to Vancouver, earned a BA in Criminology and Psychology, and became a Vancouver Police Constable. The job’s challenges led me to reconnect with horses, particularly my new horse, Shady, which helped restore my mental health. However, increasing workplace stress and lack of support led me to leave and start Unbridled Potential Equine Services, later founding EBH&F in 2010.
Originally aimed at empowering girls, EBH&F expanded to support vulnerable youth, neuroatypical kids, and first responders. We now include a team of skilled facilitators and offer training in animal-assisted practices. Our mission focuses on integrity, connection, ethics, and animal wellness, establishing EBH&F as a leader in the field.
the team
carla Webb
BA, Pro-EFW M,Ed in progress, Trainer, Coach, Mentor and Facilitator
Carla Webb is an Equine Facilitated Learning Professional, Equine Professional, Pro-EFW Mentor (Professional Association for Equine Facilitated Wellness) and Life & Wellness Coach. She is currently working on her M.Ed in Humane Education at Antioch University and is designing a professional Animal Assisted training program for Rhodes Wellness College. A believer in lifelong learning, Carla is also studying with Equusoma (Horse~Human Trauma Recovery) and MiMer (International Equine Education and Research Centre) to deepen her knowledge of somatic centered practices.
While Carla has partnered with horses for over 40 years, she has also built strong relationships based on choice, consent and ethical considerations with donkeys, pigs, sheep and chickens. It is her belief that all animals are sentient beings and as such deserve the utmost in care and respect. Carla is exceptional at creating safe spaces for her clients and animal partners. She understands the healing nature of attunement and works hard to foster respectful relationships between humans and the natural world.
After sixteen years of full-time client practice Carla is currently focusing on teaching, mentoring and consulting the next generation of Animal Assisted, Nature-Based and Equine Facilitated Wellness professionals. She has collaborated with Honour Ranch, Rhodes Wellness College and the University of Fraser Valley, and multiple social service agencies such as Mission Hospice, Abbotsford Hospice, PCRS Traverse and Surrey Schools
Carla lives in Abbotsford at Anam Cara Farm and Learning Center with her life partner, Steve, five horses, two miniature horses, two miniature donkeys, three sheep, five pigs, five chickens, two dogs, and two cats.
Mary Waldolf
Registered Social Worker (BSW) and Equine/Animal-inclusive Wellness Professional (EAPDC).
Mary Waldolf is a Social Worker (RSW, BSW) and Equine-Assisted Personal Development Coach (EAPDC). Mary grew up horse riding and show jumping, providing a solid foundation for being drawn to the relational piece and connection between herself and her horse. The significant healing and quiet solitude of being around animals led Mary to over a decade of volunteering in hippotherapy and therapeutic riding, guiding her to practice as a Therapeutic Riding Instructor for Pacific Riding for Developing Abilities and later certifying as an Equine-assisted Personal Development Coach through EAL Canada. Alongside her equine inclusive practice, Mary has worked in healthcare for the past eight years, most currently as an acute care Social Worker.
Mary combines her love for all animals with her trauma-informed social work practice. She respects client-directed goals and needs, uses a strengths-based approach while intuitively tailoring sessions to meet individuals where they are at. Mary’s sessions honor the horse partner’s ability to attune to emotions. Reading non- verbal cues, horses provide insightful feedback on the participant’s healing journey and ultimately help us recognize how we interact and impact those around us.
Mary graduated from the University of the Fraser Valley with a Bachelor of Social Work degree and Professional Communications. She continues to further her education in order to deepen her clinical practice and the integration of therapeutic modalities.
Mary’s special areas of interest are adolescent Issues, anxiety & panic attacks, assertiveness, communication issues, eating disorders, emotional overwhelm, relationship issues, social skills, trauma recovery, and major life transitions.
Steven Robert Kennedy
Steve is the backbone of Anam Cara Farm and Learning Center. His carpentry skills, craftsmanship and all-round mechanical knowledge, enabled him to not only build the farm from the ground up but keep it in fine running order. Plus, he takes care of the animals and assists with most groups. But Steve brings even more to the team. Through years of camping, hiking and woodcraft with his grandfather, Steve learned about the forests and its inhabitants, developing a deep sense of wonder about the natural world and our place within it. In 2006, Steve found a kindred spirit in Carla Webb and together they began manifesting their vision of a healing and learning center.
Steve is a keen student of life. From his childhood spent running tame in the wilds to his annual week-long getaways with old friends, the outdoors nurtures him. With countless hours spent around the campfire, Steve is now an avid storyteller, weaving the woods and farm life into tales about what makes us tick. Each story combines fact (and maybe a little fiction) that helps us understand who we are without even knowing we had asked the question.
Steve believes that all beings deserve the right to have a good life whether it’s the coyote searching for chickens or the stray cats that ultimately end up on his lap. His recipe for a healthy lifestyle includes mindful living, respectful bonds between people and animals, and a gorgeous sunset over the barn he and friends just built.
