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 (RSW, BSW) and Equine/Animal-inclusive Wellness Professional (EAPDC).
Mary is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) in British Columbia and Master of Social Work (MSW) candidate with over a decade of experience in healthcare. She currently practices as an acute care hospital social worker, supporting individuals and families through crisis, sudden loss, and complex medical experiences. This work has shaped her deep commitment to supporting those navigating grief, trauma, and cumulative stress – including healthcare professionals and first responders.
Mary is an IFS Level 1 Therapist through the IFS Institute. Her approach is trauma-informed, strengths-based, and grounded in compassion. Using evidence-based Internal Family Systems (IFS), she helps clients gently understand and work with the parts of themselves shaped by loss, overwhelm, anxiety, and traumatic experiences. She believes healing unfolds through safety, collaboration, and steady presence.
Mary’s equine work is a natural extension of this relational approach. Mary’s connection with horses spans over two decades, beginning with her own riding and evolving into volunteer work in hippotherapy and therapeutic riding, later instructing with Pacific Riding for Developing Abilities (PRDA), and certifying through EAL Canada. In equine-included sessions, horses are welcomed as relational partners in the therapeutic process. Their attuned, non-verbal presence can support co-regulation, nervous system settling, and deeper awareness – offering a grounded witness in the healing of grief and trauma.
Mary is especially passionate about working with individuals experiencing grief and loss, trauma recovery, panic and anxiety, and major life transitions. She meets clients with warmth, steadiness, and a deep respect for their innate capacity to heal.
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.
