We recently connected with Mallory Nicklas and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mallory, thanks for joining us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.

While serving as a program director and therapist for Mustard Seed Ranch, a non-profit equine assisted therapy program for youth who have experienced trauma, I was able to be fully immersed in the healing power of horses day in and day out. I found my stride so to speak and wanted to explore other ways of sharing this work. Although Mustard Seed Ranch continues to be a large part of my days, I wanted to branch out and have something of my own as well so I founded H&H Connections, LLC where I could also provide equine assisted therapy and interactions for different clientele. In doing this I needed to develop a website, some minimal branding, create client paperwork, open a business bank account, obtain different liability insurance, etc. So many things that were outside of what I knew about being with horses and people, but as I checked the boxes, my little practice began to take shape, and being able to be creative was fun! Not all skills that pertain to your field are the only one’s you need when building a business. I think it’s important for professionals as they develop to take stock of how different lessons and learning opportunities are really paving a way to something more, if you can be mindful of it, patient, and lean into the process. It doesn’t happen overnight. Continuing to learn in your field, seeking consultation, and valuing relationships is paramount as well.

Mallory, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Growing up riding off and on in the hunter/jumper world I always knew horses had an ability to heal and connect with humans. They did it for me. As I began to pursue my education and career in Psychology and clinical mental health, I was able to find opportunities to intern, learn, and witness what incorporating horses into mental health and wellness intentionally looked like and just how profound the impact could be. I eventually became a licensed mental health therapist and received training in various equine assisted therapy modalities. I worked in inpatient psychiatric care for several years but always knew it was with horses where I could provide the greatest impact. After years of working with Mustard Seed Ranch as a therapist and program director, providing equine assisted therapy to youth who have experienced trauma, I began to identify not only the additional needs in the community for equine assisted therapy, but additional ways in which equine interactions could be beneficial in so many other ways. Robin’s Nest Foundation at Sky View Farm has served as a home base for H&H Connections. With a wonderful herd and a big healing space, the possibilities at the farm are endless.Through H&H Connections, I am able to expand my reach to serve different clientele with different mental health and wellness needs, provide curated retreats, collaborate with other providers, and even offer corporate team building centered around equine interactions. There are so many organic opportunities for discovery, healing, and growth when partnering with horses. I absolutely love witnessing breakthroughs that may not have been possible in any other setting.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Growing up my childhood was somewhat tumultuous but horses always provided something to my soul, so I would always find a way to have them in life. We couldn’t afford much, so I would ride the one’s nobody else wanted to ride, I’d muck stalls and do chores for lessons, and always looked for potential in what a horse could be. As I got older and became responsible for paying for a horse of my own, I would work multiple jobs, thankless jobs, if it meant a horse could be a part of it. Putting myself through grad school and pursuing a career in equine assisted therapy was not easy, unpaid internships, student loan debt, low paying mental health jobs with excruciating demand, but I was determined that one day, ALL of it would come together and make sense. While I continue to work hard to have horses in my life for my personal reasons, what I’ve come to understand is I am really working hard to put them in other people’s lives for reasons greater than I may know.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

If I could back and choose the same profession, I absolutely would! As an equine assisted mental health therapist, I have enjoyed exploring how this work benefits so many different needs and clientele. So while I am in the profession itself, I enjoy exploring other branches of how to utilize this work in different way such as half- day retreats, team building, teaching, and collaboration so that the day to day may not always look or feel the same forever, there can be an evolving component as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: hhequineassistedtherapy.com
• Instagram: h.h.connections
• Facebook: H&H Connections