About Circle Up Healing

Founded by Amanda Ruark, a licensed equine facilitator with years of hands-on horse experience and a deep passion for the human–horse connection, Circle Up Healing was created to help people find clarity, confidence, and calm through the wisdom of horses.

At Circle Up Healing, we believe that horses are powerful partners in personal growth. Their natural sensitivity, authenticity, and nonjudgmental presence make them incredible mirrors for our emotions, behaviors, and inner truths. Through equine-facilitated life coaching, clients are guided to explore patterns, release tension, and build self-awareness in a safe, grounded environment.

Working with horses encourages mindfulness, trust, communication, and emotional regulation — essential tools for navigating life’s challenges. Whether you’re seeking healing, growth, or reconnection with yourself, Circle Up Healing offers a space where the rhythm of the horse helps restore balance to the human heart.

Person hugging a large, dark-colored horse outdoors in a grassy area with trees in the background.

About Amanda Ruark

Hi, I’m Amanda — a wife, mom of three, and lifelong lover of animals and the outdoors. Growing up on a working dairy farm, I learned early the value of hard work, patience, and the lessons nature and animals can teach us. Horses first captured my heart as a little girl, and over time, they became more than companions — they became teachers, healers, and guides.

After stepping away from a career in hospice nursing to raise my boys, I discovered a calling to combine my love of horses with my desire to help others heal. Through years of volunteering with 4-H, animal rescue, and programs like Equines for Freedom, I’ve seen firsthand how horses reflect our emotions, teach us presence, and help us access profound personal insight.

At Circle Up Healing, I create experiences that help people reconnect with themselves, gain clarity, and find balance — guided by the intuitive wisdom of horses. My mission is simple: to help you discover the transformative power of the human–horse connection, because you don’t have to ride a horse to be changed by one..

A woman with short brown hair, wearing black glasses, pink earrings, and a black sleeveless top, smiling for a selfie in front of colorful framed artwork.
  • Four horses standing behind a black fence on a grassy field with trees and hills in the background.
  • Close-up of a speckled gray horse's head with a flowing mane against a plain white background.
  • Two horses, one brown and one gray, touching noses on a grassy field.
  • Close-up black and white photo of two horses nuzzling each other in an open field.
  • Close-up of a brown horse's face with a black mane and large nostrils, resting its head on the back of a light-colored horse.