About Sumaya

I'm Sumaya Abuhaidar and I'm the human on the Equine Insights team. Lucky me! There's no other way I'd rather spend my time or my professional life.  I've spent much of the last 20 years immersing myself in the language and wisdom of horses and training to support humans in partnership with the herd.  The work never ceases to amaze and delight me.

While I've felt the call of horses since I was a small child, I haven't always been lucky enough to make equine coaching my full time work.  I started my career earning a Ph.D. in Education and Political Theory and co-founding an innovative school in Boulder, CO.  I've also been a mayor, a college professor, and a life coach, all while doing my true life's work: being a wife to my wonderful husband of 25 years and pouring my heart and soul into raising our two boys.

Although my education and my professional life were rich and varied, The most profound chapter of my education began in early 2020 when I sustained a head injury and then contracted Covid in the earliest days of the pandemic. The combination of these two challenges led to a nervous system collapse and many years of extreme personal challenge as I navigated chronic fatique, chronic pain, IBS, insomnia, and extreme brain fog.   

My recovery finally began in 2022 when I found my way to a nervous system/neuroplasticity approach to healing and was invited into a self-discovery and healing process. The last two years have been a deep dive into understanding my nervous system, seeking help with trauma healing and emotional work, and gaining the tools to slowly make my way back to health.

My horses held space for me every step of the way. I spent hours in deep quiet with them, asking nothing of them other than their company and their wisdom. What they gave me in return was an extraordinary gift. It's that gift, the gift of their wisdom, that I most love sharing with humans. Which is why I no longer consider myself a "coach" and no longer offer a coaching experience. Rather, I offer a quiet, contemplative experience and share my herd's world with humans willing to slow down and experience something unique and uniquely magical. 

The combination of my horses' gifts and my understanding of them, all held  in a deeply spiritual container,  is a powerful one that I'm honored I get to share with my friends, community and clients.